Libera launches WiMax

Page 3 of the Business Section of the Sunday Times has an article on another threat to the Amateur Microwave allocations.

The article is about the WiMax service being launched by Libera in the South West of England (Bristol).

It looks like they are using a single 5.8 GHz transmitter to provide City Wide coverage. The claimed range from the transmitter is 25 miles. I'd query they'd get more than a very low data rate at that range, 5 miles may prove a more realistic maximum for the highest data rates.

It will make the Amateur Satellite Service downlink allocation 5.830-5.850 GHz and other parts of the 5 GHz Amateur band unuseable in that part of the country.

The company say they also intend to launch a service in the Heathrow area of London.

Libera website: http://www.libera.co.uk/

The Register reporting Liberas departure from 28 GHz to move to 5.8 GHz. (I presume the references to 56 GHz are typos):
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/03/libera_shifts_to_wimax_uk/

73 Trevor M5AKA

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