These papers are based on the proceedings of the 9th Tyrrhenian Workshop. They aim to provide a perspective on the state of the art and future development in broadband wireless access, with a wide focus which covers technological, architectural and regulatory issues. Emphasis is placed on those advances of digital signal processing techniques, microwave monolithic integrated circuits and smart antennae that should allow the design of low cost user terminals with advanced capabilities. Specific attention is also devoted to the protocols these terminals will use to access the radio medium, and to the kind of services that will eventually be provided to the end-user in the future. The material presented aims to be a high-level overview of the fields, and as well as being informative is a useful tool for promoting further investigations into the area of multimedia radio communications.