British City to Turn on WiMAX

The British city of Milton Keynes, about 40 miles northwest of London, is set to become the first city in the United Kingdom to have a WiMAX network, Wi-Fi's longer range cousin. A source told Reuters Friday that Pipex, a British telecommunications firm, is set to make the announcement in conjunction with the city in about a month. Milton Keynes officials confirmed those rumors, saying it would gradually roll out the WiMAX service.

Pipex is planning to launch WiMAX networks in eight cities across the United Kingdom by 2008. This would include major networks in both London and Manchester, two of the country's largest cities. The cost of the project has not been disclosed. WiMAX technology is being used as a way to solve the problem of bringing broadband into Milton Keynes. In the 1980s, the city chose cheaper aluminum cables over copper ones, which has stunted the growth of high-speed internet.