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Broadband Wireless for Rural/
The Broadband Stimulus program, also known as The Recovery Act is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), and offers a significant financial boost to modernizing telecommunications infrastructure in rural America.
Understanding the Funds Application Process
Products and Solutions Required for Last Mile and Middle Mile Projects
Information resource and product selection advisory to help take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Broadband Stimulus program.
The FAQs below explain the Broadband Stimulus program, application process and benefits of wireless broadband:
Broadband Stimulus Program
What is Broadband and why is it important?
What is the Broadband Stimulus program?
What are BIP/BTOP definitions?
What is the Buy American provision?
Applying for Broadband Stimulus Funds
Is our company/organization eligible for Broadband Stimulus funds?
What changes took place between Round One and Round Two NOFAs?
How do I apply for BIP/BTOP funds?
How can TESSCO help our company apply for Broadband Stimulus funds?
How do the RUS BIP awardees receive funds?
How do the NTIA BTOP awardees receive funds?
Broadband Wireless Applications
Why is broadband wireless well suited for rural BIP/BTOP projects?
What are TESSCO’s Broadband Solutions for rural/small markets?
Why TESSCO is your key partner for your BIP/BTOP programs?
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What is Broadband and why is it important?
Broadband is a term used primarily in data communications. Under the FCC definition, Broadband means providing two-way data transmission with advertised speeds of at least 768 kilobits per second (kbps) downstream and at least 200 kbps upstream to end users, or providing sufficient capacity in a Middle Mile project to support the provision of broadband service to end users.
Broadband is important because we live in the Internet Age that is characterized by an always-on, anywhere, any media culture. Moreover, Federal and state governments alike believe that widely available, high-speed broadband Internet access will stimulate economic development, and facilitate improved health, education and security among citizens and businesses, in urban centers and rural communities alike.
Broadband Internet access, or simply, broadband, is important because it facilitates high-speed connections to the Internet for Web browsing, email and text messaging, file transfer, picture and video sharing, social and business networking, and e-commerce.
When the Internet was first introduced, people and businesses could access, or connect to, it via a remote computer, or server, over a dial-up telephone connection from their desktop computer.
This connection is established using a regular telephone line and a dial-up, digital-to-analog (D/A) modem that converts the digital signal from the desktop computer into an analog signal for transmission over the telephone network, just like a voice call.
At the receiving end, an analog-to-digital (A/D) modem converts the analog signal back to a digital format so the two computers can communicate with each other.
The problem is that dial-up connections are very slow, at least in computer terms. An analog modem transmits a maximum bandwidth of 56 kilobits per seconds (Kbps) over a copper telephone line. The connection is handled within the bandwidth of a voice channel, namely 64 Kbps, and is referred to as a narrowband connection.
With the introduction of digital subscriber line (DSL) technology, DSL modems connected to a telephone line can now transmit a bandwidth of several megabits per second (Mbps), the equivalent of multiple voice channels in digital format; this is a broadband connection.
Similarly, data transmission of multiple information channels carried at megabit per second speeds over a fiber optic cable is also referred to as broadband.
Broadband wireless involves transmission of digital signals at megabit speeds over the air. These signals can be transmitted over either 3G [3rd Generation] cellular networks (GSM/HSPA or CDMA/EV-DO), or 4G [4th Generation] (WiMAX and Long Term Evolution [LTE]) broadband wireless networks.
What is the Broadband Stimulus program?
On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 [The Recovery Act] into law. The Recovery Act appropriated $787 billion to stimulate the U.S. economy.
Of that total, $7.2 billion was appropriated for the Broadband Stimulus program that is under the direction of the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
RUS and NTIA together have a mandate to expand broadband access into ‘unserved’ and ‘underserved’ communities across the U.S. that in turn will increase jobs, spur investments in technology and infrastructure, and provide long-term economic benefits.
The result is the RUS Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and the NTIA Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).
Under Executive Order 12866, The Recovery Act appropriates $2.5 billion to RUS BIP for loans and grants for broadband infrastructure projects in rural areas.
The Recovery Act also appropriates $4.7 billion to NTIA BTOP for broadband grants to fund broadband infrastructure, public computer centers and sustainable broadband adoption projects.
The Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for Round One funding was announced on July 1, 2009 and published on July 9, 2009. Round 1 NOFA covered both BIP and BTOP, and allowed applicants to apply to each program separately, or both simultaneously.
Round Two NOFAs, announced on January 22, 2010, treated BIP and BTOP as separate programs to which applicants can apply to one or the other but not both.
The Recovery Act stipulates that all BIP/BTOP funds must be awarded, in the two funding Rounds, no later than September 30, 2010.
What are BIP/BTOP definitions?
Broadband
Broadband means providing two-way data transmission with advertised speeds of at least 768 kilobits per second (kbps) downstream and at least 200 kbps upstream to end users, or providing sufficient capacity in a middle mile project to support the provision of broadband service to end users.
Build-out
Build-out means the construction or improvement of facilities and equipment as specified in an application.
BIP
BIP means the Broadband Initiatives Program, administered by the RUS, under the Recovery Act. BIP will make loans and grants for broadband infrastructure projects in rural areas.
BTOP
BTOP means the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, administered by NTIA, under the Recovery Act. BTOP will provide grants to fund broadband infrastructure, public computer centers and sustainable broadband adoption projects.
Community Anchor Institutions
Community anchor institutions are schools, libraries, medical and healthcare providers, public safety entities, community colleges and other institutions of higher education, and other community support organizations and agencies that provide outreach, access, equipment, and support services to facilitate greater use of broadband service by vulnerable populations, including low income, the unemployed, and the aged.
Comprehensive Community Infrastructure (CCI)
A Comprehensive Community Infrastructure (CCI) project means an Middle Mile broadband infrastructure project that focuses primarily on providing new or substantially upgraded connections to community anchor institutions, especially community colleges.
High-Speed Access
High-Speed Access means high-speed broadband service to facilitate rural economic development, or service at the rate of at least 5 Mbps (upstream and downstream combined).
Interconnection Point
Interconnection Point means the termination point of a Middle Mile project.
Last Mile
Last Mile project means any terrestrial infrastructure project the predominant purpose of which is to provide broadband service to end-users or end user devices (including households, businesses, public safety entities, and critical community facilities).
Last Mile means those components of a CCI project that provide broadband service to end-user devices through an intermediate point of aggregation. That is, in most cases, the Last Mile connection goes from the end-user device through an intermediate point of aggregation (i.e., a remote terminal, fiber node, wireless tower, or other equivalent access point) to a primary IP routing entity in a centralized facility (i.e., in the central office, the cable headend, the wireless switching station, or other equivalent centralized facility). The Last Mile also includes equivalent services that, solely because of close proximity between the customer and centralized facility, are routed directly to the centralized facility. The Last Mile will terminate at, and include, the initial customer-facing router or aggregation switch in the centralized facility (e.g., a DSLAM, CMTS, RNC, or equivalent) that is utilized to deliver Last Mile broadband service.
Middle Mile
Middle Mile project means any broadband infrastructure project the predominant purpose of which is to provide interoffice transport, backhaul, Internet connectivity, or special access (including point-to-point projects), which furthers rural economic development, submitted in an application or co-application.
Middle Mile means those components of a CCI project that provide broadband service from one or more centralized facilities, (i.e., the central office, the cable head-end, the wireless switching station, or other equivalent centralized facility) to an Internet point of presence. The Middle Mile includes, among other things, the centralized facilities and all of the equipment in those facilities, except for any equipment that would qualify as part of a Last Mile component as defined in the NOFA.
Middle Mile Service Area
Middle Mile service area means the project service area, composed of one or more contiguous census block groups or tracts, where the applicant is requesting BTOP funds to provide broadband service from one or more centralized facilities, (i.e., the central office, the cable head-end, the wireless switching station, or other equivalent centralized facility) to an Internet point of presence.
Proposed Funded Service Area
Proposed funded service area means, for Last Mile projects, the contiguous area (either in all or part of an existing service area or a new service area) where the Applicant is requesting funds to provide broadband service pursuant to this NOFA. An Applicant may propose to serve more than one proposed funded service area. For Middle Mile projects, the proposed funded service area shall be the locations of the proposed interconnection points.
Public Computer Center
Public computer center means a place, including but not limited to community colleges, libraries, schools, youth centers, employment service centers, Native American chapter houses, community centers, senior centers, assistive technology centers for people with disabilities, community health centers, and neighborhood network centers in public housing developments, that provide broadband access to the general public or a specific vulnerable population, such as low income, unemployed, aged, children, minorities and people with disabilities.
Rural Area
Rural area means any area, as confirmed by the latest decennial census of the Bureau of the Census, which is not located within: (1) a city, town, or incorporated area that has a population of greater than 20,000 inhabitants; or (2) an urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants. For purposes of the definition of rural area, an urbanized area means a densely populated territory as defined in the latest decennial census of the Bureau of the Census.
Satellite Project
Satellite Project means any project to provide satellite broadband service to unserved rural premises (including households, businesses, public safety entities, and critical community facilities), either by funding customer premises equipment, terrestrial equipment, and/or discounted broadband service for at least one year.
Sustainable Broadband Adoption
Sustainable broadband adoption involves innovative projects that promote broadband demand, including projects focused on providing broadband education, awareness, training, access, equipment or support, particularly among groups that traditionally have underutilized broadband technology.
Underserved Area
Underserved area means a Last Mile or Middle Mile service area, where at least one of the following factors is met: (i) no more than 50 percent of the households in the Last Mile or Middle Mile service area have access to facilities-based, terrestrial broadband service at greater than the minimum broadband transmission speed (set forth in the definition of broadband above); (ii) no fixed or mobile terrestrial broadband service provider advertises to residential end users broadband transmission speeds of at least three megabits per second (‘‘Mbps’’) downstream in the Last Mile or Middle Mile service area; or (iii) the rate of terrestrial broadband subscribership for the Last Mile or Middle Mile service area is 40 percent of households or less. An underserved area may include individual census block groups or tracts that on their own would not be considered underserved. The availability of or subscribership rates for satellite broadband service is not considered for the purpose of determining whether an area is underserved.
Unserved Area
Unserved area means a Last Mile or Middle Mile service area where at least 90 percent of the households lack access to facilities-based, terrestrial broadband service, either fixed or mobile, at the minimum broadband transmission speed (set forth in the definition of broadband above). An unserved area may include individual census block groups or tracts that on their own would not be considered unserved. A household has access to broadband service if the household readily can subscribe to that service upon request. The availability of or subscribership rates for satellite broadband service is not considered for the purpose of determining whether an area is unserved.
What is the Buy American provision?
The Recovery Act appropriates $2.5 billion in budget authority to RUS to establish BIP, through which RUS will provide grants, loans, and loan/grant combinations for broadband initiatives throughout the United States, including projects in unserved and underserved rural areas. Similarly, the Recovery Act appropriates $4.7 billion in budget authority to NTIA to establish BTOP, through which NTIA will provide grants for broadband projects throughout the United States.
Section 1605(a) of the Recovery Act, the ‘Buy American’ provision, states that none of the funds appropriated by the Act, including the funds that have been dedicated BIP, ‘‘may be used for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in the project are produced in the United States.”
Sections 1605(b) and (c) of the Recovery Act authorize the head of a Federal department or agency to waive the Buy American provision by finding that: (1) applying the provision would be inconsistent with the public interest; (2) the relevant manufactured goods are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and of a satisfactory quality; or (3) the inclusion of the manufactured goods produced in the United States will increase the cost of the project by more than 25 percent.
If the head of the Federal department or agency determines that it is necessary to waive application of the Buy American provision, then the head of the department or agency shall publish a detailed justification in the Federal Register.
Accordingly, the Secretaries of Agriculture and Commerce who are responsible for the RUS BIP and NTIA BTOP programs, respectively, waived the Buy American requirement for all elements of a 'modern broadband network' in the belief that the process to apply for and be granted waivers on individual products would be too arduous and time consuming for the companies requesting funds, and that long delays would result in the planned deployments.
As such, the ‘Buy American’ provision does not apply to broadband elements—routers, switches, multiplexers, servers, modems, radios, etc.
To the extent that any applicant wishes to use broadband equipment or goods that are not covered by the Secretaries’ waivers, it may seek an additional waiver on a case-by-case basis as part of its application for BIP/BTOP funds.
The ‘Buy American’ provision still applies to fiber optic cables, coaxial cables, cell towers, etc.—basically products that use steel, iron or other manufactured passive products, such as plastics, rubber, etc.—that are generally produced in large quantities in the U.S.
Finally, the Recovery Act states that the Buy American provision must be applied in a manner consistent with the United States’ obligations under international agreements. Under a reciprocal trade agreement, Canadian companies are eligible to bid on public and private projects in the U.S. that are financed with Broadband Stimulus funds.
It is important to note that because the ‘Buy American’ provision applies only to public works and public buildings. Completely private projects need not obtain a waiver to utilize iron, steel, and manufactured goods produced outside the United States. Public-private partnerships are considered public for the purposes of the Buy American provision, however.
TESSCO’s infrastructure products meet the ‘Buy American’ provision unless otherwise indicated.
Caveat: Every project has unique aspects and variables. If any carrier or service provider has any questions or concerns whether TESSCO complies with the Buy American provision, TESSCO can verify the country of origin for the products being quoted, on a case-by-case basis.
Is your company/organization eligible for Broadband Stimulus funds?
The Recovery Act tasks the RUS, NTIA, and FCC with leading the federal government’s efforts to expand the reach and quality of broadband services across the United States.
These agencies have been working together to leverage the authorities and resources provided through the Recovery Act.
The Recovery Act expanded the existing lending authority of RUS to make loans and granted additional authority to makes grants and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas through the BIP.
NTIA BTOP will make grants available to deploy broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas, enhance broadband capacity at public computer centers, and promote sustainable broadband projects. Together, both programs will advance the objectives of the Recovery Act by creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.
Infrastructure projects for areas that are at least 75 percent rural must be submitted to RUS for consideration under BIP. If the applicant also wishes to be considered under the BTOP, the applicant must ensure that it has addressed all of the additional elements required of the BTOP. Should RUS not fund an applicant’s project, NTIA would then review such an application for funding. These elements are addressed in the NOFA.
In addition, NTIA has prepared an Application Guide for the BTOP that also provides specific, additional guidance, on BTOP requirements.
What changes took place between Round One and Round Two NOFAs?
NTIA made a number of changes to BTOP for the Round Two of funding to increase efficiency, sharpen BTOP’s funding focus, and improve the applicant experience:
- First and foremost, NTIA will focus on Comprehensive Community Infrastructure (CCI) projects.
- The joint NTIA‐RUS application process from Round One was eliminated. Instead, each agency issued its own NOFA and will use its own separate applications and apply its own separate funding priorities (i.e., for NTIA, Comprehensive Community Infrastructure projects; and for RUS, Last Mile rural infrastructure projects).
- NTIA has improved the online application to streamline the intake of information and make the process more user‐friendly. Improvements include reducing the number of attachments to be uploaded with the application, eliminating the proposed funded service area mapping tool, and modifying the service area delineations from census blocks to census tracts and block groups.
- NTIA no longer requires that an infrastructure project serve an unserved or underserved area. However, NTIA gives priority to projects that are located in such areas and does intend to evaluate closely the extent to which proposed projects overbuild existing broadband infrastructure.
How do I apply for Broadband Stimulus money?
BIP and BTOP Infrastructure Application Packages are available at www.broadbandusa.gov.
BIP
Applicants can download Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) Round 2 Application Guide and BIP Round 2 Application Attachment Templates.
BTOP
For detailed guidance on preparing and submitting a BTOP grant application, applicants can download three separate documents, depending on the project being considered:
- Comprehensive Community Infrastructure (CCI) Grant Guidance
- Public Computer Centers (PCC) Grant Guidance
- Sustainable Broadband Adoption (SBA) Grant Guidance
For details on the definitions and requirements of the BTOP programs, applicants can refer to the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.
Note that preparing the BIP and BTOP applications can be a lengthy and costly process. Applicants must put together the extensive list of requirements, and complete the lengthy application process.
Please contact TESSCO for assistance.
How can TESSCO help our company apply for Broadband Stimulus funds?
TESSCO can help you in several ways:
- Assess the technical feasibility of your Last Mile or Middle Mile network designs, and offer application engineering assistance to specify infrastructure and subscriber equipment needed.
- Put you in touch with one our partners who offers grant writing assistance to help you prepare and submit your BIP or BTOP application.
- Offer training to you and your staff, and your contractors, on broadband technologies, products, and systems, and how to operate them.
How do the RUS BIP awardees receive funds?
The standard RUS BIP award will be a 75/25 grant/loan combination.
Applicants may request more than 75-percent grant by submitting a waiver request to the Administrator. Additional information on the waiver process can be obtained in the Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) and in the waiver requests section of the FAQs. Applicants requesting a larger loan component, which lowers the requested grant percentage, will receive additional points in the scoring process.
RUS intends to make grant, loan, and loan/grant combination documents available to successful applicants within 30 days of the award announcement.
RUS expects compliance with all documentation requirements from successful applicants, and intends to schedule the closings within 60 days of award announcement.
The Information Library link available at www.broadbandusa.gov includes a draft Loan and Security Agreement and draft Construction and Advance Procedures.
These documents will provide details on what to expect when funding is received.
How do the NTIA BTOP awardees receive funds?
NTIA intends to make award documents available to successful applicants within 30 days of the award announcement.
NTIA expects compliance with all documentation requirements from successful applicants within 60 days of award announcement.
What is the funding timeline?
The Recovery Act was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. It was planned originally that the funds would be disbursed in three separate rounds given the amount of money involved.
Round One
The NOFA for Round 1 was announced on July 1, 2009 and published on July 9, 2009. Round 1 funding was intended that RUS would award up to $2.4 billion in loans, loan guarantees or some combination of grants and loans and that NTIA would award up to $1.6 billion in grants.
Applications for BIP/BTOP funds were accepted starting on July 14 and originally was to run August 14, subsequently extended to August 20, 2009.
With time needed to conduct in-depth evaluations and to score the applications, it was expected that the announcement of awards would be made by November 7 and the actual distribution of funds would start in December, 2009. That announcement date was subsequently delayed until December, 2009. The first wave of Round One announcements was released on December 17, 2009. The balance of Round One award announcements will be made on a rolling basis over the following 75 days until about March 1, 2010.
Applicants who are denied for any reason have the opportunity to make the appropriate changes (BIP and BTOP applicants are notified in writing for the reason of rejection) and to resubmit in subsequent funding rounds.
Round Two
Round Two NOFA was released on January 22, 2010.
Round 2 NOFA is expected sometime in Q1 2010.
Timely Completion
All awards must be made by September 30, 2010.
A project is eligible only if the application demonstrates that the project can be substantially completed within two years of the date of issuance of the grant, loan, or loan/grant award and finished within three years of the date of the award. For BIP, a project is considered "substantially complete" when an awardee has received 67 percent of its award funds. For BTOP, a project is considered ‘‘substantially complete’’ when the awardee has met 67 percent of the project milestones and received 67 percent of its award funds.
Why is broadband wireless well-suited for rural BIP/BTOP projects?
Broadband wireless systems offer the best fit for delivering high-speed Internet service in rural and small markets, especially where telephone, cable and Internet service provider (ISP) wired networks run out. Here’s why:
Built for Speed
Broadband wireless is 4G (4th Generation). WiMAX and, soon to be available, Long Term Evolution (LTE), are optimized for high-speed Internet access mainly in stationary or portable applications at 50-100 Mbps download speeds; digital voice is a value-added feature. 2G/3G cellular systems—GSM/UMTS and CDMA/EV-DO—were designed for highly-mobile voice services with data-handling added through technology upgrades; most 3G data connections are well under 20 Mbps.
Flexible Deployments
Constructing broadband wireless infrastructure in rural/small markets is different from engineering cell sites on major networks in populous urban centers and adjacent suburbs. For rural/small markets, a high-capacity application could involve a small town and its surrounding community within a several mile radius of the base station. A low-density application might involve serving a few hundred households and farms that are miles away from the base station. Each application can be configured with different antenna arrays and even different radios. For example, AWS (1.7/2.1 GHz) and 700 MHz radio has excellent propagation characteristics for high-speed broadband connections. By contrast, a number of short-range 3G cell sites would be required for the same data coverage.
Lowest CapEx per Household
Connecting customers with high-speed Internet access requires less capital expenditure (capex) per household at a specified data speed with 4G broadband wireless than with either 3G cellular, or broadband wireline technologies such as digital subscriber line (xDSL) or fiber cable platforms (FTTx). This is important for rural carriers serving small groups of customers spread over many square miles. Broadband wireless capex runs several hundred dollars per household. 3G cellular capex per household is greater because more cell sites are needed to maintain the same data speeds over the same number of customers. xDSL capex is competitive if customers are close to the central office, but increases greatly over long loop lengths typical in rural markets. FTTx systems can deliver high-speed Internet connections, but installing the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) drives corresponding capex to several thousand dollars per household. More important, broadband wireless backhaul using point-to-point microwave radio is more capital efficient in rural applications than copper or fiber cables.
What are TESSCO’s Broadband Solutions for Rural/Small markets?
TESSCO offers a range of complete broadband wireless system solutions for three primary Broadband Stimulus applications: Last Mile wireless—low-density, Last Mile wireless—high-density, and Middle-Mile wireless backhaul.
1) General System Design and Deployment Considerations
Robust Technologies
- Today’s high-speed WiMAX access and microwave backhaul solutions can deliver upwards of 30 Mbps to end-users and more than 1 Gbps per backhaul link. These high-transmission rates are needed for video, voice, data and IP TV services. Middle Mile projects that are constructed to deliver 100 Mbps to all end points in their networks.
- Broadband wireless technology is proven and scalable.
- Wireless delivers high reliability—99.999% uptime per year.
Advantages over Fiber
- Challenges with fiber-based solutions: time and cost to deploy.
- In North America, it can take six to nine months to deploy fiber in a specific location in order to plan, engineer, order, install, and build the fiber cable.
- Fiber cable deployments are in the order of $100 per foot.
Capital Efficiency
- Transmission cost per bit for wireless broadband, such as WiMAX, is estimated to be at least 40-50% lower than the cost for DSL and as much as 80% lower than the cost of fiber optic cable. Similar figures apply to backhaul applications.
Rapid Deployment
- Offers fast deployment to meet aggressive deployment timelines.
- Preference will be given to projects that can be started and completed expeditiously.
Accepted Products
TESSCO carries the widest selection of RUS-listed products of any other wireless equipment distributor.
2) Last Mile Applications
Last Mile applications involve any infrastructure that provides a broadband connection between a base station, or a broadband access point, and end users or end-user devices. End users include households, businesses, community anchor institutions, public safety entities, and critical community facilities.
Last mile applications can be either low-density or high-density.
Low-density involves serving a relatively few number of subscribers over a wide area. Serving less than 100 customers at distances of 10-12 miles would be an example of a low-density application.
By contrast, a high-density application involves serving a larger number of end users over a smaller area, for instance, providing simultaneous connections to more than 300 customers at distances of 4-6 miles.
In each case, the infrastructure required involves a central transmit/receive site, referred to as a base transceiver station (BTS). A BTS consists of a 4G broadband wireless radio, such as WiMAX or LTE, directional antennas for point-to-multipoint transmission, coaxial cable, back-up power, an equipment cabinet, and all associated mounting hardware. Depending on how high and where the antennas must be located to provide the appropriate coverage, the site may also involve a tower or roof-top mounts.
At the customer end, an outdoor subscriber unit is installed on the side of the house and a Cat5 cable is run inside to plug into a wireless router.
3) Middle Mile Applications
Middle Mile refers to broadband infrastructure that does not predominantly provide broadband service directly to end users or to end-user devices. Rather, Middle Mile refers to connections from a BTS back into the network or between each BTS. This may include interoffice transport, wireless backhaul, Internet connectivity, or special access.
Middle Mile solutions come in several configurations:
- From BTS or hub site to Mobile Switching Office (MSO) or Internet peering point (IPP).
- Redundant interoffice ring or mesh networks.
- Special access links.
Middle Mile deployments consist of point-to-point microwave radio, antennas, cable, power, and mounting hardware. The microwave radios can operate either in licensed (6 to 80 GHz) or unlicensed (900 MHz, 2.4/5.3/5.4/5.8/24/60 GHz) bands over line-of-sight (LOS), near line-of-sight (NLOS) and non-line-of-sight (N-LOS) paths.
Throughput speeds range from 10 Mbps to 4 Gbps on native Ethernet-only or combined Ethernet-TDM platforms.
Middle Mile systems can operate up to 99.999% availability with options for 1+1 redundancy and intelligent nodal ring/mesh switching.
See our online publication The Wireless Bulletin for Broadband Wireless in Rural/Small Markets for Last Mile and Middle Mile wireless application descriptions and sample Bill of Materials at: www.tessco.com/go/bulletin_broadband
Why TESSCO is your key partner for your BIP/BTOP programs?
There are a lot of technical and economic reasons to work with TESSCO to build-out your BIP/BTOP projects:
Wireless Knowledge and Expertise
With over 27 years as a trusted supplier to the wireless industry, TESSCO can help you navigate all the details associated with broadband wireless system design and engineering. Our knowledgeable and experienced design team will guide you to making the best decision for your business. By offering FREE technical assistance to qualified customers, TESSCO Account Managers will work with you to uncover and identify the scope of the opportunity. We will provide world-class assistance for design and material budgeting. In addition, we can make available qualified third-party grant writing and licensing services.
Broad Product Selection
TESSCO offers the largest selection of RUS-listed products than any other wireless equipment distributor. TESSCO represents the leading manufacturers of wireless technologies and offers complete supply chain solutions for building, operating and using wireless systems. TESSCO has the expertise and the product selection to support any application that includes a wireless component.
Complete System Solutions
With over 25,000 products from over 350 manufacturers, TESSCO has wireless infrastructure elements and components, mobile devices and accessories, and installation, test and maintenance equipment you need to complete your system.
Guaranteed Delivery
Our promise to you: “We deliver products when and where you need it!” We streamline the delivery of system equipment with site kits—we can collate your complete order on a pallet and deliver it directly to your site. With our supply chain solutions and logistics support systems, we can assure the most-efficient deliveries in the most cost-effective manner.
Training
We offer training with every product we sell for carrier staff and their general contractors for installation, test and safety training.
Financing Options
We work with your finance staff to establish the most convenient payment methods for you. We offer optional lines of credits and leasing services to augment direct payments so your build-out projects can be completed on time.
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The Wireless Bulletin
for Broadband Wireless in Rural/Small Markets
View online now (PDF)
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