Reading Borough Council is at the forefront of wireless data delivery for local travel management and information services. Leading the way amongst the UK's local authorities, Reading has recently released the results of an 18-month long, pound1.8 million Reading Area Travel Information Network trial using WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). At the centre of the trial was an innovative urban implementation of a WiMAX-based network, delivered at 3.3 GHz, the first civilian application of this frequency, which shares bandwidth with the Ministry of Defence. The main transmitters are sited on the top of Fountain House, one of the town's tallest buildings enabling line-of-sight connections to multiple nodes. The project investigated the scope for a mobile phone-based seamless traveller service with 80 trial participants and also looked at freight routing around Reading partnering with the John Lewis Retail group whose vans shuttle from town to their depot in Theale. Reading is keen to roll out the WiMAX project across the town replacing existing fixed communication lines. However, it is awaiting the outcome of consultations with the Ministry of Defence on the release of areas currently under its control for band sharing.
Samenvatting