Posted by Joe Wargo on Fri, Aug 27, 2010 @ 05:09 PM
Wireless backhaul in the form of point to point microwave - licensed microwave links or unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges, point to multipoint wireless Ethernet bridges, or wireless mesh network infrastructures can provide up to 99.999% reliability and keep you up and running when your telecommunications provider fails you.
Do you ever experience downtime on you network due to outages with your telecommunications provider, such as: AT&T, Verizon, or Comcast? What does a network outage cost you organization in dollars and man hours due to lack of productivity and internal communication or with clients? What do you say? This never happens? Think again!
You think you’re safe because you have a point to point fiber connection from your telecommunications vendor? Read my article “Outdoor Wireless Bridges or Fiber, Which Do You Trust.” What if you use an MPLS network, doesn’t that provide you failover redundancy? What about having different carriers for a backup connection? Or what about using cellular modems as a last result? Aren’t you protected by having redundancy? Not really!
The true fact is that the major telecommunications companies have outages all the time. December 11th, 2009 San Francisco experienced a several hour AT&T outage. July 21, 2010, AT&T Wireless had a regional outage for hours in NC. On April 9th, 2009 Santa Clara County, CA declared a local emergency when someone intentionally cut an underground fiber optic cable in South San Jose taking out cellular, internet, and phone usage to AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint/Nextel customers. This affected multiple cities. A local hospital had to cancel surgeries due to the emergency. Recently, Union City, CA experienced a city wide outage when central office went dark. All voice, internet, MPLS, cellular, etc. was out for almost 10 hours.
So what happens when you have no cellular, internet, data, or voice connectivity? For some organizations they have critical operations that have to be monitored so they have to be physically manned if the network goes down. What’s the cost to deploy people to remote sites or work overtime during the middle of the night? What about lost data? Some organizations can run into the millions of dollars an hour during a network outage.
Too often organizations fail to ensure their communications, both data and voice, are protected by not having appropriate redundancy or just flat out relying on a third party telecommunications vendor. Many times those who have a redundancy solution in place don’t have “True Redundancy.” Many overlook their WAN connections or have single point of failures in using the same medium (such as fiber), or taking the same external routes (out the same conduits from their MPOE), or have unknown points of failure by relying on third party telco providers’ networks. You can have MPLS but if you first connect through a local central office and that CO goes dark there is an issue. Even with backup power central office have gone dark (recently in Union City, CA) and fiber lines have been cut (San Jose, CA).
Wireless backhaul connectivity, both point to point wireless links and point to multipoint wireless bridges, provide an avenue for extremely reliable primary connections and for creating “True Redundant” network paths and connections. With both unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges or licensed microwave links, an organization can create a completely separate stand alone network and eliminate the dependency on third parties equipment and facilities, and remove the risk of failure of fiber cuts off site and out of an organizations control.
So why own your own wireless backhaul network? Wireless backhaul, with proper wireless path engineering, the use of the right outdoor wireless backhaul equipment, and proper wireless installation can provide truly reliable networks. See articles, “Is Wireless Reliable? - The 5 Misconceptions - Part 2” and “Outdoor Wireless Installation Done Properly.”
Wireless backhaul can have multiple advantages. Wireless networks can be used for primary or redundant links. Throughput can match or even exceed that of a leased line from a telco. You can get connectivity where you can’t get it from a telco for last mile solutions. Wireless backhaul typically has an extremely low ROI and can eliminate reoccurring lease line costs. Wireless installation can be done in days compared to months of provisioning time from a telco. Also with wireless backhaul you have complete control of your network. Even in the event of equipment failure wireless nodes can be restored quickly by simply hot swapping the radio communications equipment.
That’s right no more trouble tickets from some call center agent in another country!
Posted by Joe Wargo on Sat, Aug 21, 2010 @ 03:49 PM
Wireless backhaul, also known as fixed wireless, technology has become a standard means of creating a data communications link between locations. Microwave radio links can be used to make data connections from building to building, to connect remote field locations to a network presence (also known as last mile wireless), connecting network fiber segments, and for connecting network devices (like IP video cameras, SCADA devices, client devices, phones, two-way radio / pagers, etc.) to networks.
Wireless backhaul can be in point to point wireless, point to multipoint wireless, or wireless mesh configurations. Wireless bridges can be licensed microwave links or unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges. A licensed microwave link or unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridge can provide throughput as low as 10Mbps up to GigE full duplex (with gigabit wireless). There are many wireless backhaul radio platforms offering a solution to just about any application. Wireless backhaul systems can provide 99.999% reliability. A Point to point wireless Ethernet bridge or licensed microwave link can enable high capacity wireless backhaul connections from less than one mile to more than 50 miles, without performance degradation. Licensed microwave links and unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges enable carrier class delivery of IP services with full wire-speed performance. Typical latency on a wireless Ethernet bridge or licensed microwave link is under 1ms.
Even though there are some outdoor wireless radio systems that can do non-line-of-sight (“NLOS”), the majority of wireless backhaul requires line-of-sight (“LOS”) with proper Fresnel Zone clearance to properly operate. This means the transmitting and receiving antennas most be able to see one another with any obstructions. In most cases this requires mounting the antennas on a structure with adequate height to create LOS.
Many times when doing a point to point microwave link from one tall buildings roof top to another’s it can be easy to have LOS.
Sometimes this is not possible. Putting a antenna mast on a roof top can sometimes be sufficient. Other times it may become necessary to construct a communications tower. The first reactions that come to a client’s mind when a wireless installation vendor says a tower need to be built is no way. Several misconceptions arise. Towers are too expensive, unsightly, and are a huge construction project. Reality is that none of these are true.
Communication towers are relatively inexpensive to have installed. Leasing high speed bandwidth form a telco or installing dark fiber is extremely expensive. Point to point wireless backhaul or creating point to multipoint wireless Ethernet bridges for last mile connections have a rapid ROI (typically less than 6 months with no reoccurring costs). Adding a tower into the solutions may only add 3 to 4 months until the CAPEX achieves and ROI. Free standing towers from 40ft to 80ft in height can be installed from $15,000 to $35,000. That is not much money when you look at the big picture.
Build it and they will come! Communication towers are typically built for an initial solution but can offer great potential for future wireless backhaul projects. The tower may have been built to accommodate a point to point wireless bridge like a licensed microwave link between two locations. Now in place it may be used for other wireless Ethernet bridges or point to multipoint last mile wireless bridge connections. Odds are that if you needed to build a tower to gain some height in a geographical area other may need some height too. Leasing opportunities can come knocking on the door. Tower can create a great source of re-occurring revenue for an organization by leasing antenna space off to other parties that need a repeater location or leasing space to the mobile carriers, like At&t, Verizon, Sprint, Clearwire, etc. These opportunities can pay for the tower itself.
The fact is that there are tower all around us and we just don’t even notice them. Microwave communication towers tend to blend into the skyline. So many times we hear about cosmetic concerns when it comes to mounting antennas on buildings but the fact remains that they are all around and no one ever notices them (unless you are in the wireless industry and pay attention to them). Many are less obtrusive that satellite TV dishes everyone mounts on their homes!
Microwave tower have been manufactured in ready to deploy configurations and even come with approved engineered design drawings making the permitting process simple. Communication towers used for wireless backhaul can typically be installed within a few days and offer a long term solid structure for mounting wireless backhaul antennas and equipment.
Posted by Joe Wargo on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 @ 05:11 PM
Choosing the right outdoor wireless vendor is critical for the success of a wireless backhaul project, whether it’s a licensed microwave link, unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridge, wireless mesh, WiMax, point to point wireless backhaul, or point to multipoint wireless Ethernet bridges. Not all wireless vendors or wireless installation companies are the same. Too many companies and people claim to be RF Engineers or outdoor wireless backhaul experts without ever having any real world project experience.
Some wireless vendors are just “box movers” with a sole purpose to sell hardware. These companies typically do not have any field experience with wireless installations, wireless site surveys, or spectrum analysis. They may be able to do wireless path calculations using some software programs, but the information they use for the outdoor wireless network design is based on information they receive from the client. Because they lack any real world filed experience they tend to miss the fine intricacies that can make or break an outdoor wireless backhaul project. They also typically try and push to the customer whatever product makes them the best margins.
Some “so called” wireless vendors come with the IT networking background. They too lack any real world outdoor RF or microwave experience. They may focus on a conceptual wireless network design but have no understanding on the details of what it takes to actually install and maintain an outdoor radio system. Everything looks great on paper but when it comes time to install the system and make it work everything goes south when there is a huge groove of trees or buildings in the way! These companies might be good at the network integration portion of a project but have no clue to the way outdoor wireless systems perform in the field or what it takes to properly do a wireless installation.
There are some great outdoor wireless vendors that have a ton of outdoor radio system experience but lack any knowledge of integrating the wireless infrastructure to the client’s network.
A true outdoor wireless integrator will have in house experience with all aspects of an outdoor wireless backhaul system. A good wireless integrator will know how to properly design a wireless backhaul network, perform accurate wireless path calculations, and understand exactly what it takes to deploy a wireless backhaul network.
The good companies have experience with point to point unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges, licensed microwave links, wireless mesh, point to multipoint wireless bridges, etc. These companies know the industry and can make appropriate recommendations on whether unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges or licensed microwave links are right for the backhaul solutions or which is the right fit between wireless mesh and point to multipoint wireless bridges. Good wireless vendors also understand IP networking and can integrate the outdoor wireless system into the client’s network.
The good outdoor wireless integrators have experience working with towers, poles, and on roof tops. They know exactly what the mounting and power solutions need to be and what goes into the proper wireless installation of the radio equipment. True wireless integrators can properly plan, price, and insure success of an outdoor wireless backhaul project.
What about after the project? Many “so called” wireless vendors come across knowledgeable about designing a radio communication system or claim that have a lot of wireless installation experience. The question to ask is if something goes wrong or there is an issue down the road, will the wireless vendor be there for support. Did the wireless vendor rely on subcontractors for the project? Will they need to coordinate with subcontractors to support the client’s system? What will they charge to perform support if they do need to rely on a sub? These are important questions. The “so called” wireless vendors can’t control if their subs will be around in the future or what they may charge. What about the amount of time it would take to get different companies involved and dispatched?
A good wireless integrator performs all the work themselves and does not rely on subcontractors. They can take full ownership of the outdoor wireless system and can support it.
Wireless backhaul, whether you are talking about wireless mesh, WiMax, point to multipoint wireless, or point to point wireless backhaul, systems can function with extreme reliability and predictability with proper wireless network design, wireless engineering, and a quality wireless installation. The mobile wireless carriers take this matter critically and waste no expenses on ensuring their systems are installed properly. Any down time can cost them tens of thousands of dollars. The craziest thing is when organizations are willing to rely on wireless technology for their primary connectivity but pinch pennies by choosing the cheapest and many times least experienced wireless vendor or wireless installation companies for their projects.
Posted by Joe Wargo on Sun, Jun 27, 2010 @ 03:39 PM
The term "Microwave" is a broad term that covers the UHF (Ultra High Frequency with frequencies between 300MHz and 3GHz) to the EHF (Extremely High Frequency with frequencies between 30GHz to 300GHz). Licensed microwave links and unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges typically operate in the SHF (Super High Frequency with frequencies between 3GHz to 30GHz) and the EHF bands.
A general rule of thumb is that lower the frequency the farther the signal will travel. Also lower frequencies the lower the throughput and higher the frequency the higher the throughput. Again this is in general terms and depends on the wireless radio hardware used.
The terms "unlicensed wireless bridge" and "licensed microwave link" refer to the radio frequency spectrum characteristics set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") or equivalent national government regulatory body. Licensed products require regulatory approval before deployment while license-exempt products can be deployed without any regulatory approval.
Licensed microwave link frequencies used for wireless backhaul in a point to point wireless backhaul operate 6GHz, 11GHz, 18GHz, 23GHz bands and the 80GHz millimeter wave E-band. Unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges, used in point to point wireless bridges, point to multipoint wireless bridges, or wireless mesh configurations, typically operate in 900MHz, 2.4GHz, 5.3GHz, 5.4GHz, or 5.8GHz frequencies. There is also the 60GHz millimeter wave band that is used for point to point gigabit wireless bridges.
There are registered frequencies that many think are licensed but are actually unlicensed, like the 3.65GHz WiMax band used for point to multipoint wireless backhaul and the 4.9GHz Public Safety band. These registered bands do provide some protection against interference but only require local users to coordinate with one another on frequency channel coordination. This is often confused by Public Safety organizations that think the 4.9GHz band is for exclusive use by local law enforcement. Anyone can register the use of the 4.9GHz band as long as it's used for some form of public safety, such as video backhaul.
Licensed microwave wireless radio systems are typically built and designed for long term solutions. Point to point licensed microwave links are true fiber replacement systems and offer full duplex wireless communications for both Ethernet and TDM. The licensed wireless bridge hardware is designed to provide carrier grade performance (high bandwidth and low latency). Because a microwave link is licensed and is not to inject and interference on other licensed microwave backhaul operators in the area they must have LOS (line of sight) and not cause heavy multipath. This is a common question of why licensed microwave radios don't use OFDM or MIMO and why they can't be used in NLOS (non line of sight) applications. In a NLOS wireless link application unlicensed wireless backhaul radios that use OFDM or MIMO take advantage of multipath for their connectivity.
Microwave communication using unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridge systems have been an extremely popular choice for outdoor wireless backhaul. The unlicensed spectrum of 5GHz (5.3GHz, 5.4GHz, and 5.8GHz UNII bands) became a primary selection by many end users and outdoor wireless installation VAR's, because of their flexibility, cost effectiveness, rapid ROI, and quick deployments. Many outdoor wireless manufactures started introducing "value line" point to point wireless Ethernet bridges using 802.11 chipsets. Basically, the same radio boards found in Wi-Fi access points put into an outdoor enclosure and using outdoor wireless antennas. The new 802.11n based wireless backhaul radios use OFDM and MIMO taking advantage of multipath, especially helpful in NLOS (non line of sight) applications. The major issue with unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges is potential wireless interference.
Posted by Joe Wargo on Wed, Jun 23, 2010 @ 03:14 PM
Wireless backhaul, also known as fixed wireless bridges, has become a standard means of creating a microwave communication between locations; whether building to building, last mile wireless to connect remote locations to a network presence, or for connecting devices like IP video cameras, access control, SCADA devices, client devices, or phones to networks. Wireless backhaul can be deployed in several network configurations.
A point to point wireless bridge is when only two microwave radio ends are bridged together to create a single wireless network path. Point to point wireless links are an ideal complement or replacement to leased lines and fiber. A point to point microwave link is used to create a wireless bridge network between two buildings to connect LAN connectivity or for creating a microwave link between two towers to join two WAN network segments together across large distances. Point to point wireless bridges can be licensed microwave links or unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges and can provide throughput as low as 10Mbps up to GigE full duplex (with gigabit wireless).
Licensed microwave links used for point to point wireless backhaul operate in the 6GHz, 11GHz, 18GHz, and 23GHz frequencies and provide true full duplex wireless Ethernet and TDM communications. Licensed microwave links can provide up to 366Mbps full duplex or 732Mbps aggregate throughput using a single radio unit. Dual radio units can be combined on a single antenna to provide double the bandwidth and complete failover redundancy.
A few exceptions are the 24GHz microwave links that are unlicensed but work just like the licensed 23GHz microwave links and provide the full duplex connectivity and the 60GHz millimeter wave systems that provide up to full duplex gigabit wireless backhaul. There is also the 80GHz millimeter wave E-band that is a registered frequency that is used to provide gigabit wireless links. Unlicensed point to point wireless Ethernet bridges typically communicate in TDD because they use the same frequency channel to talk and listen. They can provide up to 300Mbps aggregate throughput.
Point to multipoint wireless Ethernet bridges use a hub spoke configuration using a Base Station Unit ("BSU" or "AP") that communicates with multiple Subscriber Units. This is similar to a cellular network where multiple mobile devices talk back to a cell tower location. Point to multipoint wireless backhaul systems are ideal for interconnecting campus buildings, security systems, control systems, IP video surveillance cameras, WISP applications, integrating remote business sites, or installing last mile connections. Point to multipoint wireless bridges operate in the unlicensed wireless frequency bands of 900MHz, 2.4GHz, 5.3GHz, 5.4GHz, or 5.8GHz. Point to multipoint wireless Ethernet bridges can provide up to 300Mbps aggregate throughput.
Wireless mesh configurations are used to create a wireless network where a radio node can communicate with two or more other wireless mesh nodes. Wireless mesh networks offer great redundancy. If one wireless mesh node can no longer operate, all the other wireless mesh nodes can still communicate with each other, directly or through one or more intermediate outdoor wireless bridge links. Each wireless Ethernet bridge link can send and receive messages in a wireless mesh network. Each link also functions as a router and can relay messages for its neighbors. Through the relaying process, a packet of wireless data will find its way to its destination, passing through intermediate links with reliable communication.
Mesh wireless backhaul networks are typically configured in a star topology or can be in a daisy chain configuration. They are used a lot in networks for wireless video backhaul and municipal wireless networks. Wireless mesh radios operate in unlicensed wireless backhaul frequencies like that of point to multipoint wireless bridges and can provide up to 300Mbps aggregate throughput.
Posted by Joe Wargo on Fri, May 28, 2010 @ 09:17 AM
Point to point wireless backhaul can be either a
licensed microwave link or an unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridge. The terms "unlicensed wireless" (also called "license exempt) and "licensed microwave" refer to the radio frequency spectrum characteristics set by the FCC or equivalent national government regulatory body. Licensed microwave communication products require regulatory approval before a wireless installation can take place while
unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges can be deployed without any regulatory approval.
Most common unlicensed wireless bridges operate in the 900MHz, 2.4GHz, 5.3GHz, 5.4GHz, and 5.8GHz frequency bands. Unlicensed wireless backhaul is susceptible to wireless interference. See article "
Wireless Interference - The Effect on Unlicensed Wireless Backhaul." There is also millimeter wave 60GHz band used for gigabit wireless backhaul that is unlicensed. Licensed microwave links typically operate in 6GHz, 11GHz, 18GHz, and 23GHz. See article "
Licensed Microwave Wireless Backhaul." There are a few bands like 4.9GHz public safety band and the 80GHz E-Band that are registered with the FCC but are not truly licensed.
Then there is a part of the spectrum that is mostly overlooked and forgotten about. 24GHz is an unlicensed frequency that can be used for microwave communication for point to point wireless backhaul. For a wireless Ethernet bridge, 24GHz offers some great advantages. Because of the ERIP 24GHz is identical to 23GHz band and can be used for shorter range wireless links (typically under 2 miles) but it has tremendous advantages. First it's rarely used so there is virtually little to no wireless interference. Manufactures that make 24GHz microwave communication radios are those that manufacture 23GHz licensed microwave links and use the same carrier grade microwave radio platform adjusted to operate at 24GHz. As a microwave backhaul link systems can do up to 366Mbps full duplex using 256QAM at 56MHz wide channels. That's 720Mbps aggregate throughput!
Like licensed microwave links, a
point to point wireless Ethernet bridge in the 24GHz unlicensed wireless band provides carrier grade
wireless backhaul. 24GHz wireless backhaul is ideal for point to point wireless bridges in areas where there is a lot of wireless interference. The unlicensed wireless 5.8GHz band is becoming heavily saturated and it's becoming difficult to deploy wireless Ethernet bridges in many areas. Because the 24GHz band is unlicensed a
wireless installation of a 24GHz point to point wireless link can be deployed in a day without the need to wait for a FCC license.
There are many applications that need 100Mbps full duplex connectivity or greater. Millimeter wave 60GHz gigabit wireless radios are also great for shorter applications, but not ever client needs gigabit wireless connections. Most 24GHz microwave communication links can be installed as a 100Mbps full duplex wireless backhaul and can be software upgrade up to 360Mbps full duplex (720Mbps aggregate throughput) protecting the CAPEX investment.
If you need a point to point wireless backhaul that can provide 99.999% reliability, need full duplex connectivity, and are worried about wireless interference then take a look at 24GHz!
Posted by Joe Wargo on Thu, May 20, 2010 @ 02:57 PM
The wireless backhaul industry is booming and not just because of the build out of 4G, like WiMax backhaul and LTE. Government agencies, utilities, and private industry are all realizing the benefit of point to point wireless backhaul, point to multipoint wireless bridges, and wireless mesh. Microwave communication, also known as fixed wireless backhaul, is a great network solution because of its quick ROI, high throughput speeds, quick deployments, extreme reliability, and as a wireless last mile solution the ability to get bandwidth where traditional cable and fiber infrastructure is not available.
So how does someone that is not a wireless backhaul expert decide what the right wireless backhaul solution is and what wireless equipment to use? There are so many outdoor wireless vendors that claim their wireless hardware is the best. Who do you believe and how do you know you are getting the best solution? Whether a licensed microwave link or an unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridge, here are a few things that someone looking into a microwave communication solution should consider:
Hire a Good Outdoor Wireless Integrator
People that have deployed indoor Wi-Fi sometimes think that doing a wireless installation of an outdoor wireless backhaul is something they can do themselves. Understand that Wi-Fi is pretty easy to deploy indoors and is very forgiving. Outdoor wireless bridges are a whole other story. Outdoor wireless backhaul needs to be properly engineered. There are considerations about frequency coordination, spectrum analysis, Fresnel Zone criteria, multipath issue, signal propagation, EIRP regulations by the FCC, security, and so on. Hiring a good outdoor wireless integrator or wireless installer will ensure a successful wireless deployment. An outdoor wireless integrator can provide a proper wireless network design, perform a wireless sight survey, and help pick the right wireless hardware solution.
Understand the Solution Before Choosing the System
So many times an end user finds out that wireless backhaul might be a good solution to a networking need by a case study or white paper from a wireless manufacture. Naturally they may call the manufacture to get more information. That's where the issue starts. It becomes the particular wireless manufacture sales rep's job to fit their wireless radio system into the end user's solution, whether they are a good fit or not. The best approach it to fully understand what the wireless backhaul solution is first. Is it a point to point licensed microwave link or an unlicensed non line of sight wireless bridge that is right for the application? Once you understand what the right wireless solution is then you can look for various manufactures of that type of hardware.
Wireless Hardware Marketing Material Is Just Marketing
Marketing material is great to get an overview of a solution or piece of hardware. But understand that it's the job of a wireless manufacture to position their equipment as the best solution and sometimes the only solution. It most cases the toted performance of a wireless radio is based on optimum conditions and sometimes only achievable in a lab environment. Be sure before choosing a particular wireless backhaul platform to consult a good outdoor wireless installation VAR that works with multiple wireless manufactures and has personally installed the wireless hardware that can help decipher hype from reality.
Choose Proven and Field Tested Wireless Backhaul Systems
There is nothing better than getting positive feedback from a peer or other organization similar to yours on what type of outdoor wireless they have experienced and finding out what works and what doesn't. When you have done thousands of wireless installations you learn real quick what wireless equipment is good and what wireless systems are junk.
Know the Wireless Equipment You are Buying
There are so many outdoor wireless companies that come and go. Many wireless hardware platforms are not actually made by the so called wireless vendor. There are a handful of manufactures that OEM their wireless bridge equipment to other companies that put their label on it, change the graphics on the software and call it their own. The problem is who really knows the engineering behind the microwave radios and who can provide quality support for it. A lot of the wireless bridge equipment is cheaply made but allows for a so called wireless manufacture to make good profit margins without having any of their own R&D and testing costs.
Have a Professional Wireless Installer to Do It Right
Again, there are a lot of factors that go into a good reliable outdoor wireless backhaul system. A good wireless installer is worth their weight in gold. No matter how good the wireless hardware is, if it isn't installed properly you'll have issues (see "Outdoor Wireless Installation Done Properly").
Posted by Joe Wargo on Mon, May 03, 2010 @ 02:04 PM
From
Part 1, we described how
WiMax backhaul is a
point to multipoint wireless backhaul technology used to create high bandwidth wireless Ethernet bridges between a Base Station Unit (or an array of BSU's) to a Subscriber Unit (or CPE device). WiMax backhaul in the USA, according to the regulations of the FCC, is 50MHz wide of the 3.65GHz frequency band and is a non-exclusive use of microwave wireless, although a service provider must register the wireless bridge broadcast. In other countries the unlicensed wireless 3.5GHz band is common. Licensed microwave 2.5GHz is used by some carriers.
Service providers have adopted WiMax backhaul as a technology that they could readily deploy cost effectively to provide the last mile fixed wireless connectivity with greater bandwidth. It wasn't until later that WiMax backhaul evolved to the mobile carrier space. WiMax currently is a competing 4G technology to LTE (note: see article "WiMax Outdoor Wireless Bridges versus LTE Wireless Networks" for more detial). There are a lot of articles on whether WiMax and LTE truly compete or will end up being complimentary technologies providing different service benefits. The one issue with WiMax is because of the higher frequency bands it does not do well with penetrating obstructions like passing through walls of a building providing coverage indoors. The use of OFDM and MIMO do allow for (NLOS) non-line-of-sight wireless connectivity outdoors.
WiMax backhaul does not compete with the Wi-Fi standards, nor does it replace it. There will continue to be the need for Wi-Fi indoors and around campus environments to provide network connectivity to the LAN. WiMax backhaul will allow mobile device to get high speed internet from the carrier service provider companies that the devices are associated with (such as AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc.).
The bottom line is WiMax backhaul is truly for service providers and mobile carriers. WiMax is not a solution for an end-user. The technologies used by WiMax have already been used for years now (e.g. OFDM and MIMO). WiMax is not a licensed microwave wireless solution that will completely avoid wireless interference. Nor will WiMax backhaul replace point to point wireless backhaul, licensed microwave links or unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges. Because of the small channel width available currently, WiMax doesn't bring any higher bandwidth for an end user application. The WiMax 2 initiative takes more advantage of the use of MIMO and will provide more bandwidth, like wireless Ethernet bridges that use 802.11n chipsets today.
Today there are many systems that can produce higher wireless backhaul bandwidth by using standard unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges compared to using WiMax as a wireless backhaul solution. Many manufactures have cashed in on the WiMax standard and have over sold its capabilities and what it's for to the end user market place.
If you are not a mobile carrier or a service provider (WISP), WiMax backhaul does not provide you any advantages over other outdoor wireless Ethernet bridge systems that have been deployed for many years now. To register WiMax is pretty difficult in many areas because many WISP and mobile carriers already have taken the spectrum. Note: see image below showing the areas already registered by service providers and mobile carriers in the Sacramento and San Francisco, CA area.
If you need a point to multipoint wireless backhaul solution there has been for years wireless equipment that have the same benefits of WiMax, such as OFDM and use MIMO, that can actually provide much greater bandwidth ( now up to 300Mbps).
Is WiMax good for you? As a mobile user it will provide us great wireless backhaul throughput to our mobile devices. For end users that need another internet provider solution, especially in areas where they can't get DSL, WiMax will allow service providers to provide a high quality wireless Ethernet bridge to areas that were either technically difficult or too costly to provide connectivity to. But for Government, Enterprise, or Private networks it does nothing!
Posted by Joe Wargo on Mon, May 03, 2010 @ 02:02 PM
Many customers come to us and say that they need a wireless backhaul solution, but say they are waiting for WiMax. We ask, "Why?"
Many people that are not part of (or don't closely follow) the wireless backhaul, point to point wireless bridges or point to multipoint wireless backhaul, industry or the 4G mobile (LTE and WiMax) carrier industry really don't understand what WiMax is all about. Some think it's a Wi-Fi replacement. Others think it's a new technology that is going to replace all outdoor wireless backhaul, like licensed microwave links or wireless mesh networks. There is a lot of talk about the standards-based technology of WiMax backhaul. Many people do not know what WiMax is or what WiMax is not.
The term WiMax has become a marketing machine and has pushed the outdoor wireless backhaul industry into one the fastest growing technology industries. Just as the term Wi-Fi has been trademarked to the indoor wireless LAN market, WiMax is a trademarked term for a standards-based point to multipoint technology for the outdoor wireless backhaul market. WiMax in itself is not encompassing of all outdoor wireless backhaul. Note: image below is reported by the WiMax Forum as of Feb, 2010.
A General Background:
WiMax backhaul was originally designed to be a point to multipoint wireless backhaul solution for providing last mile wireless Ethernet bridges, as alternative to DSL to the home and T1 replacement to businesses. A point to multipoint wireless system consists of a base station unit ("BSU") or sometimes called an Access Point ("AP"), as a standalone or part of a cluster to provide multiple sectors of wireless backhaul coverage that provides wireless backhaul to multiple Subscriber Units ("SU"). SU's are sometimes called CPE's (customer premise equipment). This was for the WISP and telecommunication provider markets.
Part of the equation was also to make mobile devices (like laptops and mobile phones) equipped with WiMax 802.16 chipsets so they could become an actual subscriber unit, creating direct internet access through the service provider (like a giant outdoor hot spot). This would basically provide a direct wireless Ethernet bridge connection directly to a WiMax point to multipoint wireless base station array. Like a mobile phone connecting to a cellular tower.
Manufactures of outdoor wireless bridges and the WISP market realized that wireless interference is a huge issue with outdoor Ethernet wireless bridges. When you start using unlicensed wireless bridges to be a point to point wireless backhaul to unlicensed point to multipoint wireless bridges, which then provide backhaul for Wi-Fi access, in unlicensed 2.4GHz (802.11b/g/n) and 5.8GHz (802.11a/n), there is a large risk of wireless interference. At the same time many people have tried to extend Wi-Fi to outdoor environments to provide greater wireless connectivity to mobile devices, but this still needs a backhaul at some point.
WiMax backhaul was originally going to be in a frequency band away from the popular 5GHz band (5.3GHz, 5.4GHz, and 5.8GHz) used for most unlicensed wireless bridges. Unfortunately, the FCC did not allow for this. Later the FCC did open up a small piece of spectrum, 50MHz wide, of the 3.65GHz band to be used by WiMax backhaul radios. The 3.65GHz band is non-exclusive, meaning it's not a licensed microwave bridge requirement, but just a lightly regulated space that requires service providers to register the microwave wireless broadcast. The 3.5GHz band is used for WiMax backhaul wireless radios in other countries. Some mobile carriers have manufactured their own radios to operate in their licensed 2.5GHz frequencies.
For a piece of wireless backhaul equipment to be considered WiMax Certified (by the WiMax ForumTM) it must comply with the 802.16 IEEE standards and be completely interoperable with other manufactures WiMax equipment. The problem is that there are not many devices that are truly interoperable or have been fully tested to work with one another. It's funny how many of the WiMax 802.16 standards, like OFDM, were already found in the existing product lines or outdoor wireless Ethernet bridge manufactures like Proxim, Alvarion, Motorola, and others. Most WiMax equipment is almost no different than current point to multipoint wireless systems operating in the 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz unlicensed wireless bridge frequency bands. Most use OFDM and MIMO technologies. WiMax backhaul just operates in a different 3.65GHz wireless band, which provides a smaller channel width and less data throughput.
More to come in Part 2...
Posted by Joe Wargo on Fri, Apr 30, 2010 @ 04:07 PM
Talk to most IT Network Administrators and they will tell you how great their fiber network is. Mention outdoor wireless bridges, either
point to point wireless backhaul or
point to multipoint wireless Ethernet bridges, and they'll say a wireless Ethernet bridge is not as reliable as their fiber. This is an obvious response from someone that hasn't experienced a carrier grade
wireless installation!
An experienced IT Director once told me, "The question is not if your fiber backhaul will go down, but when will it go down." This was on a day where he experienced his fiber being cut due to some construction workers trenching up the conduit that his fiber was in during a road repair project. This happens more often than you think. Why do you think most SLA'a by a telecommunications companies are only 99.9% uptime.
Ever question how long it takes for a telecommunications company to do a truck roll to repair a cut fiber? If it's a clean break fiber can sometimes be fusion spliced back together. In most cases where a fiber pole goes down or gets ripped out by a backhoe, the fiber gets stretch and has to be replace but cutting it at two ends and a new piece fusion spliced back in. This can take hours if not days to accomplish. What would be the cost to your business if that occurred?
This picture shows a local telecommunications companies main fiber line providing the main backhaul for a city government laying on the ground after a pole fell over. It has been like this for weeks.
Most people don't think about the fiber once it leaves their building or know the path it takes. Most long haul fiber in established urban areas runs inside sewer lines. In rural areas fiber mostly runs along telephone poles. Ever drive down a road and see a bunch of wood telephone poles leaning from side to side? Well that might just be the fiber your network is running on.
Now let's talk about microwave communication using a point to point wireless bridge. A fixed wireless microwave link can go distances up to 50+ miles and provide data rates of 10Mbps full duplex to GigE Full Duplex (gigabit wireless). If proper wireless system design is done, a fixed wireless Ethernet bridge can provide a predictable reliability of 99.999% uptime. That's less than 5 minutes of predictable outage a year.
Microwave communication can be in the form of a point to point wireless backhaul, a point to multipoint wireless bridge system, or a mesh wireless Ethernet bridge. If a microwave radio fails it can be swapped out in the matter of minutes (provided a spare is maintained). After an earthquake or other natural disaster, a wireless system can be realigned immediately getting communications back up and running. Wireless backhaul was used after Hurricane Katrina for months before the telecommunication companies could get their fiber repaired. The biggest concern with wireless backhaul is the potential for wireless interference. Using a licensed microwave link can solve any interference concerns.
Customers that have experienced a good wireless installation typically use their point to point wireless backhaul as their primary connection and downgrade their leased telco circuit (saving them reoccurring costs) as a secondary. A wireless link also puts control back into the hands of the owner rather than relying on a telco. You can't fixed a down telephone pole because a tree branch fell on it, but you can swap out a wireless Ethernet bridge radio easily.