Council and private firms unite on wireless access

Freedom4 and a private firm created by Milton Keynes Council called ConnectMK, have partnered to offer what they say is the UK's first commercial Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) service. In a statement the partnership said that, "Over 1000 people in Milton Keynes have registered interest in joining Freedom4’s network."

The business service is called Datamax and offers a claimed 4Mbit/s symmetrically, with installation promised in under seven days. The hardware for the service is provided by mobile kit vendor Airspan Networks, chosen according to Freedom4, because, "The HiperMax platform supports voice and data services and can be upgraded to the 802.16e standard in the future without any hardware change."

ConnectMK's chief executive Steven Jewell said that the aim of the partnership was, "to make Milton Keynes the first WiMax-powered wireless internet city." Freedom4's chief executive Mike Read said "We can provide service in areas where traditional ADSL broadband access is not feasible, giving residents and businesses an alternative."