UK WiMax network ready to roll

Maidstone in Kent is about to host the first UK mobile WiMax pilot network over 2.5GHz.

The project is being spearheaded by the Mobile WiMax Acceleration Group (M-WAG), a group of companies demonstrating the business case for the technology.

The network will cover 7.5 square kilometres of Maidstone, which is home to 75,000 people and 4,500 businesses.

"The Maidstone 2.5GHz network is the next step in our strategy to assemble the mobile WiMax ecosystem and demonstrate the business case for the technology, " said M-WAG chairman Kerl Haslam.

"By delivering a live network operating with real-world applications we can showcase and prove the benefits of mobile WiMax while gathering vital information on the user experience.

"Mobile WiMax is ready now and presents a great opportunity to operators, service providers, businesses and consumers alike."

Once the network goes live in the spring, M-WAG will begin a range of trials encompassing services such as mobile VoIP, real-time high-quality video streaming and live broadcast.

The initiative will also trial Wi-Fi to WiMax handover, and advanced charging systems to support any services that may be launched commercially.

The system is expected to deliver data upload speeds up to 2Mbps and download speeds up to 10Mbps within the network area.

"Maidstone Borough Council is keen to be involved with new technologies that can help us improve the delivery of existing services and allow us to launch others," said council IT manager Dave Lindsay.

"M-WAG's network in Maidstone is especially exciting for us as mobile WiMax can deliver robust, resilient and secure data transmission at a much lower cost than other mobile alternatives."

Wireless broadband provider Freedom4, together with ConnectMK, launched the first UK fixed commercial wireless broadband service in December using WiMax technology in Milton Keynes.