Essential Guide to Wireless Communications Applications, The

Point-to-Point Microwave

Point-to-point microwave links are rare in the local loop because operators would require a separate base station unit for each customer. They provide higher capacities than multipoint systems, so are occasionally used to connect customers who would otherwise need fiber, but their main application is for private networks.

The classic example of a private point-to-point network is between skyscrapers in a city. If a company has two offices with a clear line of sight between them, it can save on call costs and leased line charges by installing microwave transceivers on each. This type of setup, illustrated in Figure 11.5, is called a wireless bridge. Typical systems have a range of up to about 20 km, so the offices could ...