The problem: Limited spectrum and increased noise due to the wrong gear

Over the past decade, the wireless internet industry has exploded from something that didn’t exist to the primary data transfer methods across the planet. In the rush to supply to the every growing demand for wireless access most WISPs disregarded the cardinal rule of any industry, sustainable growth, and flooded the band licence-exempt bandwidths with excessive levels of noise. Like any precious resource, bandwidth frequencies are finite and this rapid expansion and total disregard for future growth potential has left the spectrum resources depleted.

“Let me explain this in a little more detail. Over the years, WISPs have screamed for more and more antenna gain for less and less money, and vendors provided the gear. The reason? They believed that it is the right solution for their growing noise issue. If, and I emphasize this, IF THEY CORRECTLY UNDERSTOOD THE SIMPLE RULES OF PHYSICS, they would know, that INCREASING ANTENNA GAIN ACTUALLY IS THE LAST THING THEY SHOULD DO…”– Juraj Taptic (RF elements)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA-xeoabQfY?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

According to Taptic: “[WISPs] were simply using the wrong gear in way too many cases. Probably, because nobody told you that this is not the best way.”

But don’t worry, we’ll show you how you could start conserving spectrum and start building the sustainability of your business because a majority of the wireless vendors don´t.

3 simple rules of sustainability in the 5GHz unlicensed WISP environment: 

1. USE ANTENNAS WITH THE RADIATION PROPERTIES YOU NEED

Make no compromises here. Use the radiation pattern that you really need for the coverage area you serve – with our Symmetrical Horns this is actually possible! Only propagate signals where you need it and vice versa. Use narrow sectors rather than wide ones every time you can. Do you need to cover about 40°? Use a 40° Sector antenna! So simple! Break your habits of using 90° or 120°, or multiples of 30° or fractions of 360°. People deploy wide sectors because they think it has to be this way. This approach is obsolete now, it actually hurts you! It limits your network from performing at its best! 

2. USE HORN ANTENNAS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO SIDE LOBES!

Again – you can not afford any  compromises here. This is where most of the witchcraft comes from. Horns have no side lobes, but other mainstream antennas have huge and usually complex side lobes. Side lobes are the most vicious thing when dealing with noise! Even dish antennas have pretty strong side lobes! Long story short: The best side lobes are no side lobes. 

3. USE ANTENNAS WITH APPROPRIATE GAIN

This means, use the lowest possible antenna gain that works or that you can get. If you´ve skipped Rule Nr. 1 and you are using high gain and wide radiation beam width sector antennas, then radios will collect noise from a very wide area despite radios being set to low transmit power (because the antenna gain remains the same and radio listens with full antenna gain!). If you´ve also skipped Rule Nr.2, and you are using antennas that have side lobes, then they will pick up tons of noise through these side lobes as well! And this works both ways! Simply use the lowest antenna gain you can afford, and be sane with transmit power. 

To summarise the above: the perfect WISP antenna is a Symmetrical Horn. Not only can Horns provide precise radiation properties, but low to mid gain as well and they have no side lobes! 

In the WISP industry, the good guys have horns. Be a good guy and join us! Because #WeHaveHorns.

Source: http://www.rfelements.com/blog/wehavehorns/