Mobile Wireless
The Mobile Wireless world is changing rapidly. Voice is no longer the only form of mobile communication. Data services – email, short messaging service (SMS), graphics, ring tones, music downloads, video clips and high-speed Internet access – are becoming a major part of today’s mobile provider portfolio.
And with the rise of competition in the mobile wireless space, time-to-market becomes critical. Whether overhauling an existing voice infrastructure or rapidly deploying a next-generation wireless network, today’s mobile provider must act quickly to gain a subscriber base.
Wireless point-to-point bridges – in the form of microwave, Free Space Optics (FSO) or unlicensed RF – are often used as a connectivity option in mobile infrastructure. Wireless eases installation by replacing fiber runs (allowing quick build-outs) and eliminates the need for costly leased lines (reducing operating expenses).
Two areas of the mobile infrastructure using point-to-point wireless include:
- Backhaul – connecting cell sites or towers (primarily microwave)
- Network Aggregation – where traffic from multiple cell sites is transmitted between switching centers and the core network (typically FSO due to its fiber-like bandwidth and quality)
But, the wireless technologies used today also have drawbacks. Both microwave and RF have bandwidth constraints – limiting the capacity required in data-intensive environments. Plus, the possibility of interference or spectrum saturation in dense urban environments becomes a concern. And weather impact on FSO technology is a known issue.
The need for a high-bandwidth, high-availability, highly-secure yet highly-cost effective solution for wireless backhaul and aggregation becomes apparent.
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