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RSS feedsThe UK Radiocommunications Agency (RA) is to make the 5GHz radio frequency used by 802.11a wireless LAN equipment exempt from licensing on 12 February, paving the way for a host of commercial wireless services.
"The regulation changes will make possible public telecommunication use at 5GHz and 58GHz that will be licence-exempt," said e-commerce minister Steven Timms.
Making the 5GHz waveband licence-exempt will allow carriers and service providers to offer commercial Internet access services via WLAN hotspots based on 802.11a hardware, affording more data capacity and less signal congestion. A number of hotspots based on slower 802.11b equipment have already been installed in airports, hotels and other public places.
The RA's initial opposition to commercial use of the 5GHz waveband stemmed from fears of interference with government and military radio communications using the same channels. Limiting power output and restricting commercial usage to the 5.15GHz to 5.25GHz part of the waveband avoids that problem, but also cuts the number of available channels. The range of 802.11a access points and the numbers of concurrent users they can support is reduced as a result.
The decision is good news for WLAN vendors such as Intel and Cisco, though any equipment shipped in the UK should carry warnings about the channel restrictions. Manufacturers were informed of the RA's intention to scrap the licence requirements last November, as reported by IT Week.
"The government has forced the RA to back down on 802.11a. [The UK] can start playing catch-up now," said Clive Longbottom, analyst at research firm Quocirca.
Security and the possibility of signal interference may still pose problems for 802.11a WLANs however. "Operators setting up commercial networks in these parts of the radio spectrum will have to take into account possible interference and security issues," the RA warned.
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