Photos: UK WiMax rollout

Put that in your Pipex and smoke it...

Pipex Wireless has rebranded and will relaunch with a nationwide rollout of a WiMax network across the UK.

Freedom4 - the new name for Pipex Wireless - will initially target SMEs with the rollout of its symmetrical WiMax service, which it claims will operate at speeds of more than 10Mbps and will have a range of up to 10km.

Freedom4 CEO, Mike Read, said the official launch of Freedom4's products and services is "not that far away", with some form of WiMax service planned to be offered by the end of the year.

Read added pricing plans had not been finalised as yet with further announcements - including a partnership to provide 30,000 wi-fi hotspots in 88 countries - on the cards.

Photo credit: Gemma Simpson

The company intends to launch a range of portable products to offer customers WiMax connectivity in 50 of the UK's towns and cities.

Pictured is one of the proposed products - a portable WiMax terminal which has a range of up to 10km outdoors and 2km indoors.

Photo credit: Gemma Simpson

Pictured are the locations where the WiMax service will launch as part of its two-stage rollout - with Manchester, Milton Keynes and Warwick already trialling the Freedom4 network.

With only 45 people in the company, Freedom4's CEO said the network build and operation activities will be outsourced.

Pipex sold its broadband and phone division to Tiscali this year for £210m - but retained three other divisions including the now rebranded Pipex Wireless.

Photo credit: Freedom4