Posted: 19th Jul, 2006 By: MarkJ
Mobile
WiMAX supporters have been angered by the mobile industries (GSM Association) move to try and secure key bands of spectrum for 3G. The wireless spectrum can apparently be used by both technologies:
The band in question, 2.5-2.690 GHz, includes the lowest available frequencies suitable for mobile services. It is ideal for new bandwidth-hungry 3G services such as mobile TV, and also for making mobile WiMax seen by many as a potential threat to 3G a viable proposition.
"The story is that initially it was decided to allocate these bands all across Europe in 2008," Ovum analyst Vincent Poulbere told ZDNet UK on Monday. "They are an important stage for technologies which are not 3G technologies
this is may be the only band that will allow new entrants to develop mobile networks," Poulbere explained.
The GSMA argues that allowing competing technologies to share a frequency band across Europe will make it more expensive to produce handsets and other equipment.It's no secret that mobile operators have been fearful of
WiMAX's potential impact on their service. The EU will ultimately make the final decision, but we won't know what that is until at least the end of this year. More @
ZDNet.