Availability-Aware E-band Wireless Extension of Fiber-Access

The paper discusses availability of Gigabit/s (Gbps) fiber-optical access that are extended with E-band millimeter-wave (mmW) radio. Calculation method is shown for fixed fiber-wireless system, in which ‘fiber-like’ SLA (Service Level Agreement) has to be achieved. As shown, in ITU rainzone "K" Gbps throughputs can be achieved with mmW radios. Naturally, shorter radio links provide higher fade margins and better availability. However, as it is shown with a simple example, better system level availability may be achieved by connecting the radio to a FTTRN (Fiber to the Radio Node) where the fiber sections are protected or part of a loop. In practice, satisfying the availability target may require selecting a longer wireless link and not the shortest hop in an urban network environment.