Fixed Wireless Ethernet

Fixed wireless Ethernet is an extremely flexible way of enabling fast access to the internet without the need for leasing and/or installing cables.

Fixed Wireless networks are an alternative to ‘wired’ or ‘terrestrial’ networks, which traditionally transport data between sites using copper or fibre-optic cables in the ground. Fixed Wireless is typically part of a wireless WaN infrastructure connecting two fixed locations (such as buildings) with a directional radio antenna at each end of the signal. it is designed for various weather conditions, signal distances and bandwidths. radios and antennas are usually selected to make their transmission beam as narrow as possible and thus focus transmitted energy to their destination. this increases reliability and reduces the chance of eavesdropping and/or data injection. the devices at either end are powered via mains with battery backup. it’s a cost-effective and extremely flexible way of enabling data communications between sites and providing access to the internet without the need for leasing and/or installing cables.

Wireless as an alternative to dsl teChnoloGies The most popular broadband connection in australia is dSl. this network uses traditional copper telephone wires between the subscriber and the telephone exchange to connect to the internet. the speed and stability of dSl at any given time is variable and depends on many circumstances: • thelength,qualityanddimensionsofthecoppercable • theamountofcross-talkbetweenpairsintheonecable carrying dSl • noisefromsourcesinthebusinesspremises (including wiring) • noisepickedupfromtheenvironmentsuchasradio frequency interference • poorcablejointsorotherfaults dSl is an excellent technology for delivering consumer based internet connections, it often incurrs significant opportunity cost in a commercial environment where reliability, security, performance and flexibility are mandatory.

Fixed Wireless is often used to supplement, and even back up an optical fibre network. although recognised as an excellent high-bandwidth solution, it remains subject to cuts from building and road-work, fires and floods, earth movement and other disruptions. the main issues associated with fibre deployment include: UpFront Cost New fibre is often prohibitively expensive to deploy as it requires trenching, laying cable, and protecting the strands across large spans of existing infrastructure. installation lead-time Fibre can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months to ‘light up’ once it has been ordered. siGniFiCant Commitment Leasing dedicated fibre requires extremely clear vision of the future as businesses are forced to commit to extensive upfront and long-term commitments which are often not substantiated by the business case. advantaGes oF Fixed Wireless ethernet over optiCal FiBre inClUde: • reliability: Fixed Wireless ethernet connections are rarely blocked. When there are any potential exposures, then a second backup wireless link is simply connected to a different base station. in contrast, the cost to install a second fibre connection using different street duct access is typically prohibitive and often impossible. • non-terrestrial: in bypassing terrestrial networks, the Fixed Wireless ethernet network is completely protected from breaks in fibre-optic and copper networks frequently caused by civil works, rain and other unexpected activities. • rapid deployment: Wireless connections can often be installed in days. • ease of relocation: temporary locations, or businesses that relocate frequently, can simply redeploy the equipment with ease and at low cost. in contrast, once fibre has been laid, it cannot be physically relocated. • scalability: the upgrade cost for wireless services are typically much lower than legacy networks. therefore, a business can start with an appropriate capacity and add to it easily as requirements grow. Good business seeks to always maintain a flexible and scalable cost structure. Fixed Wireless ethernet delivers this business outcome at least in terms of a businesses’ connectivity

Consider Contention When a user connects to the internet using wired (adSl or cable) broadband technology, they are sharing the network backhaul with other users. Contention is the ratio used to measure the extent of this sharing. the typical contention ratio for wired services is between 20:1 and 100:1. For example, on a service with a contention of 50:1, up to 50 broadband users may share the equipment and bandwidth in the local telephone exchange. low priced adSl is usually delivered with very poor contention ratios to spread the cost over multiple customers. the Bigair Fixed Wireless ethernet network operates with a contention ratio of 1:1.

Consider latenCy One of the most commonly misunderstood concepts in networking is speed and capacity. So-called ‘speeds’ that are quoted for networks are really just the the bandwidth, or capacity of the service - only ever delivered in a perfect world. it’s actually the combination of contention, latency and bandwidth that delivers the real ‘speed’ you will receive. Contention refers to the number of customers using the same service. Bandwidth is the capacity of the connection. then latency refers to the delay in the network. it’s the amount of time it takes to travel from the source to the destination and back again. together, contention, bandwidth and latency define the real speed of a network, and thus the speed at which people can work. latency is normally expressed in milliseconds. its measurement is taken by sending a small packet of data, typically 32 bytes, to a host and assessing the rtt (round-trip time) it takes to leave the source host, travel to the destination host, and return back to the source host. the lower the number, the less delay exists within the network.

line oF siGht and Weather line oF siGht the perfect situation for Fixed Wireless ethernet networking is when a clear line of sight is provided between the client premises and the base station. this condition ensures guaranteed speeds, latency and availability at all times. however, if direct line of sight isn’t possible, Bigair can typically service a customer requirement by using the extensive Bigair base station footprint to create any number of repeater sites

Weather Signal attenuation as a result of bad weather is common with many Fixed Wireless ethernet providers. however, Bigair engineers conduct a link Budget analysis (lBa) on every leg of the network to ensure this so-called “rain fade” does not adversely affect service quality. even in the worst-case scenario, service can be accurately predicted by factoring in variables such as climate, bandwidth, frequency, power and distance. the resulting lBa is used to design a link that will always perform to the service level commitment. this means that line-of-sight and weather are no longer a definitive factor when comparing Bigair Fixed Wireless ethernet with terrestrial alternatives, including fibre and copper.

health and saFety all wireless devices, such as mobile phones, WiFi computers and cordless phones emit electromagnetic radiation (eMr). Bigair’s wireless units typically transmit less eMr than a mobile phone, and whereas mobile phones are generally used very close to a person, Bigair’s equipment is mounted outside the building, usually at least tens of metres away from anyone. Furthermore, eMr decreases with the square of the distance. So being just 10 metres away from the Bigair transmitter reduces eMr exposure by 99% - to virtually nothing. Finally, although the wireless equipment does use microwaves, it should not be confused with microwaves used for cooking. Microwave ovens typically use more than 1,000 times the power of wireless data equipment.