Wireless broadband Britain – and VOTE!
22 June 2010
At last – broadband Britain for all of the UK! A new device now makes it possible.
First of all, I speak to many people who make great claims about their products or services. Mostly they are more at the component end of the scale and so represent enabling technology rather than market-ready OEM products. I have neither the expertise, time, or facilities to check out the claims that all these companies make, but in general the tendency is towards the upright and honest.
The latest is a new device from Deltenna that claims to offer high-speed wireless broadband to areas that are currently unable to get such a service. The device, the WiBE (Wireless Broadband Enabler), was launched to a waiting world yesterday (22nd June 2010), but with only a handful of pre-production models available it is not until Q4 that the product will be readily available. When it is, it will use the 3G mobile network to create a 2Mbps web hotspot, even when a 3G phone might not even register a signal.
While signals still can’t go through hills, it opens up the possibility of a true high-speed broadband Britain with minimal investment in infrastructure - a few mobile base stations rather than expanding the DSL line network.
The WiBE connection range is claimed as being up to five times that of a 3G dongle. According to Pete Claydon, Deltenna’s Vice President of marketing and sales, the secret lies in the antennas and the alignment algorithms that determine their use. There are four antennae in the device, which is a cylinder just 18cm high. "Instead of best signal strength we go for the best download speed," expalined Claydon. "The test is repeated throughout the day so we can switch between antennas as appropriate."
The device automatically tests each mobile cell in range to determine the fastest available download speeds and configures its aerials to achieve the best possible connection and block any interference.
A standard internal WiFi router provides coverage for an average household or small enterprise. The WiBE’s portability also lends itself to people who move houses frequently, like students or young professionals as it means they don’t have to wait for engineers to come and connect them.
Recent research by the global broadband benchmarking organisation, Epitiro, highlighted mobile broadband users accessing the network on a cell phone or 3G dongle typically receive a download speed lower that 1Mbps.
Iain Wood of Epitiro said: "Rural broadband consumers in Europe and the US suffer low speeds over copper wiring as a result of being a distance from the exchange. This challenge of achieving higher speeds lies with the implementation of new technologies to ‘the last mile’ be they wired or wireless."
Maybe WiBE is the way, in some cases at least, that the last mile can be covered. Being a small UK company Deltenna intends to address the Northern European market first, but the possibilities/opportunities in such countries as India, that currently has less than two million wired DSL subscribers, are enormous.
On a completely separate issue, I am pleased to say that our annual e-Legacy Awards have been judged, following an excellent array of entries. The finalists are now on the web site (http://www.epdonthenet.net/awards_vote.aspx) so I would ask you to have a look, select your favourites and vote for them. It only takes as long as the thinking time you want to give it, so please have your say on which products, projects and companies our industry should be most proud of in 2010.
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