Pipex's latest trading update has highlighted how its broadband division saw continued growth, ending the period with 283,000 customers (up 47% year on year) and an average revenue per user of £23. However the ISP's LLU and WiMAX plans take centre stage.

Interestingly 40% of Pipex's "new" broadband customers are also buying voice products, but the main areas of interest come from its future local loop and wireless plans.

In terms of unbundled broadband (LLU), Pipex claims to consistently be seeing "bandwidth in excess of 20Mb/s in testing [ON] its first exchange". However this is obviously over a very short distance and in an otherwise un-congested environment:

PIPEX has selected Marconi and ntl to provide access hub and networking technologies to support its LLU programme, and their joint contribution has assisted greatly in this process. It is anticipated that 100 exchanges, rather than 60, will be unbundled during 2006, the increased opportunity being driven by broadband customer growth.

Pipex has also revealed more details regarding its trial of WiMAX broadband wireless technology:

As announced in November, the WiMAX trial of PIPEX’s 3.6 – 4.2GHz spectrum licence, carried out in conjunction with Airspan, has entered its next phase of development. It is now delivering a 5Mb/s wireless broadband service at distances of up to 2kms, and has successfully carried VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). The trials will incorporate the wireless transmission of IPTV by the end of the first half of 2006.

The Company is making good progress in the potential exploitation of a wireless broadband network in the UK, which will utilise its 3.6 - 4.2GHz spectrum. PIPEX can also make use of its 28GHz spectrum in London, Birmingham and Manchester, to provide backhaul to its core network.