A new report showing that wireless broadband is on course to overtake wired broadband as the most used internet access for business in the foreseeable future.

The report by Informa (an organisation who conduct research into business) suggests that wired systems such as ADSL and cable will remain popular with existing customers but the majority of new uptake will come from new technologies like WiMAX, HSDPA and EV-DO.

By 2012 Informa expect 49 per cent of all broadband connections will be through wireless technologies, compared with the current 17 per cent.

WiMAX in particular has grown rapidly since August 2006, especially after Sprint unveiled plans for a $2 billion+ Mobile WiMAX deployment in the States. Informa expects global WiMAX user figures to increase from the current 4.23 million to over 60 million by 2012, with worldwide revenue from the system, expected to increase almost ten-fold over the same period.

Also on the wireless front, it was confirmed this week that Personal Broadband (PB) is to build a mobile broadband network using the ArrayComm’s iBurst technology across Ireland, which will reach speeds of up to 1Mb/s.

iBurst is built by TCI, an Australian telecoms integrator with a UK subsidiary, founded by Jim Connor, now the CEO of PB. iBurst is based on ArrayComm’s IntelliCell smart antenna technology, which uses advanced signal processing to detect a user’s location and direct the antenna to focus the return signal there, rather than broadcast widely. This makes for highly efficient transmission and low power consumption.

The advantage of this is that it can be reused for multiple users; iBurst transmits about 10 times the data GSM can, it also claims to be up to 400 times cheaper than 3G to operate.

The technology can also be used in other areas as a company spokesman mentioned "We've run demonstrations using iBurst to send back pictures from CCTV cameras in buses, even streaming the footage to a pursuing police car in real time."

iBurst technology has been kept under wraps while undergoing trials in Oxford, but is now set to be unleashed across Ireland. Personal Broadband say they understand the difficulties involved in making the project widespread and have no aspiration of becoming a mobile phone network.

Only time will tell if Personal Broadband becomes a success and expands elsewhere.