Misconceptions of wireless technology. (Network Features).

Organisations with mission critical applications that require resilient high-speed broadband Internet services are considering wireless microwave Internet connections as the solution to give them a real edge and peace of mind.

Rather than being tethered down by various cabling and fibre systems, organisations are now seeing huge benefits in using radio as a complementary technology required to provide solutions where cable is not practical, or is just plain expensive. However, despite providing a quicker, more reliable, flexible and cost-effective alternative to leased line solutions, organisations remain sceptical as to whether this technology is safe, secure and offers good data rates.

There have been numerous misconceptions associated with the technology, including security issues, interference with data transmission, weather susceptibility and the health dangers posed by microwaves. So, are these misconceptions valid or do wireless connections add value? Here we dispel the misconceptions about installing a wireless connection and provide you with some practical advice on what you should be looking for in your telecoms operator.

Misconceptions:

Wireless provides an inflexible solution

With load-sharing capabilities, wireless solutions route information through robust primary connections, or provide secondary precautionary `back-up' connections to a primary leased line connection.

By ensuring speed to market, and providing an efficient up-grade path where bandwidth can be easily increased with as little as 24 hours notice, wireless provides a level of flexibility not available as standard from a traditional leased line Internet connection.' This capacity can readily be scaled up as an organisation's business requirements grow.

A similar fibre connection can take up to three months to install, whereas best providers of wireless connections can normally install wireless connections within four weeks and scale capacity from the minimum bandwidth of 2Mbps up to 155Mbps step-by-step. Wireless solutions also remove the need for expensive underground cabling and running costs.

Contention is also not an issue. Used in towns or cross-country, wireless technology provides a fast effective way to bypass existing local terrestrial service operators.

Furthermore, by giving each individual link its own unique frequency, as issued and verified by the Department of Trade and industry, wireless technology is able to bypass any possible issues which shared connections can encounter.

Wireless technology suffers from frequent transmission interference

Testing and configuration procedures carried out at an organisation's site, by trained engineers ensure a complete in-house end-to-end connection.

The weakest link in any connection to an Internet Service Provider is the one between the PoP (Point of Presence) and the customer's premises. However, unlike a leased line that is susceptible to disruption, due to workmen or a digger `JCB faults' cutting through underground fibre optic and copper cables, the diversely routed wireless Internet service provides `always available' connections.

Operating on an automatic fail over system, the wireless system can be set up to come on stream instantaneously if the leased line is down, either as a result of failure of peering partners, or the equipment in that location. Such transmission media resilience spares an organisation the cost of lost and interrupted business.

To benefit from wireless technology organisations must be located near to the telecom operator

Despite businesses needing to be situated in direct line of sight and within a radius of 10km of RadioPoPs (Point of Presence), wireless is not a technology exclusively reserved for inner-London companies.

To ensure a reliable link for connectivity, regardless of location, telecoms operators should carry out a full site survey prior to installation. The connectivity links are engineered by selecting the correct operating frequency and effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP), this is achieved by selecting the optimum size of the antenna dishes. The typical size of a dish deployed at a customer site will be 30cm, and will be placed in a suitable position to ensure the aesthetic appearance of the building is not compromised. If line of sight is not available, computer--based analysis can be performed to identify any landscape intrusion and determine the location of a miniPoP that will reflect the microwave from the PoP to the customer site.

Furthermore, the customer can also agree the location for the indoor unit, typically in the comms room, and the outdoor location unit, which can be installed on the exterior of the premises.

Wireless technology does not offer the same level of security as provided by cable and fibre systems

It is extremely difficult to intercept radio communications and threaten the integrity of data being transmitted.

In order to gain access to microwave data transmissions, an interceptor would need to be directly in the path between an organisation's premises and the PoP. Furthermore, in an additional security step, data transmissions are encoded and would therefore require intercepted messages to be decoded by specialist receivers.

Wireless technology is not resilient to extreme weather conditions

The PoP is often connected to the customer site using frequencies of 13, 23, 25 or 38GHz. As demands on data bandwidth continue to grow, more frequencies will be opened up to accommodate this.

By adopting an over-engineered point to point radio path, microwave will have more than enough compensation for attenuation, introduced due to poor weather--therefore ensuring that the transmission link is reliable. Microwave is not only immune to rain-fade, but also the most atmospheric, densest and most extreme fog, snow, sand storms and thermal shimmer will not limit data transmission, even over long distances. Indeed, the Radio Communications Agency will not issue a frequency to the operator, unless it is convinced that the connection can deliver 99.99% availability.

Wireless poses a threat to the public's health

Associated with ovens and heating, the common misconception is that microwave technology is potentially harmful. This is not the case if correct operating procedures are followed.

Microwave in this scenario, emits focused beams that travel across the landscapes, without getting in the way. Thousands of organisations, use microwave technology and are not reporting any harmful effects.

Wireless technology is a resilient infrastructure that easily meets the demands of a high capacity connection. Having addressed and resolved its associated misconceptions, it appears clear that wireless will not only allow organisations to meet the bandwidth requirements of the-future, but also get ahead of their competitors and stay there. www.zipcon.com