BT has announced a series of trials to deliver rural broadband internet access without the need for wires, in a bid to reach its target of 100 per cent broadband coverage of every UK community by 2005.

BT has set up the trials as part of the company's efforts to deliverhigh-speed broadband services to rural and remote communities that cannot currently gain access to broadband using more traditional technology.

These include homes based more than 6 kilometres from an enabled exchange and some of the final 600 smallest exchanges where a trigger level has not yet been set.

Participants from rural households and businesses in Ballingry in Fife, Scotland, Pwllheli in Wales, Porthleven in Cornwall and Campsie in Northern Ireland have been selected to be part of the three-month radio broadband trials.

The 105 triallists in the four regions, chosen from local people who registered interest via a web site, will be able to use their fast, always-on connection to surf the net at speeds similar to BT's existing ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) service.

The technology uses transmission principles similar to radio signals. BT's Radio Broadband signals travel from a base station to the user's computer via a low-power antenna, similar to a satellite dish but much smaller and diamond-shaped - fitted onto the side of each house.

More at:
btplc.com