Cellular backhaul using millimeter wave radios VS T-1 or DS3 Lines

[Fire14]

New Cellular Backhaul Uses Millimeter-Wave Radios


Most of the more than 175,000 cellular base stations in the United States currently use T1 or DS3 lines for their backhaul to the central office. These lines may not provide sufficient bandwidth in more advanced wireless communication systems.

Two new developments by Loea Corporation were awarded patents for cellular backhaul using the millimeter-wave spectrum, which many believe will resolve the problem.

Loea's Patents Nos. 6,741,800 and 7,062,293 cover cellular communication systems in which groups of cellular base stations communicate with a communications office via a wireless millimeter-wave trunk line.

The millimeter wave transceivers at the base stations operating at frequencies greater than 60 GHz (corresponding to wavelengths shorter than 5 millimeters) will be equipped with antennas providing very narrow beams so that an almost unlimited number of transceivers will be able to simultaneously use the same millimeter wave spectrum.

Cellular systems such as cellular telephone systems typically operate at frequencies lower than 3 GHz (corresponding to wavelengths longer than 10 centimeters) and in these systems the low frequency bandwidth is efficiently utilized over and over again by dividing a territory into small cells and using low power antennas. Loea's radios can be prepackaged with cellular base station equipment for quick and easy installation at convenient locations such as the tops of commercial buildings.

"Loea pioneered the use of millimeter-wave frequencies for high data rate, last-mile access applications. With the protection provided by these recently issued patents, we are in a position to take the lead in the utilization of millimeter-wave radios in the large cellular backhaul market," said Admiral Thomas B. Fargo, USN (Ret), Chairman and CEO of Loea Corporation. "We have received our first orders for integration of our transceivers with other wireless systems allowing service providers to deploy their next-generation wireless systems quickly and efficiently without the need to lay cable or optical fibers. Loea transceivers offer data rates of up to 1.25 gigabits per second, which will provide sufficient bandwidth for next-generation wireless backhaul including 3G/4G wireless systems, WiMAX and other advanced protocols."

http://www.wirelessiq.com/content/topstories/1409.html

[wirles]

Millimeter wave, both licensed and unlicensed (70 Ghz. vs. 60 Ghz.) is only one solution for the added backhaul requirements of todays networks. Don't forget about Optical Wireless or Free Space Optics as some call it. Laser transmitters just like in a fiber optic system, only they are not fiber coupled. Systems operate in mostly 785-850nm wavelengths, but there are 1550nm systems that can use higher power while maintaining Class 1M eye safety allowing for better link margins and higher availability at distance through fog. Most systems offer speeds up to Gig-E (1.25 Gbps), and optical wireless will not require any licensing or spectrum mangement, emits 0 EMI, won't be affected by rain fade, has near zero latency (microseconds), no lobe emissions, no fresnel zone, no multipathing, no interference....I could go on.

Basically, I just wanted to balance the thread. Loea makes good gear (I have personal experience in a military application) and their are a few good FSO (free space optics) makers as well. I have some bias, so I won't call it out here specifically. If you want more info, PM me.

[hillbilly44]

wirles, I too have seen Optical wireless at work but there is one problem I've seen with it and that's fog. It has a tendancy to kill the signal (the time I trialed it). Other than that it is pretty cool.

[wirles]

Originally Posted by hillbilly44

wirles, I too have seen Optical wireless at work but there is one problem I've seen with it and that's fog. It has a tendancy to kill the signal (the time I trialed it). Other than that it is pretty cool.

It depends on which gear you used, and at what distance. I would be very interested to know...either on here or via PM.

[Yankees368]

I think I remember hearing something about Donal Trump having a laser system on one of his buildings in NYC and it didnt work well due to weather a lot.

[whosurbud]

Originally Posted by wirles

Millimeter wave, both licensed and unlicensed (70 Ghz. vs. 60 Ghz.) is only one solution for the added backhaul requirements of todays networks. Don't forget about Optical Wireless or Free Space Optics as some call it. Laser transmitters just like in a fiber optic system, only they are not fiber coupled. Systems operate in mostly 785-850nm wavelengths, but there are 1550nm systems that can use higher power while maintaining Class 1M eye safety allowing for better link margins and higher availability at distance through fog. Most systems offer speeds up to Gig-E (1.25 Gbps), and optical wireless will not require any licensing or spectrum mangement, emits 0 EMI, won't be affected by rain fade, has near zero latency (microseconds), no lobe emissions, no fresnel zone, no multipathing, no interference....I could go on.

Basically, I just wanted to balance the thread. Loea makes good gear (I have personal experience in a military application) and their are a few good FSO (free space optics) makers as well. I have some bias, so I won't call it out here specifically. If you want more info, PM me.

60-70 Ghz? wow, wonder what type of distance ya'd get? Seems to me wouldn't be very friendly in terms of rain fade. How practical would that be in wireless industry wen ya need it to work 24/7 365 days/yr....? Ya gotta wonder.

Having worked in the field engineering side of things for many years, supporting Military and Civil I get skeptical very easily.

Salesman will tell ya anything ya wanna hear.

[wirles]

Originally Posted by Yankees368

I think I remember hearing something about Donal Trump having a laser system on one of his buildings in NYC and it didnt work well due to weather a lot.

Trump has a link from Giga-Beam that is supposedly working well. Their gear is very similar to Loea and operates in the 70 Ghz mmw bands.

[wirles]

Originally Posted by whosurbud

60-70 Ghz? wow, wonder what type of distance ya'd get? Seems to me wouldn't be very friendly in terms of rain fade. How practical would that be in wireless industry wen ya need it to work 24/7 365 days/yr....? Ya gotta wonder.

Having worked in the field engineering side of things for many years, supporting Military and Civil I get skeptical very easily.

Salesman will tell ya anything ya wanna hear.

Loea (mmw RF) and fSona (industry leading 1550nm FSO) both have gear that will reliably (>99.995%) go 2km. in any US climate accounting for fog and rain. I know of an fSona link in South Africa for a commercial ISP that is 10km. Granted it goes down for about 10 minutes/month, but it is an extreme example. List prices on the RF stuff will range from $70k-$100k and the FSO gigabit models will run you $50k-$60k for a solid long range transceiver.

And for those in the military, Loea and fSona both have gear that is TIC certified. I know fSona has gear on the Pentagon, and House of Representatives buidlings on Capital Hill.