BROADBAND WIRELESS FIBER EXTENSIONS

As the demand for bandwidth continues to grow and exceed the predicted expectations of the global mobile and internet markets, fiber-optic cable continues to be the technology of choice for high bandwidth delivery. However, there is a major issue with using a physical cable to deliver bandwidth: a physical path is required.

Fiber-optic cable is typically buried below city streets, strung on utility poles, or installed in buildings. This can be a real headache for network and fiber operators who need to extend fiber-optic networks to a new location or building. The cost to run additional fiber from an existing fiber hub site to a new building typically exceeds $100 per foot for underground installations in metropolitan areas. Sometimes running a fiber extension is simply not possible, due to factors such as right-of-way issues or the need to traverse highways, rivers, or other physical or geographic impediments.

The cost for this physical cable installation as well as the politics, delay and additional costs for access rights are well known in the industry. In many cases, a physical path for the “last few hundred feet” simply cannot be trenched for fiber-optic cable, which stops an installation in its tracks. As an alternative, network and cable operators are increasingly looking to V-Band and E-Band millimeter wave broadband wireless connectivity as a practical and cost-effective solution to the extension of such fiber-optic networks.

So, when fiber-optic networks are not available or are too expensive, implementing a wireless fiber optic extension is the right solution – but only if that solution can deliver both gigabit speeds and advanced networking features. That’s why our HaulPass radios are ideal for network and fiber operators looking for a cost-effective way to extend their networks to a new location that is in line-of-sight proximity and less than 1.8 kilometer away.

WIRELESS METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORKS

Enterprise networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated with advanced services, security, quality of service and software-defined networks. Such networks often span multiple buildings, forming campus-wide metropolitan area networks. When networks have to span multiple buildings, fiber-optic cable is usually the transmission medium of choice. However, installing fiber-optic cable can be expensive, labor intensive, and  and time consuming.

Instead of undertaking such costly cable installation projects, enterprises can extend the reach of their metro area networks by deploying cost-effective, easy-to-install millimeter wave V-band and E-Band wireless extensions when the new location or building is in the line of sight and less than 1.8 kilometers away. When deploying wireless broadband technology, however, it’s not enough merely to bridge the two locations. It’s essential to make those wireless network extensions as integrated into the network as possible. Quality of service and traffic management switching must be part of the solution without incurring additional costs.

WIRELESS MOBILE BACKHAUL

For wireless carriers, V-Band and E-Band millimeter wave technology can also provide a practical and low-cost wireless backhaul solution for their mobile communications networks.

In order to expand wireless network coverage and provide more data capacity for their customers, wireless carriers are rapidly upgrading to 5G technology and installing additional small base stations (known as small cells) to extend their reach. This is especially prevalent in densely populated urban and metropolitan regions.

Small cells can be cost-effectively mounted on light poles, utility poles, or buildings. However, they still need high-speed broadband backhaul networks to communicate with one another and with base stations. As is the case with the previous applications discussed above, installing additional fiber-optic cable is not always feasible or cost-justified. As a result, many wireless carriers are now looking to deploy millimeter wave broadband wireless backhaul solutions.

Another factor to consider is that the future growth of mobile communications networks will require much higher density and smaller base stations. The fact that millimeter wave is the most interference-resistant spectrum is yet another reason that large carriers and internet service providers are moving towards V-Band and E-Band wireless broadband for the badly needed short-range backhaul links.