The CISAR Italian Center for Radio Activities collaborated with LigoWave’s partner in Italy—Telcomms Srl—on testing a long-distance RapidFire link. LigoPTP RapidFire 5-N wireless bridges were installed in Monte Amiata (Tuscany, local site) & Monte Limbara (Sardinia, remote site), 304km apart over the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Problem
CISAR experiments with wireless technologies, connecting FM & digital repeaters & providing support for the radio community. After successfully inter-connecting Italy, CISAR aims to build a new wide-band digital network. The 304km link is especially important because it provides an alternative communications channel in emergency situations.
Solution
The LigoPTP RapidFire was chosen because it is equipped with the W-Jet proprietary protocol, an efficient 1.2GHz CPU, & high-power 31dBm 2×2 MIMO radios, meaning that it will not only establish a stable connection, but it will also ensure relatively high throughput despite the extremely long distance & oversea environment.
Results
Multiple tests were performed with the RapidFire link, providing remarkable results: over the 304km distance, 20MHz channel throughput & PPS rates peaked at 54Mbps & 105,426PPS respectively, while 40MHz channels achieved 100Mbps & 90,719PPS. RapidFire wireless bridges ensured comparatively high throughput & packet delivery despite the long distance.