On the same theme as all other articles in this edition, the following explains what is meant by Wireless Broadband services.  These services are now being discussed widely within the industry and a number of international industry standards are in the process of being ratified.

Basically, the idea is to provide very high-speed Internet access using the radio spectrum.  Wireless networking is capable of offering comparably fast transmission speeds and is infinitely more flexible than the conventional cable method of providing access to the Internet, particularly in rural areas, where there is no cable infrastructure to use.

One of the standards currently in the process of being developed will provide for “fixed” radio links running at up to 70Mbps (70 million bits per second) over a range of up to 70Km – clearly good news for rural users when the technology comes to the market place. 

Another standard is aimed at providing interconnection between the existing wireless networks and maybe mobile users travelling at speed (on trains, on aircraft, or on the road).  The ability to move from a “conventional” hotspot into a fast moving train, or even onto an aircraft and have unbroken Internet access, similar to that experienced by mobile phone users, maybe attractive to some business users in the future.