Northland tests for 3.5GHz net

By ADAM GIFFORD

A broadband pilot in the far north will be the first time a new 3.5GHz frequency standard will be used for wireless internet in this country.

Mike Conner, a technical consultant to the Far North Development Trust, said the trust was assessing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transmitters from seven vendors, costing from $25,000 to $250,000 each.

The transmitters will be on hilltop towers owned by TVNZ's broadcasting arm Broadcast Communications.

"We will choose the best one for our needs, then make a recommendation to BCL, as they will do the facilities management," Conner said.

"3.5GHz is a high-density, high-volume high-range system. It reaches about 40km from transmitter, near line of site, with 50Mb of data throughput per frequency."

He said that even at peak times, users would be able to get more than 256Kbits a second access to the internet.

The technology was low-power, so the transmitters could be run off a solar cell.

Conner said the Government had allocated licences for the two 3.5GHz frequencies it holds to the trust for use in the Far North.

The Government intends to auction rights to nine other blocks in the spectrum band this year.

Conner said the price of the equipment needed to receive the signals was still several thousand dollars.

"We are talking to manufacturers here about making our own, but we expect the price to come down in two or three months - this is still a very new technology."

OFDM is a method of digital modulation in which a signal is split into several narrowband channels at different frequencies.

Development trust chairman Chris Matthews said the trust aimed to finish its pilot before June. The pilot involved creating a high-bandwidth network for an organisation with a presence in Kaitaia, Kerikeri and Kaikohe. Some schools could also be connected.

The trust last week signed a contract which will allow it to pick up its share of the $300,000 allocated by the Government to pilots in five regions. It had some initial financing from Industry New Zealand and from its parent body, the Far North District Council.

The other pilot areas are looking at using the 802.11b wireless standard, which has the potential to become saturated as multiple networks compete for the same open general licence frequency.

Matthews said Telecom's decision to upgrade exchanges in Paihia, Kerikeri and Kaitaia so they could offer Jetstream fast internet was too little too late.

"That's all very well, but how are people in Panguru, Te Hapua and Kawakawa going to get access to high-speed internet services," Matthews said.

"Telecom's solution is copper technology. For most people in rural areas, ADSL [asynchronous digital subscriber line] is not suitable for internet access."

Jetstream will not be available to subscribers more than 6km from the exchange.

"This is about economic and community development for impoverished remote rural areas," Matthews said.

"Without sufficient bandwidth, those areas will miss out on a lot of future opportunities."

He cited use of videoconferencing in the medical and educational sectors as the way skills from outside could enhance the lives of rural people.

"You can't do proper videoconferencing with ADSL."

Matthews said the fact Telecom was now prepared to go into the larger Northland towns was a tribute to Communications Minister Paul Swain's support for the regional initiatives.

"A year ago Telecom said it would never be here," he said.

Telecom spokesman Bruce Parkes said the company did not rule out any area for upgrading.

"As demand grows we are evaluating exchange by exchange where it makes good economic sense - that means having at least 30 business customers in an exchange," Parkes said.

Telecom worked with communities to pool customer demand before spending money on exchange upgrades.

Parkes said 63 per cent of residential customers and 77 per cent of the business market now had access to ADSL services.

Telecom was also looking at ways to service isolated customers.