Ceragon IP-50C all-outdoor microwave radio system

For rural WISPs, there are frequently limited or non-existent fibre options. Digital microwave radio (DMR) backhaul provides the vital connectivity between access nodes and the network core. Rural subscribers expect similar speeds and performance for their internet as city dwellers, which puts increasing pressure on WISP networks as they become more capacity-constrained in the backhaul.

For this reason, Ceragon developed the Ceragon IP-50C, which is useful for NZ WISPs looking for maximum capacity and link distance in a compact and power-efficient package. The product can support channels sizes up to 224 MHz and is therefore capable of exceeding 1.6 Gbps of capacity per radio.

The device is a dual core product, meaning two radios in one box. A single XPIC link, therefore, can easily exceed 3 Gbps of capacity. With many manufacturers only offering a 1 Gbps interface, it is impossible to take advantage of these high throughputs. That’s why IP-50C has multiple optical and electrical 10G interfaces — just one CAT6 cable can supply PoE and a 10GE connection to the radio.

The product features field-replaceable diplexers, meaning that just one spare radio unit can spare an entire frequency band, reducing spares costs and the associated logistical headaches. The system is also suitable for those who have a particularly long link or are constrained by antenna size; the IP-50C-HP, available in the 11 GHz band and below, is an ultrahigh-power variant with a huge +37 dBm transmit power.

Distributor Agile Networks has created its own IP-50C link bundles consisting of the IP-50C radios with all necessary feature licences and antennas at one price for all frequency bands. The company’s in-house expert team is backed by Ceragon’s 24/7 global support centre. Agile also offers radio licensing and a pre-configuration service so that the radios are configured and ready to be deployed on delivery.