ALTIUS Signs Deal with SnapLink – Economic 24 Ghz Unlicensed Back Haul

The availability of unlicensed frequencies in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands and the price reduction of radio technology have caused wireless networks to explode across the landscape at an unprecedented pace. This proliferation of transmitters in the 2.4 and 5GHz bands creates a very high noise floor in these bands. It is estimated (ABI Research) that there are over 500 million radio devices operating in these bands in the US alone. The SnapLink 24U was specifically designed to address this issue.

The best chance of success for radio frequency (RF) communications is to use clean spectrum where there is a very good signal to noise ratio. The SnapLink 24U operates in the 24GHz unlicensed band. 24GHz is in the millimeter wave band and has a very low noise floor because this band is not heavily laden with millions of devices. 24 GHz radio signals do not go as far as the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands because there is more atmospheric attenuation at this frequency and higher attenuation due to rain. But the SnapLink radios will deliver 30 Mbps at 2-3 miles and 10 Mbps up to 7 miles.

This means that signals at 24 GHz do not bounce around like the signals at 2.4 and 5 GHz to create a noisy environment. Until now, radios at these frequencies have traditionally been very costly and bulky so few have been deployed. 24 GHz is an interference free frequency and will not suffer the degradation and difficulties that the noisy 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands have suffered.

One of the best advantages of the 24 GHz band is its inherent security. Because the beam width at 24 GHz is quite narrow it makes “finding” the beam that much more difficult. Due to the low noise floor the millimeter band radios have minimal power requirements. For someone to "intercept" the signal they would have to literally get directly in the path of the radio. Because of the inherent security of the millimeter wave bands, DoD and covert operatives have used millimeter bands for years for their secure communication needs.

For commercial applications of wireless radios, especially in a point to point configuration, the use of 24 GHz can offer interference free and secure operations. Systems at 2.4 and 5 GHz can be quite good but suffer the problems of too many systems in the same space (frequency) and are too easily and cheaply intercepted. ALTIUS is offering the Snap Link complete link for $6,995.00. We are taking orders and shipping today! Click here for Data Sheet.