IgniteNet’s MetroLinq™ product range is geared around providing a complete high-capacity last-mile fibre-like wireless solution with a rapid return on investment. Three products from the MetroLinq range – the 10G Tri-Band Omni, the 2.5G 60 Beamforming Sector and the 60 LW (LightWeight CPE) – are ideal for any point to multi-point situation where trenching is not viable or where the regulations stipulated by a Homeowners Association are rigorous.

According to MiRO’s Ted de Boer, all radios in the range are equipped with a 5 GHz failover, so if the weather is unfavourable or interference occurs, then users will still be able to connect and achieve reasonable throughput.

The MetroLinq 10G Tri-Band Omni base station has three 120° 60 GHz beamforming sectors, enabling high-performance, interference-free connections of up to 10 Gbps to form backhaul rings as well as to connect to high-capacity fixed wireless broadband clients, or extend existing fibre infrastructure points quickly and cost-effectively.

The Omni’s 5 GHz radio, with 360° coverage, can either be used as a failover for 60 GHz clients, for pure 5 GHz fixed wireless broadband clients, or for access for nearby Wi-Fi clients. Rounding out the offering is a 2.4 GHz radio with 360° coverage that is dedicated to hotspot access for nearby Wi-Fi clients – all built into the same, compact outdoor unit.

Common applications include urban deployments connecting multiple dwelling units (MDUs), multi-gigabit connectivity to rural areas, Wi-Fi hotspot backhaul and access, security network backhaul, traffic control backhaul and mobile backhaul.

The Omni has a 10 Gb SFP+ port that allows full-speed backhaul of the ultra-fast tri-band radios as well as a secondary 1 Gbps Ethernet port with PoE that can be used for out of band management or for the connectivity of additional devices such as IP surveillance cameras.

The MetroLinq 2.5G 60 Beamforming Sector is a powerful 60 GHz multipoint base station that can achieve 2.5 Gbps capacity for the fast and easy construction of multi-gigabit, future-proof hybrid fibre wireless networks. The new beamforming sector antenna provides 120° coverage, but moreover, when communicating with each client device, 16 narrow beams in steps of 10° are used. This improves noise immunity and ensures link security. The antenna is able to align itself with the base station, thereby providing users with a fast and easy setup procedure.

Similar to the Omni, and the Beamforming Sector, the MetroLinq 60LW (lightweight) can be used as a receiver (CPE), an AP or at the broadcasting end of the link. With a range of up to 150 metres to another 60LW, and up to 700 metres to larger CPEs (customer premises equipment), it provides reliable, high throughput levels even in the harshest environmental conditions.

The 60LW has three integrated radios, making it ideal for building network backhaul and access using the same unit. The 60 GHz radio serves as the backhaul while the 5 GHz provides failover for client access and the 2.4 GHz is dedicated to client access. The 2.4 GHZ radio can be configured as a multi-tenant AP for applications ranging from hotspots to maintenance. The antenna is able to align itself with the base station, thereby providing users with a fast and easy setup procedure.

In terms of customer premises equipment, apart from the 60LW, another two models with different-sized integrated antennas are available for different distance requirements. “Even though the average recommended distance for the 35 cm antenna in point-to-point mode is 1.6 km, there are currently customers who are running links at 70-80% of maximum capacity over distances of 2.5 km. This is possibly a record in the 60 GHz unlicensed band,” De Boer points out.

De Boer explains that when the uptake on systems is favourable, customers can replace their IgniteNet solution with fibre and move the devices to another location that requires this technology or leave it in place as a redundant backup to the fibre “In essence, one can build up the IgniteNet system as the customers and their needs increase. When a specific sector grows to such an extent that it runs out of capacity, we can simply add on another, or replace it with an Omni device at that stage for continuous guaranteed throughput.”

All three MetroLinq solutions use the 60 GHz V-band as their main connection. This provides extremely fast throughput, equivalent to fibre delivery speeds. “The beauty of these products is that one does not need to dig a trench for installation or apply for an ICASA frequency licence This means that deployment costs are substantially lower and therefore the return on investment is much faster. Furthermore, all MetroLinq base stations, as well as end-user equipment (AP indoor), can be managed on the IgniteNet Cloud. MiRO is able to provide clients with various last-mile options for the home scenario, dependent on their specific needs,” says De Boer.