With the current landscape of network economics and challenges associated with capacity and spectrum, having multiple tools for link deployments, capacity growth, and future-proofing are necessary. In this blog, we’ll discuss the concept of Microwave Multi-Band, or the use of two different microwave frequency bands over one link, and specifically the combination of 6 GHz and 11 GHz.
Aviat’s new service offering helps you quickly find and address interference issues to protect your network. Aviat’s FAS (Frequency Assurance Software) offers sophisticated, well-tested monitoring and analysis of unlicensed 6 GHz—and can trigger corrective action to protect link stability.
RLAN (Radio Local Area Network), a regulator’s technical term for Wi-Fi, got a new update in 2020, with FCC opening a 1,200 MHz of channel bandwidth between 5.925 GHz and 7.125 GHz. This operation of unlicensed devices across the current 6 GHz band enables the next generation of wireless broadband called Wi-Fi 6E.
For more than two years now, the FCC has been evaluating the necessity and feasibility of opening up the 6 GHz band to unlicensed users of a wide variety of devices. They’ve published multiple notices of their findings, and on April 2, 2020, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai issued a draft version of the official rules, allowing unlicensed operation in the 6 GHz band—over the entire 1,200 MHz spectrum of that band. A final vote on April 23 opened the door to Wi-Fi 6e.
Point-to-point microwaves links are the de facto standard for connecting infrastructure over vast distances quickly and cost-effectively. Lower frequencies, like 6 GHz, allows a network to span long distances with high capacity while maintaining robust availability, especially during rain fade. These characteristics have led to rapid, widespread adoption with more than 40000 links in the 6 GHz frequency band deployed across the US.