Technology for millimetre wave systems

Summary form only given. The use of the millimeter-wave spectrum above 30 GHz for telecommunications offers considerable bandwidth for broadband services, but power limitations and rain attenuation constrain its prospects to small `cell´ or short-hop systems. Nevertheless, given suitable low-cost `consumer´ technology, there is considerable attraction for local access and interconnect services where short frequency reuse distances give high spectrum utilization. For situations in which cable TV is too expensive to install and satellite TV dishes are too obtrusive, use of millimeter waves for `radio cable´ TV distribution is one potential application. Such a system is being developed by British Telecom (UK), and a demonstrator is now in operation in Saxmundham, a small town in the UK. Earlier this year, the UK spectrum regulatory authority announced the allocation of the band 40.5-42.5 for this service