Johannesburg, 01 Aug 2013
Vanilla-flavoured microwave platforms now have the capability of delivering true capacity of up to 2Gbps with advanced functionality such as XPIC and dual carrier. While there may be distance limitations to consider due to needing to stay in the high modulation ranges, this shows the continued advancement being made within wireless technologies, says Darren Morgan, Chief Operations Officer at Comsol Wireless Solutions.
Then there are the exotic platforms, like E-Band and Hybrid FSO. E-Band remains a tricky technology as ICASA is yet to confirm how the licensing structure for E-Band's very-high-frequency range will work, however, the raw technology is maturing. E-Band platforms can achieve more than 2Gbps of capacity but are also limited to short distances under 2km (if availability is non-negotiable).
When it comes to Hybrid FSO platforms, there have been some significant breakthrough products entering the market. The most significant being the IntelliMax platform produced by US-based AOptix. The IntelliMax uses a proprietary technology previously only available to the US military. This FSO hybrid product is capable of delivering 2Gbps over a very impressive 10km distance while keeping availability in the four 9's range, even in adverse weather conditions. Apparently, 4Gbps will be available in the latter parts of 2013, and 10Gbps sometime in 2014.
One big question always attached to wireless technologies is the question of availability and reliability. Can a wireless platform truly deliver high bandwidth while matching or exceeding fibre-type uptimes? It seems this is indeed possible with advanced prediction software and radio mapping technology.
In an immature telecoms landscape such as what prevails in South Africa, there is a massive requirement for high-capacity connectivity to be delivered quickly. These smart new wireless technologies may just be the silver bullet our country's telecoms environment has been searching for.