Demand for high speed Internet at home has been steadily increasing for a long time now, driving Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to promote fiber-like Ethernet services. The latest offering, Gigabit-To-The-Home (GTTH) for residential access, is provided through a wide range of technologies, from fiber-to-G.fast and DOCSIS 3.1 all the way to wireless access.
Rapid deployments mandate wireless solutions
Using a fixed network solution in existing infrastructure makes sense when service upgrade is required. But what about new areas that are not dense-enough to justify all the trenching and cabling CapEx? And what about the most important question raised by the sales organizations: “How quickly can we reach the customer with our network?” The answers to the above considerations have driven many ISPs to a wireless solution for cost effectiveness and rapid deployment.
Challenges of wireless deployments
Wireless networking, however, is not a challenge-free environment. Operators need to address additional issues before they guarantee an effective offering to their customers. One of the most important topics is the spectrum of operation. There is a lot of discussion about unlicensed spectrum for wireless access point backhauling, especially at sub-6 GHz bands. But, is it really viable to offer Gigabit service to a customer over unlicensed spectrum? What kind of service would be offered to the end customer over a network that cannot guarantee interference-free operation in the future? The answer may not be so obvious.
Another issue is network resiliency. Operators need to have a network with an inherent fault-tolerant capability. In that case layer 2 Ethernet protection switching is very helpful for switching logical paths in a ring configuration. Moreover, one should not forget the operations wish-list for a small form factor and an environmentally-friendly design in order to keep deployment costs under control. Ideally, a system that is easy-to-install should be commissioned by non-telecom personnel to minimize CapEx.
Innovations and advantages of StreetNode™ V60-PTP
Naturally, one might ask: “Is there a wireless solution out there for GTTH, operating at licensed or licensed-exempt spectrum that is fault tolerant and can be commissioned by non-telecom personnel?” The answer is a bold yes – Intracom Telecom’s StreetNode™ V60-PTP, a unique fully outdoor radio platform operating in the 60 GHz millimeter-wave band that incorporates a Carrier Ethernet bridge and delivers up to 1.6 Gbit/s full duplex throughput to the user. As for interference at this frequency, the system’s Point-to-Point design tackles the problem. StreetNode™ V60-PTP’s beamwidth is so small at 60 GHz that it’s virtually impossible to coincide with another signal at the PtP mode, unlike interference found in sub-6 GHz solutions.
The real innovation, however, is the embedded self-adjusting antenna. The system comes as “all-in-a-box”, without any aesthetically unpleasant external antenna, harmoniously fitting into urban, sub-urban and rural domestic or enterprise environments. Additionally, StreetNode™ V60-PTP supports an embedded Bluetooth module enabling “zero touch” configuration via a standard Android tablet. What are the advantages of these automations? Ease of installation by fewer and less specialized personnel, fast deployment and error minimization. Furthermore, one can realize significant OpEx savings from not having to dispatch engineers to the field to perform maintenance realignment of the link.
In summary, StreetNode™ V60-PTP is the only efficient wireless backhaul system in the market operating at the millimeter-wave band that can provide GTTH with automated-configuration capabilities.