Page being revised, please check again for more up to date information - (18th March 2008)

Wireless offers opportunities to reach the parts that other broadband delivery systems can’t - ADSL can’t get everywhere and cable provision is even more limited.

A number of frequency bands are available to support the delivery of broadband services. These bands are to be found, overwhelmingly, above 2 GHz.

Two key issues impact on the usefulness of these bands:

	Regulatory restrictions - Licensed vs Licence Exempt Spectrum
	licensed spectrum offers use without interference, at a cost but with higher powers, whereas
	licence exempt spectrum offers free access to spectrum with sharing requirements and lower powers
	The relationship between Frequency, Capacity and Non Line of Sight capability
	the higher the frequency the greater its carrying capacity BUT
	beyond 5 GHz increasingly weather impacts upon performance and
	beyond 6 GHz the ability to operate without radio line of sight quickly recedes.

Although the breakpoint is often seen as 10 GHz the most useful bands for general wireless broadband solutions are in the region 2 – 6 GHz.

The licensed bands at 10 GHz, 28 GHz and 40 GHz (and licence exempt bands such as 60 GHz) are more appropriate for specialist, line of sight, tasks in urban areas and business parks.

Focusing on the 2 – 6 GHz region, there are two groups of bands: the licensed bands:

	FWA bands at 3.4 GHz and 3.6 – 4.2 GHz and
	UMTS bands close to 2 GHz.
	5.8 GHz (5 GHz Band C)

The Licence Exempt bands indicating the constrained band at 5.8 GHz:

Band	Max EIRP	Use	Air Interface Defined	Bandwidth Available
2.010 GHz UMTS – TDD	Not Yet Known	Not Yet Known	UMTS	15 MHz
2.4 GHz ISM	100 mW	Indoor. Outdoor, Nomadic & Fixed	IR 2005	83.5 MHz
5 GHz Band A	200 mW	Indoor WLAN	IR 2006	200 MHz
5 GHz Band B	1 W	Indoor. Outdoor, Nomadic WLAN	IR 2006	255 MHz
5 GHz Band C "Light Touch"	2 W	Outdoor fixed	IR 2007	100 MHz

Several changes are underway at Ofcom; they are now looking at extending the spectrum available for broadband access. These changes include commissioning a number of investigations some of which have been propelled by the suggestion of the Broadband Stakeholders’ Group, of which BAS LLP was a member.

Ofcom is:

	examining higher power in the 2.4 GHz band for fixed links in rural areas;
	considering responses to RA’s consultation on the 2010 to 2025 MHz and 2500 to 2690 MHz bands;
	considering new access to the 3.6 to 4.2 GHz band for FWA;
	it has published proposals for spectrum trading and a more pragmatic approach to spectrum use.

Ofcom has launched a wide reaching strategic review in the current business year (2004-2005) to look at the spectrum management framework in which it has committed to addressing issues such as the balance between licensed and unlicensed use.

Wireless has a part to play in the delivery of broadband, to date, it has not been widely exploited in the UK.