The link path runs between a site at the Westpark Business Center in the Shannon vicinity of County Clare, a site in Knockfierna, a scenic area near Newcastle West, and iconic Adare Village in County Limerick, traversing a 26 KM link across diverse terrain. In addition, the new link enables more services and more consistent high-bandwidth performance, particularly during work hours. The timing could not have been better for those who had already been working from home or those that were now mandated to stay home.

The Challenge

The biggest deployment challenge for the Aviat link was the region’s topology and configuration of the system for optimal reliability as it transmitted over hilly terrain and farmland. The link also crosses over the Shannon Estuary, which constitutes 16 percent of the path. Moreover, reflection is the biggest challenge when transmitting radio frequency over water. It can result in multi-path signals, which can slow the network down considerably. Tidal patterns were also considered as changing tides alter thermal conditions and vary the degree of reflection. It is challenging to install a high-capacity link with a high modulation scheme over water.

The Solution

BBnet is delivering high-speed rural broadband services at a time when they are critically needed. The new link ensures that many County Limerick residents can stay home, work effectively, and continue making a living. For BBnet, the link increases its customer base significantly—with no increase in cost to subscribers. As a result, two factors combined to give BBNET a sound business plan moving forward—the uptick in the customer base and the fact that BBnet’s operating costs remained the same after the capital expenditure. When work environments and schools changed the way they operated almost instantly, Aviat’s WTM 4000 was ideal for providing high-capacity, availability, and reliability quickly.