Demand for mobile data is soaring, and microwave is seen as the primary transport medium in rural and suburban areas. Aviat’s WTM 4000 enables double capacity (2+0) microwave links by housing two transceivers, two diplexers, and a 3dB coupler in one compact all-outdoor solution.
Demand for broadband services to unserved or underserved rural communities has been a topic among governments worldwide for more than two decades. While there has been some government funding directed toward rural connectivity in prior years, the global COVID-19 pandemic has increased the urgency to close the digital divide.
Is traditional microwave dead? With the advent of Multi-Band, it could be. Why accept an old solution when you can have so much more by combining E-Band and traditional microwave into a single-box unit. Governments are taking action across the world to connect homes and businesses in rural areas to the rest of the world. From the 7-year action plan devised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) $9.2 billion newly implemented Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, there is a worldwide focus on the connectedness of rural areas. As capacity demands increase rapidly for rural broadband networks, a better solution than traditional microwave is needed.
According to NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, broadband use has multiplied by more than twenty times since the early 2000s. However, three out of every ten Americans still do not enjoy its benefits. That represents a sizable market, and a good part of that market is in rural areas that lack the infrastructure for it. For service providers, the challenges lie in entering those markets quickly and effectively, and at lower ownership and operational costs than fiber or other solutions.