When you work in telecom long enough, you begin to recognize that the “digital divide” isn’t always loud, dramatic, or obvious. Sometimes it shows up quietly, in neighborhoods where connectivity speeds lag just enough to limit opportunity, or in communities that simply haven’t been reached yet by next-gen connectivity.
More and more, forward-thinking cities are stepping up to the challenge of ensuring that all residents have fast, reliable connectivity. But even with the best intentions, the path to getting there is rarely easy or straightforward.
That’s why many city leaders are looking for smarter, faster, more affordable ways to close those gaps. The City of Mesa, Arizona is a perfect example. Rather than dealing with years of permitting and mounting costs for new fiber builds, they took a more proactive approach: using innovative millimeter wave (mmWave) technology to bring gigabit access to underserved neighborhoods and public spaces far faster than traditional methods.
Imagine being able to light up an entire neighborhood including parks, streets, and community centers with gigabit connectivity, without digging, rewiring, or shutting down half the block.
That’s exactly what Siklu by Ceragon’s MultiHaul™ TG mmWave solution brings to the table. A faster, cleaner, more flexible approach to bridge any city’s connectivity gaps.
What You’ll Learn:
• Why Closing the Broadband Gap is Harder than it Looks
• Case in Point: How the City of Mesa, Arizona Delivered Smart Connectivity Without Fiber
• Why mmWave is a Smart Way Forward for Forward-Thinking Cities
• mmWave & Wireless Powering Smart City Use Cases
• MultiHaul™ TG: The Future of Broadband Starts Here
Why Closing the Broadband Gap is Harder Than it Looks
Most of us have seen it up close: families in underserved areas who are unable to access high-speed broadband services for work or school. Today, broadband access can be seen as a basic right, as essential to the human experience as clean water or electricity.
Yet despite enormous investment into connectivity worldwide, millions remain under connected. Here’s why bridging that gap remains one of the toughest challenges for city leaders and the communities they serve.
1. Fiber Is Great…with Caveats
On paper, fiber feels like the answer to everything. But the reality on the ground is much more complicated. Adding fiber to your city’s network infrastructure involves months, if not years, of permits, digging, construction, and budget approvals. And by the time the project finally breaks ground, the overall costs, timeline, and complexity have likely ballooned in scope. And those families needing reliable broadband? They’re still waiting.
2. Geography Doesn’t Always Cooperate
When it comes to connectivity, even in cities, geography and terrain can get in the way. Narrow streets, historic districts, rivers, bridges, or dense urban areas can turn each block into a unique challenge. Some areas simply aren’t feasible for traditional fiber expansion without massive disruption. And other areas simply demand an easy, flexible solution.
3. Legacy Networks Just Can’t Keep Up
Traditional Wi-Fi mesh access points tend to degrade in capacity, hop by hop. Legacy networks begin to crack under modern bandwidth demands. And underserved neighborhoods continue to feel the burden of the digital divide.
Case In Point: Mesa, Arizona
This was the reality for Mesa, Arizona, one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., determined to bring digital equity to every resident while building a foundation for next-gen smart city innovation.
To accelerate their progress and close underserved neighborhood access gaps, the city leveraged Siklu by Ceragon’s MultiHaul™ TG mmWave solution - a faster, smarter, and more cost-effective way to deliver gigabit broadband without the delays or disruption.
Read the full case study here.
Why mmWave is a Smart Way Forward for Forward-Thinking Cities
For many years, the answer to broadband expansion was simple: lay more fiber. But expectations have changed, and old timelines don’t match the pace communities need today.
That’s where mmWave Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) comes in. Think of it as delivering fiber-like performance without the associated headaches. And at the forefront of this wireless revolution is Ceragon’s MultiHaul™ TG, a cutting-edge mesh platform technology that delivers multi-gigabit speeds, ultra-low latency, and rock-solid reliability to connect everything from smart cities to rural townships.
So, what makes MultiHaul™ TG a favorite among forward-thinking cities?
• Ultra-High Capacity: With up to 16 Gbps throughput, MultiHaul™ TG delivers the industry’s most flexible mmWave backhaul portfolio for FWA, enterprise connectivity, and smart city applications.
• Fast, Simple Deployments: With plug-and-play installation, self-aligning beamforming antennas, and zero-touch provisioning, operators can go from planning to live service in days (not months), accelerating rollout and reducing labor costs.
• Flexible PtP and PtMP Configurations: Choose Point-to-Point (PtP) for dedicated, high-capacity links or Point-to-Multipoint (PtMP) to connect multiple sites from a single node, all on one unified platform, maximizing coverage and efficiency.
• 360° Coverage with Fewer Sites: A single MultiHaul™ TG rooftop or pole-mounted node delivers complete coverage, minimizing the number of required sites, simplifying maintenance, and lowering long-term OPEX.
• Higher Subscriber Density per PoP: Handle more users per access point, improving scalability and reducing per-subscriber costs for ISPs, municipalities, and utility networks.
• Interference-Free Spectrum: Operating in the license-free 60 GHz mmWave band, MultiHaul™ TG avoids congested sub-6 GHz and Wi-Fi frequencies for stable, consistent links.
• Resilient, Self-Healing Mesh: MultiHaul™ TG’s built-in mesh automatically reroutes traffic if a link goes down, maintaining always-on connectivity and eliminating costly downtime.
• Lower CAPEX & OPEX = Higher ROI: By eliminating trenching, rewiring, and complex permitting, operators cut costs and achieve a faster return on investment.
• Minimal Equipment Footprint: Lightweight, compact radios simplify installation and reduce visual impact, ideal for MDUs, business campuses, or historic city centers.
• Scalable on Demand: Modular, pay-as-you-grow architecture makes it easy to add capacity as demand increases, powering smart cities, IoT systems, and public Wi-Fi expansion.
• PoE-Out Capabilities: Power third-party devices such as video surveillance cameras, Wi-Fi access points, or small cells.
And these are exactly what forward-thinking cities like Mesa are proving now. Using MultiHaul™ TG, they didn’t just expand coverage, but built a foundation for smarter, more connected communities. Public Wi-Fi is stronger. City teams stay connected in the field. Smart lighting and IoT systems run effortlessly on the same wireless backbone, all without tearing up a single street.
That’s the power of mmWave.
mmWave & Wireless Powering Smart City Use Cases
The real win isn’t only faster internet speeds; it’s what those speeds make possible. When you can connect every neighborhood, park, school, and business seamlessly, you’re not just closing the digital divide; you’re opening doors to opportunity for your entire city.
Millimeter wave wireless technology and MultiHaul™ TG are bringing transformative connectivity to some of the most challenging urban applications and use cases:
• Video surveillance systems, access control, and smart public safety applications that demand real-time, high-capacity, low-latency connectivity
• IoT and smart systems linking smart sensors for instantaneous data transfer
• Smart utility applications such as smart metering, waste management, and adaptive street lighting
• Intelligent transportation systems providing smart parking, easier commutes, and smart public transit systems
• Smart government connecting business parks, municipal buildings, campuses, and free public wi-fi that demand multi-gigabit connectivity
• Temporary or ad-hoc networks for events, festivals, or emergency response
MultiHaul™ TG: The Future of Broadband Starts Here
With the MultiHaul™ TG mmWave solution, cities can deliver gigabit connectivity that’s faster to deploy, easier to scale, and ready for whatever’s next. Imagine revolutionizing transportation systems, enhancing public safety, optimizing energy usage, and empowering every citizen with real-time information...the opportunities to innovate and improve are endless.
Because closing the digital divide isn’t just about delivering internet; it’s about strengthening communities, supporting growth, and shaping the smart cities of tomorrow.
Want to see how one city is making big moves today? Read the City of Mesa Case Study to discover how they delivered gigabit connectivity to residents and public Wi-Fi hotspots.
Key Takeaways
1. mmWave Is a Game-Changer for Smart Cities – Provides fiber-like speeds with flexible, wireless deployment, enabling faster and more efficient city connectivity.
2. MultiHaul™ TG Simplifies Deployment – Plug-and-play, self-aligning antennas, and zero-touch provisioning allow cities to go live in days, not months.
3. Scalable & Resilient Networks – Mesh architecture ensures uninterrupted service, even if individual nodes experience disruption.
4. Cost-Effective Broadband Expansion – Eliminates trenching, permits, and extensive labor costs of fiber while increasing ROI for municipalities and ISPs.
5. Supports Smart City Innovation – Multi-gigabit connectivity powers IoT systems, public Wi-Fi, smart lighting, and real-time city services, helping cities bridge the digital divide while preparing for a smart, adaptive future.
FAQs
Q1: What is mmWave, and why is it important to consider for smart city networks?
A: Millimeter wave (mmWave) refers to high-frequency spectrum (typically 30–300 GHz) that allows ultra-high-capacity wireless connectivity. For smart cities, mmWave enables gigabit-level broadband without trenching fiber, supporting everything from public Wi-Fi and IoT devices to smart traffic management.
Q2: How does MultiHaul™ TG differ from traditional wireless networks?
A: MultiHaul™ TG uses Terragraph technology to deliver multi-gigabit speeds over a resilient, self-healing mesh network. Unlike legacy Wi-Fi or mesh systems, it provides high capacity, low latency, and flexible Point-to-Point (PtP) or Point-to-Multipoint (PtMP) configurations—all while reducing the number of required sites and maintenance complexity.
Q3: Can mmWave reach every corner of a city?
A: mmWave coverage is optimized when combined with MultiHaul™ TG’s mesh architecture. A single rooftop or pole-mounted node can serve multiple locations, and the system automatically reroutes traffic if a link goes down. While physical obstructions (like tall buildings or trees) can affect individual links, network design and proper placement overcome most challenges.
Q4: Is this solution cost-effective compared to fiber?
A: Yes. By eliminating trenching, extensive permitting, and construction costs, MultiHaul™ TG reduces both capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operational costs (OPEX), delivering a faster return on investment.
Q5: How scalable is MultiHaul™ TG for growing cities?
A: MultiHaul™ TG is modular and pay-as-you-grow. Cities can add capacity as demand increases, seamlessly supporting smart lighting, IoT systems, public Wi-Fi, and other city-wide applications.
Enjoyed this blog?
Interested in how you can make your city smarter? Contact us.
