2 Strategies to Scale Microwave Capacity

As bandwidth-hungry smartphones and wireless tablets become more common, scaling capacity in microwave backhaul networks becomes essential. Traffic growth also means that a network-based approach, rather than a link-by-link approach to scaling capacity is needed. This article summarizes analysis of two methods of scaling capacity in microwave networks: hierarchical quadrature amplitude modulation (HQAM) and packet compression. It describes the ideal scenarios for using each method and provides key considerations for operators looking to determine which scaling method is the best fit for their modern microwave network.