Toward 100 Gbps wireless networks enabled by millimeter wave traveling wave tubes

New generation networks for 5G need a breakthrough to support the unstoppable increase of internet traffic. Millimeter waves offer multi-GHz bandwidth for multigigabit per second data rate. For the full exploitation of the millimeter wave spectrum, due to the high atmosphere attenuation, high transmission power is needed, not available by solid state devices. Traveling wave tubes are the only enabling devices to create ultracapacity layers to distribute data with data rate at fiber level over wide areas. This paper presents the aims of a new European Commission Horizon 2020 project, ULTRAWAVE, to create for the first time a data layer with area capacity toward 100 Gbps/km2, combining D-band and G-band internet distribution enabled by millimeter wave traveling wave tubes

D-band point to multi-point deployment with G-band transport

The first Point to MultiPoint wireless system at D-band has been designed and is in advanced development. The European Commission H2020 ULTRAWAVE "Ultra capacity wireless layer beyond 100 GHz based on millimeter wave Traveling Wave Tubes"project aims to respond to the demand of high capacity at level of tens of Gigabit per second, in urban areas, where fiber backhaul is not economically viable and high density small cell architectures are deployed. A transmission hub powered by a novel D-band TWTs will feed a number of terminals arbitrarily allocated in the corresponding area sector. This paper illustrates the main characteristics, advantages and networking aspects and provide a summary of the latest results of the ULTRAWAVE project

Sub-THz wireless system with electronic and optoelectronic transmitters

The rising traffic demand in mobile networks is pushing the capacity need, especially in the access network. Wireless access integrated with the operator optical fiber network offers mobility and easiness of deployment. The challenge is the provision of wireless broadband capacity paired with the increasing traffic demands. The paper describes a point-to-multipoint fronthaul distribution wireless network at D-band (141-148.5 GHz) fed with point-to-point backhaul transport links at G-band (275-305 GHz), providing tens of Gb/s data rate. The system is under development in the frame of the European Commission Horizon 2020 ULTRAWAVE "Ultra capacity wireless layer beyond 100 GHz based on millimeter wave". The D-band transmission hubs are connected to the optical core network through Gb/s class G-band links, based on a microwave photonic transmitter employing uni-traveling-carrier photodiodes (UTC-PD). A field test in real environment is planned to demonstrate the ULTRAWAVE system breakthrough

Sub-THz components for high capacity point to multipoint wireless networks

The first point to multipoint wireless system at D-band (141-148.5 GHz), providing high capacity area sectors fed by high data rate G-band (275-305 GHz) links connected to fiber access points, will be described. It is the objective of the European Commission H2020 ULTRAWAVE 'Ultra capacity wireless layer beyond 100 GHz based on millimeter wave Traveling Wave Tubes'. The high transmission power provided by novel millimeter wave traveling wave tube will allow an unprecedented range and data rate at this frequency band. A novel MMIC chipset including components built by GaAs and InP processes to realize a full electronics solution for the sub-THz wireless communication system will be described

Toward the first D-band Point to multipoint wireless system field test

The European Commission Horizon 2020 ULTRAWAVE "Ultra capacity wireless layer beyond 100 GHz based on millimeter waves" is in the final stage of development. The first ever field test of a D-band point to multipoint wireless system will be performed in a real environment. The ULTRAWAVE wireless system comprises a D-band Transmission Hub to produce a 30 degree sector with 600 m radius with multi gigabit per second data rate and a number of compact D-band terminals. The terminals will be distributed at different distances from the transmission hub to recreate real deployment condition. The paper describes the latest update on the development of the ULTRAWAVE systems and the field test set up