Now tourists and locals can take advantage of free Wi-Fi when they visit Baltimore's historic Inner Harbor, thanks to Wi-Fi vendor Port Networks and backhaul radio provider Siklu.
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Siklu's E600T (Image source: Siklu website) |
Siklu's EtherHaul-600T 60 GHz radios were selected not only for their ability to provide gigabit throughput to support peak Wi-Fi usage, but also for their unobtrusive profile.
Siklu bills its E600T as the "world's smallest" backhaul radio, measuring 5.9 inches by 6.1 inches by 3.54 inches. The radio was designed for street level deployment, and the company says it can be installed by anyone in less than 15 minutes.
Due to the historic nature of the Inner Harbor, the city wanted to make sure the landmark did not get tainted by obtrusive network infrastructure. The city of Baltimore owns and operates a fiber backbone, but the fiber would not reach every Wi-Fi access point in the harbor, and disrupting operation to lay more fiber was neither feasible nor economical, according to a press release.
Baltimore-based Port Networks provided the Wi-Fi network, identifying millimeter wave technology as the optimal solution for its combination of high throughput and low interference, and it tapped Siklu for its EtherHaul-600T radio's compact size and diminutive nature.
"The EtherHaul is literally palm-sized. It was the smallest radio we could find that operated in the 60 GHz spectrum," said Carl Peterson, network manager of Port Networks, in the press release.
Port Networks installed the entire Wi-Fi network, including the backhaul connectivity links. "Installing the EtherHaul-600T was very easy," Peterson said in the release. "Its small size and light weight make the physical installation very simple, and aligning the link was surprisingly uncomplicated and fast."
Port Networks is planning to incorporate additional Siklu radios in its other Wi-Fi connectivity networks to boost capacity.
Conveniently, it just so happens that Siklu will be showcasing the EtherHaul-600T gigabit radio at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona March 2-5, so attendees can see it for themselves.
For more:
- see this press release
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