Vodafone trialing Siklu's V band small cell backhaul in UK

Vodafone is testing Siklu's 60 GHz V band small cell backhaul gear via a street-level deployment within a major UK city.

The equipment being tested, Siklu's EtherHaul-600T, comprises an all-outdoor small cell backhaul system operating in unlicensed 57-66 GHz V band spectrum. Vodafone has deployed several EtherHaul-600T links across the unspecified UK city's downtown area in a daisy-chain formation to provide backhaul for real-life traffic generated by small cells, said Siklu.

"What is unique about this live trial is that the EtherHaul-600T units are installed at street level installations, mounted on light poles. Not only are they designed to blend into the environment so they are virtually invisible, but they are also performing reliably even as the streetlight poles twist and sway in the wind," said Gaby Junowicz, Siklu's vice president of marketing and business development. 

The vendor said the EtherHaul-600T has also undergone lab testing and outdoor performance testing with other mobile operators. Siklu hopes to make the product commercially available later this year.

Israel-based Siklu also offers gigabit millimeter-wave wireless backhaul solutions over the 70-80 GHz E band.

For more:
- see this Siklu release

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