Sydney preps for wireless broadband tests

Wireless broadband technology i-Burst is poised for trials in Sydney, Australia, in preparation for a full launch next March. The project, managed by a consortium comprising Vodafone, OzEmail, Total Communications Infrastructure, Crown Castle Australia and CKW Wireless, promises seamless wireless broadband coverage over 93 square miles of the city via 10 radio communications base stations.

With the consortium's participants working from remote locations in the United States, the United Kingdom and Sydney, the project has been tested the viability of a virtual company, as much as it has been a technical challenge, said CKW Wireless director Judy Slatyer. The technology will ultimately rival 802.11 services, offering seamless wireless DSL (digital subscriber line) connectivity throughout the city's central business district, said OzEmail CEO Justin Milne. "Ultimately it will mean listening to any radio station you want over the Internet while jogging, or any range of activities which take advantage of the technology's mobility," Slatyer said. --Jeanne-Vida Douglas, ZDNet Australia