Ericsson and German telecoms firm Deutsche Telekom (DT) have achieved a data transmission rate of over 100Gbps in a trial microwave link over 1.5km. The joint innovation project achieved more than ten times greater throughput speeds than current commercial solutions on similar 70GHz/80GHz millimetre wave spectrum, and also showed the importance of applying spectral efficient techniques, such as MIMO, on wireless backhaul technologies to address upcoming 5G radio access demands.
‘This trial signifies the successful establishment of true fibre capacities over the air using microwave. This means that microwave will be even more relevant for communications service providers in creating redundant networks as a back-up for fibre, or as a way of closing a fibre ring when fibre is not a viable solution,’ noted Per Narvinger, Ericsson’s Head of Product Area Networks, adding: ‘By carrying such high capacities, microwave further establishes itself as a key transport technology, capable of delivering the performance requirements of 5G.’