Photos: Mobile WiMax in action

Last Friday, ZDNet.co.uk was treated to a demonstration of mobile WiMax, the variant of the high-speed, long-distance and high-bandwidth wireless technology that enables users to be connected on the move.

The demonstration took place at the Berkshire offices of Nortel, the Canada-headquartered networking and communications giant.

Nortel is working closely with several other companies to bring mobile WiMax to the market. Pictured here alongside Nortel's director of wireless for Europe, Gerry Collins (left), is Sasha Williamson, the founder and chief executive of Urban Wimax. Urban Wimax, which could become one of the main service providers in the UK to offer mobile WiMax, has already rolled out a fixed WiMax network in central London, catering to businesses that want a wireless alternative to symmetrical DSL.

However, in the UK everything depends on the outcome of a spectrum auction, set to take place early next year. The auction of wireless real estate in the 2.5GHz-2.69GHz frequency could see the proponents of 3G technology acquire even more spectrum for their mobile broadband services, or it could let players such as Urban Wimax enter the market as competition.

Other companies currently working with Nortel in its mobile Wimax push include handset manufacturer LG and Macropolitan, a company that acts as a broker between property owners and operators who need rooftop space to install their masts and antennae.