Ubiquiti Networks has developed a product that may be just the ticket for many metropolitan networks that have difficulty getting their signal to users cost/effectively. Ubiquiti’s Frequency Freedom technique transforms standard 802.11 silicon into a hi-power 900 MHz mini-PCI radio module. Other frequencies are available, too
Robert Pera, President of Uniquity, explained to DailyWireless that they combine a commodity Atheros chipset with their own front end that transforms 2.4 GHz RF into other frequencies. The result is a high power, high speed 900 Mhz link that promises faster, cheaper, longer range wireless service.
SuperRange9 (SR9) uses the Atheros 5213 chipset and is instantly compatible with existing Atheros drivers including the popular open source Linux MadFi drivers. Pera says it seamlessly passes on advanced features found in Atheros’ technology including 5/10/20 MHz selectable transmit bandwidth, Xtended range, and evolved security protocols such as WPA2.
The SuperRange9 features 700mW output power capability, -93dBm receive sensitivity, advanced noise mitigation functionality, and data throughput of up to 54Mbps in OFDM mode. The SR9, at 900 MHz, increases range considerably over standard 2.4 and 5 GHz 802.11 solutions in obstructive environments.
The disadvantage of the unlicensed 900 Mhz band is that it’s only 28 MHz wide. Using 20 Mhz channel spacing of 802.11g, there’s only room for one channel on the band (but it can deliver up to 54Mbps). While other products use the unlicensed 900 Mhz band, they’re more expensive (in the $500 range) and slower. Ubiquiti’s radio integration and firmware are said to deliver better cost/performance.
According to Pera, “With Frequency Freedom, we are leveraging the cost-benefits and thousands of man years dedicated to the refinement and advancement of the 802.11 protocol. So, in a sense we achieve the best of both worlds — carrier grade radio performance with frequency operation outside the 802.11 standards, but at the same time, we can pass on the cost-savings and tremendous feature sets found in the MAC and PHY layers of today and tomorrow’s 802.11 chipsets”.
Ubiquiti is initially targeting Wireless ISPs and Mesh Networking vendors for its products. Because the SR9 is fully functional using standard existing 802.11 drivers and comes with FCC modular certification approval, it claims to require virtually no development time to incorporate it into their existing products.
“Ubiquiti’s 900 MHz solution will be a very attractive addition to the increasingly popular city WiFi market”, says Pera. “If it can be integrated into the mesh infrastructure and client premise equipment, it could significantly improve the value proposition of municipal WiFi networking since it can penetrate buildings”. Walls and foliage can easily stop metro (2.4 GHz) WiFi signals.
Ubiquiti also makes a mesh networking product, the AP-One (above). It contains two independent radios. The primary radio operates at 2.4 GHz and is used to serveWiFi clients.The second radio operates in the 5.8 GHz band is used exclusively for the internal mesh relay.
Peplink, a leading manufacturer of broadband devices, headquartered in Hong Kong, is utilizing Ubiquiti’s technology in their multi-SSID Access Point, PolePoint, and a municipal wifi CPE, Surf, which will support 900 MHz operation using Ubiquiti SuperRange9,” said Alex Chan, Managing Director of Peplink in Hong Kong.
The SuperRange9 is Ubiquiti’s first Frequency Freedom product offering and is now sampling. It will soon be available through authorized distributors at a MSRP of $159 per unit. Ubiquiti is also planning to roll out new Frequency Freedom products in the coming months which will include licensed frequencies.
The 900 MHz band is used for millions of low-power Part 15 devices. Steve Stroh points out there are really only 26 Mhz available in the 902-928 Mhz band. Cordless phones share the unlicensed 900 Mhz band with 80 narrowband channels. A licensed 900 MHz SMR radio service uses the nearby 896-901 MHz and 935-940 MHz bands.
Unlicensed 5.8GHz may be another option.
Related DailyWireless articles on 900 Mhz include; 900 Mhz Telemetry, SandyNet, 900 Mhz Gear, USGS Aero Wireless, 900 MHz Gear from WaveRider and Maxstream Outdoor 900Mhz Modem.
