Britain looks to expand mobile broadband

LONDON, May 24 (UPI) -- Britain's Office of Communication proposed to increase broadband wireless services by opening two more bandwidths for licensed use.

Ofcom said the 71-76 gigahertz and 81-86 gigahertz bands could "include very high capacity, point to point wireless networks, which could potentially be used as alternatives to fiber optic cable."

The agency said that the bands should be licensed on a first-come, first-serve basis, rather than by auction, as the band's unusual properties -- high bandwidth and narrow beam -- mean that a very large number of users could coexist without interference. Demand for the spectrum is therefore very unlikely to exceed supply.