More forward thinking in the UK

Just after writing about our experiences with BT and their plans for an all-IP network earlier today, two more stories caught our eye that add emphasis to the increasing focus on new technology in the country. (Yes, we like this!)

The Islington Council financed a recently completed a Council-financed WiFi network providing mobile users in that part of London with free access using technology from CitySpace and BelAir Networks. Dubbed the "Technology Mile", a Council spokesman said that each of eight nodes in the network would allow the simultaneous access of up to 50 users connecting over the 11Mbps 802.11b version of WiFi via a 54mbps 802.11g backbone. In an almost unprecedented move, the council even donated an unspecified number of PCs to local businesses in an effort to increase broadband usage.

The second story involves WiMax, the high speed wide area technology which has become somewhat controversial lately amid stories that it will be "one-upped" by newer better solutions. Unruffeled by these reports and on the heels of Intel's release of the Rosedale chip, built around the new 802.16 standard for providing WiMax capabilities, BT has announced that they see DIY WiMax self-installation kits on the horizon within the next 18 months. This will be facilitated by the expansion of WiMax and IP services throughout the BT network and the continued drop in WiMax modem prices over time. Indeed, Scott Richardson, General manager of Intel's Broadband Wireless Group, sees the price coming down from the current level of around $500 to below $200 over the next few years.

So, why is this important to VoIP? VoIP represents the real killer application for WiMax, or in fact whatever technology dominates this marketplace in the long haul. The technical problems are being solved, and WiMax tests are beginning to appear in diverse places which we believe will be good news for voice as well as data users in the near future.

One may think that the technology battle between WiMax and competing technologies really does not matter so long as the winner is capable of providing the services, however it is our view that, with the head start of WiMax, any major deviation from that path could prove a delay for the service offerings and advances we all need. Hopefully this will not become a BetaMax/VHS kind of battle!