Range and rate of fire in an alternative AA mounting

Would the proposed alternative mounting make air attacks harder or easier than the octuple pom-pom did?

About the same, because its slightly longer range is balanced against the rate-of-fire difference.

The proposed replacement for the octuple pom-pom is expected to make air attacks about as difficult as before. It offers slightly longer range but a different rate of fire. Those effects are judged to compensate for each other. The reply therefore does not expect a large improvement in overall defence.