Pipex Wireless, the joint venture between ISP Pipex and
Intel, has announced that it has successfully completed the latest
phase of its WiMax trials in Stratford-upon-Avon.
WiMax is the next-generation Wi-Fi standard, which allows users
to quickly connect an office or home to the internet via a WLan
that can works over many kilometres, and is seen as a potential
alternative to fixed-line broadband connections.
Pipex Wireless has been working with wireless solutions provider
Airspan Networks on its WiMax trials, and says connection speeds
have been “impressive”.
The performance has been evaluated using both indoor and outdoor
antennae, powered by Intel Rosedale chipsets in equipment, with the
trial showing that WiMax can deliver near symmetric connection
services in most environments.
This will mean that businesses and home users will benefit from
being able to send content such as email attachments and large
files at the same speed as typical broadband downloads.
With internal antenna systems, speeds in excess of 2Mbps up and
down have been achieved indoors, at a range of 1.2km from the base
station with no direct line of sight. Drive tests using the indoor
antenna in a vehicle at various distances from the base station
have shown symmetric speeds of 5Mbps.
With external antenna, performance speeds of 10Mbps down and
9Mbps up have been achieved to external antennas at the test house
at 1.2km from the base station.
Longer range tests with external antennas have achieved 6Mbps
down and 4Mbps up at a range of 6km from the base station.
The company intends to announce additional trial deployments in
2006 and to roll out new services in several major metro areas in
2007.