Cambium Networks notes the usefulness of wireless backhaul for areas outside the reach of fiber
In the world of broadband, there is little doubt that the advent of fiber will bring faster, more reliable connections than the traditional copper infrastructure ever could. What we sometimes forget, however, is that even fiber has its limits.
For a fiber cable to work, you can do one of two things: hang it from a pole or trench it in the ground. Inherently, this limits its ultimate reach. We won’t be able to set up poles in many parts of the world, and the same goes for digging trenches. Can you imagine trenching through the Himalayas?
At some point the fiber has to end. Rugged and remote landscapes simply won’t support it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t provide consistent, high throughput connectivity to these places and the people who live there. Where the fiber ends – that’s where a strong wireless link begins.
I’ll give you two examples. In rural North Dakota, farmers and small businesses rely on Red River Communications for Internet access. Red River was already delivering high-speed, low-latency connectivity to various communities through fiber. Even so, demand for throughput was exceeding network capacity. To expand its reach to more customers in far-flung parts of the state – regions it traditionally couldn’t reach – the company used point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless backhaul links and brought the same high-quality connectivity to those who otherwise would have never had access.
The second example is near and dear to me. Let alone fiber, nearly everything comes to an end in the rugged mountains of Nepal. Yet, there are many villages and communities in this region who just as well need reliable Internet for health care and education opportunities. I am proud to say PMP solutions provide high-quality wireless connections to 150 of the world’s most remote villages in Nepal.
The lesson I’d like to impart here is that everyone, everywhere should have access to the same standard of quality that fiber can provide. And with wireless backhaul, this is all possible.
Atul Bhatnagar leads Cambium Networks with a passion for global broadband wireless connectivity and innovation. Before joining Cambium Networks, Bhatnagar served as CEO of Ixia from March 2008 to May 2012, and previously served as its president and COO.
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