(perhaps off topic, but) Microwave Towers

Mon Jul 16 16:56:31 UTC 2018

Microwave radios are the things that break the mold of the incorrect
assumption that just because it doesn't make sense to put up more wires to
a house you can't have more than one provider. Considering that we've
deployed a few wireless systems with less latency, jitter, and downtime
than the local incumbent DOCSIS provider. In fact the greatest benefit to
wireless microwave systems is the fact that they do not need to follow the
right of way. Where wireline and fiberoptics must go through more hubs to
get from side of town to the other, wireless is a point to point system
with latencies+jitter sub 400 microseconds.

No matter how great the incumbent fiber/dsl/coaxial network becomes, there
will always be new microwave links going up. For their biggest strengths
there's no replacement.
Now, their weaknesses may be many, and may be apparent, their stengths just
outweigh those.

On 16 July 2018 at 10:01, Mike Hammett <nanog at ics-il.net> wrote:

> No idea where you were at, but lots of big companies have done microwave
> and lots of new companies do microwave.
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MCI_Communications
>
> MCI was founded as Microwave Communications, Inc. on October 3, 1963 with
> John D. Goeken being named the company's first president. The initial
> business plan was for the company to build a series of microwave relay
> stations between Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri. The relay
> stations would then be used to interface with limited-range two-way radios
> used by truckers along U.S. Route 66 or by barges on the Illinois Waterway.
>
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprint_Corporation
>
> Southern Pacific maintained an extensive microwave communications system
> along its rights-of-way that the railroad used for internal communications.
>
>
> AT&T had a bunch and I think a couple sites are still active:
> http://long-lines.net/
>
> Western Union had a microwave network as well.
>
>
>
>
> Lots of companies build microwave for internal communications. Rail and
> utility companies are big here.
>
> All of the cell companies do some microwave in their more rural areas.
>
> Lots of independent ISPs use microwave to build their entire network.
>
>
>
>
> -----
> Mike Hammett
> Intelligent Computing Solutions
> http://www.ics-il.com
>
> Midwest-IX
> http://www.midwest-ix.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: "Miles Fidelman" <mfidelman at meetinghouse.net>
> To: nanog at nanog.org
> Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2018 9:54:25 AM
> Subject: (perhaps off topic, but) Microwave Towers
>
> Hi Folks,
>
> I find myself driving down Route 66. On our way through Arizona, I was
> surprised by what look like a lot of old-style microwave links. They
> pretty much follow the East-West rail line - where I'd expect there's a
> lot of fiber buried.
>
> Struck me as somewhat interesting.
>
> It also struck me that folks here might have some comments.
>
> Miles Fidelman
>
> --
> In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
> In practice, there is. .... Yogi Berra
>
>
>