Hong Kong was one of the firsts to issue LMDS licences. The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore approved three organizations to conduct LMDS trials in early 2000. For example, one of them, Pacific Internet's trial will include Broadband Internet (i.e. over 2 Mbps), Video-on-Demand, Voice-over-IP, high-speed digital data transmission, as well as conventional voice calls. It will thus explore opportunities in providing broadband data access to selected corporate and residential customers. It will use ultra high frequency microwave in the 25-31 GHz frequency range to send and receive two-way broadband signals through the base station installations atop buildings. Pacific Internet considers the advantages of LMDS as greater bandwidth than radio, TV and cellular combined, and a low start-up cost relative to costs incurred in installing broadband wireline networks. In Singapore, the heavy rain interference with signals may limit the distance between cells to 1.5 km.

Now in India

In India too, operators like Gateway Systems are offering LMDS solution. Initial focus is on business customers mainly in large cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, etc., which have concentration of offices or apartments located in high-rise buildings.

The day is not far when the thin air will help deliver to us the broadband applications running all the way on the fat fibre-optic pipes, putting George Gilder's empires of air and fibre at mankind's service.

Niraj K Gupta
www.telecombyNirajGupta.com