Advantages of Copper Over 60/80 GHz Millimeter Wave Radio For Small Cell Backhaul
Small cell mobile backhaul is a market that although still in its infancy is projected to double annually in coming years as mobile operators continue to battle each other out in the mobile data “arms race.” The operator that improves coverage, capacity, and quality of experience most successfully can expect to reap rewards in terms of customer retention and luring additional customers away from competitors...One technology that has gained a considerable degree of attention lately for small cell backhaul is ‘all outdoor’ millimeter wave (mmW) radios which operate in the 60-90 GHz spectrum. Due to their compact designs featuring integrated planar antennas, suppliers tout their ability to deploy these radios nearly anywhere. That sounds great, but in practice deployment of these radios is much more challenging than the vendors selling them would have you believe. (more…)