Telco experts to thrash out wireless local loop standards

NEWS Inconsistencies between the radio frequency bands which are due to be licensed off across Europe have been blamed for holding back wireless local loop services because equipment must conform to every waveband in Europe. Unless the ITU arrives at a workable solution, an alternative to fixed-line voice and data communications, dominated by incumbent telcos, will be denied to end-users. Fabio Leite, counsellor for the ITU, said: "There needs to be a global harmonisation of frequency spectrum to take advantage of the technology. The main topic of discussion with the ITU radio communications working group this weekend will be identifying a standard." Those who stand to benefit most from wireless local loop are SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and companies in remote locations, for who leased line prices are too high. Tim Johnson, analyst at Ovum, explained that a lack of standards would keep the cost of fixed wireless high. He said: "Historically, radio spectrum was a very national thing which is why frequency bands tend to be different in each country. This means the market is very fragmented and so the volume of customers is less, and that keeps the cost high." Johnson added that another inhibitor is the lack of standard technology being used by fixed wireless operators that can tie a company in to one provider. However, Peter Scrope, Chairman of Tele2, one of the few wireless local loop operators in Europe, doesn't believe harmonisation can be agreed. "The time and effort it takes to get to that point is considerable - it took a long time with GSM and has taken a long time with UMTS. I don't think it is realistic. What you can try to do is harmonise it as much as possible, but you are not going to achieve full operability where you can have one manufacturer's equipment on any network." A further meeting of ITU mobile and fixed wireless officials is scheduled for October. The UK government will be announcing the successful bidders for high-frequency broadband fixed wireless licences next week.