I hear all the talk about the backhaul being expensive because BT have the near-exclusivity of landlines but .... what of microwave between cells.
I have seen this in place already where mini-microwave dishes link cell sites to a "concentration" site where, presumably, the landline backhaul takes the resulting data/voice into the network proper. Why cannot this be extended or used more to reduce the reliance on a meshed network of landlines - particularly where line of sight between transmitters is apparent.
Considering other points in the article; isn't 3G ever going to replace 2G entirely? Or do the networks really want to run parallel technologies? If the former is the case, then what is the problem? Why continue such heavy marketing of 2G handsets if they want to get folk over onto the 3G networks? Why, for instance, are the networks not selling only 3G handsets (all of which are backwards compatible with 2G). Why go to the expense of maintaining two sets of handset technologies? Why not take that particular element of choice away from the Customer? It wouldn't hurt any.
I do rather like the notion of a "Network Rail" of the airwaves - a nationwide network provider who delivers network services to the mobile network operators. Perhaps then we could truly realise 100% geographic coverage of the UK, and why not indeed?
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