News

80 Million Wireless Broadband Project in South West

Radiant Networks may have dropped off one or two short-lists as a provider of wireless broadband, but it is in with a chance in the South-West of England, according to the insider journal, e-Government Bulletin.

"Around 80 million pounds of EU investment is being sought to fund a plan drafted by the region's county councils - Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire - with private sector technology suppliers including BT, Intel and Radiant Networks," the newsletter reported last week.

Radiant wireless is much higher frequency - and higher bandwidth - than WiFi. It uses directional antennae mounted on tall masts, and these antennae can be mechanically steered to point at subsidiary masts, creating a network of wireless - but not a mesh.

The idea of this project is to use the Radiant distribution network instead of copper to bring high-speed leased line services to the areas, and then to use WiFi masts for local networking in small communities.

The bulletin quoted Huw Watts, an IT manager who is co-ordinating the project for Somerset County Council - which is managing the bid: "In the early 20th century water and gas infrastructure had to be built and managed by local authorities because of market failure. We see this as the same kind of need. We're in need of regeneration and we're in need of clean industry. But we can't attract the kind of high technology businesses we would like without broadband infrastructure.""

The phrase "market failure" is a critical one; Government aid for rural broadband is withheld if someone manages to find a way of doing it on a commercial basis.

The six counties will publish a report by the end of April on the web site of the South West Regional Assembly which will present this to the European Investment Bank in the hope of getting an £80m grant. It will almost certainly suggest partnering with Radiant, Intel BT to set up a 'special purpose vehicle' (SPV), a legal entity similar to a private company.