Adam tests WiMAX firmware for speed drive

Software upgrade to push speeds "significantly above" 15 Mbps.

ISP Adam Internet will deploy a firmware upgrade to its WiMAX network in Adelaide next quarter that will push the network's capability beyond the current 15 Mbps limit.

Managing director Scott Hicks said the ISP had deployed the firmware upgrade in its labs ahead of the planned production rollout.

The network was currently capable of speeds up to 15 Mbps, although customers could achieve up to 12 Mbps due to an "artificial limit" imposed by Adam.

Hicks said that approximately 70 percent of customers on the network were achieving the artificial maximum 12 Mbps speeds.

The firmware upgrade would allow users to achieve speeds "significantly above" 15 Mbps, Hicks said.

"At the moment there's 300 to 400 customers that are active on the network," Hicks said.

"Of those customers, about 70 percent are getting the full potential speed they can achieve.

"Our network is designed so that the average distance for most customers from a tower is 1.5 km to 2km."

Hicks said Adam hit a milestone with the network this week, completing one-third of the towers "one week ahead of schedule."

Adam lit up the first wireless service area on its AdamMax WiMAX network in November last year.

It gave 8,000 ADSL-deprived homes and businesses in the Adelaide metro access to "equivalent" broadband services.

The other WiMAX rollout being watched in Australia was vividwireless.

It launched pricing for Perth customers last week and is now rolling out the network into other capital cities.