DragonWave has claimed it is first to market with a packet microwave product that provides modulation modes of up to 2048 QAM.
At Mobile World Congress NEC announced that it would have a 2048 QAM product in its iPASOLINK range later in 2012, but DragonWave appears confident it has beaten the Japanese vendor to the punch, announcing that its 2048 QAM product is available. Ceragon has a commercially available 1024 QAM product.
So what? Well, microwave vendors are engaged in a modulation rate war because higher modulation rates on microwave links offer high capacities from the same available bandwidth. Theoretically 2048 rates would devlier around 40% (DragonWave says 37%) more capacity than current 256QAM solutions.
DragonWave said that with 2048 QAM, customers can achieve greater than 500 Mbps in its Horizon Compact+ all-outdoor system and up to a Gigabit by adding its Bandwidth Accelerator (compression technology).
DragonWave press release:
DragonWave Inc. a leading global supplier of packet microwave radio systems for mobile and access networks, today announced the availability of higher modulation modes of up to 2048 QAM on its Horizon packet microwave products. This higher modulation allows the radios to transport up to 37% more data through existing microwave channels, which significantly improves spectral efficiency and, correspondingly, lowers operators' cost per bit. When DragonWave's unique Bandwidth Accelerator feature-the industry's only wire-speed bulk data compression technology-is enabled, spectral efficiency is further enhanced 25% to 100% depending on traffic patterns.
This unmatched spectral efficiency furthers the lead DragonWave's Horizon packet microwave products have in total link capacity over competitive products. Additionally, all Horizon packet microwave radios also support hitless adaptive modulation, bringing operators the benefits of higher capacity delivery by the new modes when link properties permit-even on existing links that have been designed for lower modulation modes.
Jennifer Pigg, president and founder, Battle Green Research, a Yankee Group affiliate, said "DragonWave has a well-earned reputation as a leading innovator in wireless packet microwave delivery. The company's solution of coupling higher modulation modes with Hitless Adaptive Modulation provides a cost-effective and much needed solution to meet the explosive increase in backhaul capacity demand being driven by a surge in mobile devices and the applications they employ."
With 2048 QAM, customers can achieve greater than 500 Mbps of transport in a Horizon Compact+ all-outdoor system and up to a Gigabit with DragonWave's Bandwidth Accelerator. Horizon Quantum can provide 2 carriers per radio each capable of 1024 QAM, delivering up to 2 Gbps in a single radio with Bandwidth Accelerator.
Peter Allen, CEO of DragonWave said "We are proud to once again increase the benchmark by offering the industry's highest capacity and highest spectral efficiency radios. Our commitment to remain at the forefront of technological innovation continues to benefit both DragonWave and our customers".