Sprint goes with DragonWave for Xohm backhaul

It's no secret that backhaul capacity is a big issue for the deployment of 4G networks. Without the right amount of backhaul, the speeds offered by 4G are negated. Earlier this year, Sprint Nextel said provisioning of backhaul is the primary hold-up to the operator's nationwide deployment of mobile WiMAX and the operator has been working hard to overcome those issues.

Today the carrier announced it has inked a deal with DragonWave for its Horizon Compact and Horizon Duo products, which will initially be deployed in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. and Chicago markets. DragonWave's Ethernet microwave radios will provide Sprint with carrier-grade backhaul of up to 1.6 Gbps full duplex wire speed connectivity. This deal is a big win for DragonWave, which has been trying to make inroads with wireless operators for the past year.  

DragonWave isn't the only backhaul solution Sprint will be using for its Xohm network. The company also has a deal with FiberTower [1] to deploy commercial Ethernet services for Xohm's backhaul.

For more:
- read this release [2]

Related stories:
Sprint's backhaul conundrum. Opinion [3]
Sprint may triple backhaul assets [4]
DragonWave debuts backhaul solution [5]