Are we about to see a repeat of the feeding frenzy for 3G licences that cost network operators ￡22.5bn, hamstrung the roll-out of new technology, and kept mobile calls costs high? This autumn, in its largest release of radio spectrum, industry regulator Ofcom will sell off frequencies in the 2.6Ghz band suitable for Wimax and 3.5G and 4G mobile networks. Wimax provides high-speed, point-to-point connections via radio. It is an alternative to fixed wires, but it uses the same part of the spectrum that 3G mobile networks use. Mobile network operators are also testing High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) Plus. Theoretical rates on 3.5G High-Speed Download Packet Access (HSDPA) links top out at about 14.4mbps, but HSPA Plus offers potentially 42mbps. In practice, speeds are likely to be much lower. The minimum speed on HSDPA can be as low as 64kbps, and the minimum speed on Wimax is more like lmbps. The industry is split on whether there is enough demand for new spectrum.
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