Companies that cannot get broadband, and who will
inevitably be left behind when it comes to 3G coverage because of
their rural location, will soon have an alternative wireless
broadband solution.
Radio networks built on the WiMAX (Worldwide
Interoperability for Microwave Access) standard will be available
in the UK by the second half of 2005, with some of the first
solutions being developed by a partnership between Siemens and
Intel.
The pair are developing operators’ base
stations and user subscriber access devices to enable operators to
offer the service which offers both fixed and wireless broadband
access.
A major advantage of WiMAX over existing
wireless Lan technology is that the access range is far greater
than the typical 100ft reach offered by 802.11-based wireless Lans
– WiMAX can offer connections over miles.
WiMAX is built around the IEEE 802.16 standard
which includes a mobile solution that allows enterprises to serve
“nomadic notebook users” who need to log on to the internet or
intranet from different locations inside and outside the
company.
The new technology will not only be useful for
rural areas however. It will also likely be an alternative for
users in urban areas who find it difficult to install underground
cabling to enable fixed broadband networks.
This article was part of Computer Weekly's
enterprise mobile business channel, sponsored by Nokia