A TRIAL of WiMax is currently under way in Dublin City University as part of a HEAnet strategy to develop Irish colleges’ broadband networks. The trial of the wireless technology has been running since October 2009 and is being supported by AirSpeed Telecom, with 60 users from the college’s staff and students.
The aim of the trial is to see how well WiMax can be integrated into a college’s existing network infrastructure, particularly when it comes to its security and user-authentication systems.
HEAnet has been granted a temporary licence by ComReg to run the trial and recently secured an extension until June.
WiMax is a wireless communications standard that can deliver broadband over far greater distances than alternatives like WiFi. The technology is seen as a potential challenger to 3G-based mobile broadband packages and a potential alternative to fixed-line services such as DSL.
The mast at DCU has a range of about 1.2km and offers most users speeds of 6mbs. DCU and HEAnet are also interested in WiMax as it allows network access to students even if they are off campus.
“Reach is one of the main drivers of this as we can fill in most of the on-campus [wireless broadband] gaps with WiFi,” said James Healy, network manager at DCU. “However many students live in accommodation off campus – and it’s fair to assume many are within 1½ kilometres of the college – they are now able to pick up coverage and work from the college network.”
While ComReg is only allowing short-term WiMax licences at the moment, it is expected to begin auctioning some spectrum this year to commercial operators, with many companies and organisations expected to be interested.
“Spectrum is like land in that they’re not making any more of it and we’d certainly be interested in obtaining it when it’s auctioned,” said Liam O’Kelly, managing director of AirSpeed Telecom.
AirSpeed Telecom has also been working alongside HEAnet to create high-speed connectivity between the branches of Acadamh, NUIG’s Irish language division.
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