Return of the Wireless - Internet via radio links (The Guardian 1999)

Connecting to the Internet at Long Lane Primary School is as easy as it gets. The school is the first of two in the Thames Valley area to sign up to a new service that gives them a permanent connection to the Internet. To the envy of many - schools, homes and businesses they can send email or look something up without a moments delay and without paying for phone calls. 

The Internet comes to their door not through a cable in the road or a phone line, but through a small receiver on the roof. Here, near Reading, they beam out the Internet by radio from a local tower. It is called 'wireless' but reborn with a new role: what once delivered the Home Service, today delivers the home pages of Internet. On a first day with the system, Long lane showed its power by teaming up, over the Internet, with their partner, St Edward's Preparatory School. Each had a camera allowing them to talk 'face to face' and then take turns at typing into a document on screen. Surprisingly, it took little technical wizardry: they used NETMEETING, Microsoft's free videoconferencing software. How well this worked impressed all who saw it. Having easier access to the Internet is something that Tim Kuhles, Long Lane's head teacher had been looking forward to. He and the school had used a telephone link-up to visit museums and galleries while seven year olds used email to write to an online expert. They had added their interviews of local people to the Tesco schools web site and used satellite images of the earth in a map-making topic. Comparing then with now, Tim Kuhles was evidently pleased as he ??said, "I've been impressed by the way that images are refreshed so quickly it seems like trickery - it's like magic really". With the speed issue behind them, Kuhles can take his aim to create strong links with other cultures forward. They will join up with a Helsinki school in a European Union funded project where children from the two schools can learn about each other's similarities and differences. Though they have already met for real, technology will surely now help as they video conference with each other as well as exchange video 'diaries' of their homes. It is no fantasy, as Kuhles adds, "All this is ready to run and underpinned by an efficient service. We are looking at tomorrow's world right here in our midst." The new service comes from Tele2, better known by its giant parent company, ((Millicom, who were)) founding partners of Vodaphone and Orange. Their wireless system is like a mobile phone network in that it is made up of small 'cells' or zones where signals can be received. The cells are small and very local due to the use of safer very low energy radio waves. Tele2's package comes at different levels of service, At the top is more capacity that any school needs while most will find the cheapest offers speeds several times faster than a modem. Starting too small is no problem either, as asking for extra is more a matter of changing tariffs than changing equipment. The Tele2 installation distinguishes itself by always being 'on' and this a benchmark of a dream Internet service. More often, aspiring to this meant leasing a line at £1400 a month. In contrast, Long Lane's economy version for schools comes to £65 a month. Tele2 are quick to point out that schools could opt for other systems using cable, satellite and digital lines. They add that theirs is here and now. Or nearly so. Tele2s first set of transmitters serve only the Reading area although 17 other areas are targeted with the Midlands and Leeds among them. By the year 2003 at least 60% of the population will be covered, meantime enterprising LEAs might move things along with offers of good aerial locations. All this takes us back to Taunton School who installed one of the first wireless setups. As coordinator Mike Copleston explained, the aerial had cost the Somerset school £3500, although they soon recouped this on the cost of phone calls. Two years on he is no less enthusiastic about the wireless revolution. He cites the speed as remarkable, but now going further, is looking at getting Apple iBook portable computers which have a built-in radio receiver. Combined with an always-on school network, another tomorrows dream- having the Internet anywhere in school - seems to begin. The Dti would be pleased to see this. Telecoms Minister Michael Wills recently unveiled plans to grow yet more wireless services. Since July the Department has consulted on ways of auctioning major tranches of the radio spectrum. Savings in time and money, for example, through not digging up roads could establish cheap, networks that handle rich data such as video and voice. Long mooted virtual classrooms may be put to the test sooner than anyone expected. Undoubtedly, radio is big. Telephones, traffic cameras, shop cash registers and now schools are using it too. Should any wish they can put the Christmas panto and year 3 assembly on the Internet - now there's a dream to aspire to!

Detail Installation of the Tele2 service in schools costs £145 and limited to certain areas. A monthly fee of £65 covers unlimited daytime access to the Internet, unlimited email accounts with 5Mb personal web space per teacher or pupil. Outside of school times they charge for the amount of data transferred above a free monthly allowance. Schools can buy additional capacity above the basic speed of 128Kbps, up to 2Mbps. Tele2 information and registration at www.tele2.co.uk Email: sales@tele2.co.uk Tel: 0800 3787222 The government's consultation paper is 'Wireless in the Information Age' www.open.gov.uk/radiocom/