Microwave wireless could solve UK not-spots

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It may not have made an impact on the UK market yet, but one company is trying to bring microwave wireless to our shores and change the way we connect.

In 2004, Exalt Communications ploughed its efforts into introducing microwave technology to a country that wasn't interested. Now it has set up a base in the UK to see if it can convince these shores to get involved and leave behind the fibre infrastructure we hear so much about.

“We have always had our eye outside of the US [and] there is a much better market for [microwaves] in Europe,” said Amir Zoufonoun, president and chief executive of Exalt.

“[But] the UK, because of the infrastructure of BT, is similar to the US and is a tougher market.”

He claimed this technology could make a big difference to the Digital Britain programme and help ensure greater connectivity for the digital have nots.

“We find that folks like the UK Broadband [organisation] are very excited about the potential of using wireless to reach rural communities who all need broadband and also the businesses,” added Zoufonoun.

“There are businesses who would pay for additional bandwidth, if the bandwidth was available to them, but they just don't get it. They still get a leased line from BT [for] $2,000... it is incredible. So you could put a link up for less than $10,000 so a lot of people have their eye on that as a business model to get in and compete.”

The company has quite a mountain to climb in the UK. That said, with 90 per cent of the microwave market being focused in continental Europe, Exalt may be closer to home when it comes to the technology being accepted.

"These new technologies we are talking about, people aren't aware of them. Even people using them for a long time, we find again and again we have to reeducate them and have to let them know again and again how things have changed so rapidly,” he concluded.

“There is a lot of education to do.”

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