The millimetric opportunity-How real is the hype?

Encouraged by the response from manufacturers and potential users, a band at 38 GHz was proposed for 'mixed civil use' and work began in formulating relevant regulatory specifications to permit licensing as early as 1991. The author traces the ongoing regulatory position in the UK and Europe, gives an overview of current technology and its utilization within cost efficient designs, reviews propagation and frequency reuse constraints, and discusses likely applications in the emergent markets, with the aim of assessing the technical and commercial viability of millimetric radio systems.<>