When Your Network Needs More Than Microwave

By Jeremy Ladner 6 min read

For network operators eager to take advantage of the fast, flexible, and affordable connectivity that wireless communication offers, the obvious choice is often microwave. Microwave is ideal for a multitude of applications. However, it's important to acknowledge that microwave can come with some challenges, such as spectrum congestion, regulatory constraints, and licensing costs.

Recent advancements in millimeter wave (mmW) technology have significantly expanded the possibilities for extremely high-capacity, low-latency wireless connectivity, often circumventing many of the obstacles associated with microwave. These opportunities are further enhanced when microwave and millimeter wave technologies are combined in a multi-band configuration.

Given the diverse range of communication networks—including large 5G communication service providers (CSPs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and private networks in sectors like Public Safety, Oil & Gas, Municipalities, and Utilities—finding the right mmW solution is crucial. Each type of network has unique requirements that must be met.

Partnering with an end-to-end connectivity provider like Ceragon ensures access to the most extensive variety of millimeter wave technology available today. This guarantees a wireless network solution that is expertly tailored to suit your specific needs

Full Transcript Below:

The Mighty Millimeter Wave

Microwave has been the go-to technology for wireless connectivity for decades. It’s incredibly reliable, able to traverse vast distances, and it’s far simpler and more affordable to deploy than laying fiber. But sometimes you may need more than microwave alone can offer.

So, how can adding the mighty millimeter wave help you? – we’ll talk all about it. On this episode of Ceragon’s Big Bytes.

If you want to transport data wirelessly, conveniently, and cost-effectively over very long distances then microwave remains the answer.

But, if your network operates in a high-density urban area like a big city, or if you need to provide connectivity for a Public Safety Command and Control Center, a massive stadium, a Critical Utility facility, or a sprawling college or corporate campus - then adding millimeter wave or Multi-Band devices to your existing microwave network could be the solution for you.

Millimeter wave’s ability to deliver vast amounts of data, at incredibly high speeds, over relatively short distances makes it a great option for last-mile connectivity.

Faster & More Affordable

Let’s face it, digging trenches and laying fiber cable is often cost-prohibitive. Millimeter wave – alone or paired with microwave in a Multi-Band device, can also be a far faster and more affordable way to get extremely high-capacity connectivity to the edge of urban networks, remote rural communities, or even offshore applications functioning on the other side of the digital divide.

For example, maybe you operate an offshore energy production facility and you want to avoid the costs and challenges of laying fiber.

Or, maybe you’re a Public Safety network operator with a city full of multi-megapixel security cameras to monitor that require throughput with enormous capacity and near-zero latency.

Or maybe you’re a tier-one nationwide telecom operator with millions of customers streaming 4K content, playing video games, and relying on the connectivity you provide for their hybrid work-from-home conference calls.

There is an enormous range of network types. From Private enterprise to public safety, local municipalities to national defense. Each network type has its own unique needs, needs that require a vast variety of millimeter wave connectivity solutions.

Obviously, a one-size-fits-all millimeter wave solution won’t work. We need different options. From the most affordable, all the way to the highest capacity, and most ‘feature-rich’.

That is where a vendor with a full family of millimeter wave technology can make all the difference in ensuring you get a connectivity solution tailored to your network needs.

The Importance of Choice

Whether you need a budget-friendly way to deliver public Wi-Fi to tourists in your city’s downtown core, or the rock-solid reliability required to remotely operate UAVs for real-time national defense - choice matters.

Ceragon has a millimeter wave solution for every budget, every application, and every industry. Our millimeter wave family of solutions covers everything from 1 Gbps up to 20 Gbps, E-band to V-band, Point-to-Point, or Point-to-Multi-Point.

With real-world, field-tested experience serving the Public Safety sector, Energy, Oil & Gas, and utilities. From local ISPs to national CSPs, from local Municipalities to National Defense agencies.

Ceragon’s comprehensive family of millimeter wave solutions can be paired with our microwave solutions separately or in multi-band configurations and tailored to meet the unique needs of your network.

While capacity demands continue to climb, and operating costs remain a concern, Ceragon’s millimeter wave and microwave family of solutions, are a great option for high-capacity future-friendly wireless network transport.

Interested in learning more about Ceragon’s full family of millimeter wave solutions - [CLICK HERE]

or speak to your Ceragon Connectivity expert today.

Until next time, I’m Jeremy Ladner and this is Ceragon’s Big Bytes.

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