Wireless, Wireless Backhaul

There are a number of companies that are focused on optimizing and expanding the capacity of backhaul circuits for wireless base stations.  Smart phones like my iPhone using up a lot of 3G capacity and the advent of 4G technologies like LTE and WiMAX put a premium on the ability of mobile carriers to get traffic off the base station and on to backbone networks fast.

But for areas of any country where optical circuits are hard to find, there hasn't been a good reason to even think about purchasing a smart phone.  Performance is necessarily poor - copper backhaul is a limiting factor - and if you can't use the device to even 50 per cent of its capability, well...

That is why wireless, wireless backhaul's time may have finally arrived.  Companies like DragonWave pioneered the concept and are finding success all over the world.  Wireless, wireless backhaul allows mobile operators to reach more customers, more cost effectively - and sell them more services too - and less populated areas don't have to wait for streets and roads to be excavated and fiber laid down to implement higher bandwidth services.

Additionally, wireless, wireless backhaul can provide an interesting new way for rural operators to provide broadband to remote users in a cost effective manner - or even to expand their services to wholesale backhaul for mobile operators.  This is just another way to stave off the demise of POTS revenues for them as well.

It's interesting to note, that if you look at the Rural Stimulus funding currently in place, that most of it is targeted at optical build outs.  Maybe the U.S. government should look MUCH more closely at wireless solutions.  They can be put in place more quickly, for fewer $$'s.  Ooops, sorry, I am talking about a government program...

Bottom line, wireless, wireless backhaul is a great solution for expanding broadband and 3G/4G services to less populated areas - and its time IS now.