The ‘new’ 5.8 GHz frequency band…

The DTI recently announced the availability, starting on February 2, 2004, of the 5.8 GHz frequency band in the U.K. Huh?

This same 5.8 GHz frequency band (well, roughly the same) was made available in the U.S., on a license-free basis, seven years ago. Even under its own timetable, the UK government has moved way too slowly on this issue, having received an industry consensus proposal in February 2001 — three years ago. I’d like to hear an explanation of why UK citizen-consumers have had to wait so long to receive the benefits of this technology.

It’s been some time since I have looked at this issue, but it’s my vague recollection that the UK government was also extremely slow to allow the full commercial exploitation of the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band (June 2002, I recall). I’m actually shocked to hear that 5.8 GHz was not already available in the UK, as I simply assumed that it was…. I recall advising 5.8 GHz wireless ISPs in the US at least three or more years ago, using off-the-shelf 5.8 GHz transmission equipment that was license free.

Of course, the spectral environment is not the same in the UK as it is in the US, but I thought, at one point, it was the Europeans (through ETSI) that were pushing the 5.8 GHz frequency band under the ‘HIPERLAN’ banner.

I’m catching myself rambling here, but I hope I’m making what is otherwise an important and understandable point: the UK has been ill-served by its radio spectrum stewards over the past few years. Let’s hope Ofcom can set things straight.