Ubiquiti Networks makes high power radio cards that many vendors use as the RF portion of their BWIA systems. Ubiquiti Networks made quite a splash in the segment of the BWIA industry with the introduction of their Super Range 5 which transmits 400mW on 5.8 GHz band. A number of vendors have told me that the Super Range 5 is a "secret weapon" for them, allowing them to build systems capable of sustaining high speeds (appreciably close to the theoretical 54 Mbps of 802.11a) and much higher reliablity due to the increased signal to noise ratio (SNR) that the higher transmit power makes possible.
At ISPCON Fall 2005, Ubiquiti Networks began discussing Super Range 9 - a radio card that will operate in the 902-928 MHz band, transmit power up to 1 Watt, data rate of up to 54 Mbps. The Super Range 9 uses an Atheros wireless chipset (how they have made this possible is apparently "secret sauce"), so both the hardware I/O (Mini PCI) and the Application Programming Interface (API) are standardized.
If the Super Range 9 does actually make it into production, it will form the basis of entirely new types of BWIA systems. For example, we're now seeing Wireless Mesh radios that have both 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz radios... The Super Range 9 adds a new dimension (literally) to such systems, and the "Penetrates trees Non Line of Sight (NLOS)" nature of 902-928 MHz means that mesh systems can become that much MORE capable. Currently, 902-928 MHz capability is only available in frequency-dedicated units from vendors such as Alvarion, Airspan, Trango Broadband, Motorola Canopy, WaveRider, etc.
Currently the card is in prototype, so no release date or pricing was available. The closest thing to answers on those points I was able to get out of booth personnel was "soon" and "reasonable", respectively.
The Super Range 9 isn't just of interest to BWIA system vendors - you'll start seeing it used for Community Wireless, hobbyist, and many other uses.
Kudos to Ubiquiti Networks!
This article is Copyright © 2005 by Steve Stroh. Excerpts and links are expressly permitted (and encouraged.)
Categories:
- Broadband Wireless Internet Access / Broadband Wireless Access / Wireless Broadband / Wireless Access / Fixed Wireless
- Outdoor / Long Range / Public Wi-Fi / WiFi / 802.11a / 802.11g / 802.11b
- 902-928 MHz / 900 MHz Spectrum
- New Products
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