Growth of the Wireless Backhaul Market Continues: SatixFy Partners with Astrome to Deliver Point-to-Multi-Point E-Band Links for Terrestrial 5G Backhaul

In late February 2023, satellite communication systems provider SatixFy Communications Ltd. announced a partnership with Indian-based telecommunications backhaul solutions provider Astrome to supply its PRIME 1 beamformer chips to power the latter’s next-generation GigaMesh 5G backhaul solution. The PRIME chip is able to perform signaling processing and beamforming capabilities via the control of parameters such as time attributes, gain, equalizer, and pre-distortion compensation, and enables the development of scalable flat-panel antenna architectures that consume less power and are small-sized and low-cost. Leveraging SatixFy’s PRIME chips, Astrome aims to build a significant time-to-market advantage for its next-generation GigaMesh solution, which currently provides one of the first Point-to-Multi-Point (PTMP) E-Band high-throughput backhaul solution for 5G connectivity.

In view of the increasing scale of 5G network rollouts globally, and particularly in India, the development of scalable backhaul solutions to support the increased traffic demands for 5G networks has become a critical concern for many Communication Service Providers (CSPs). To this end, the announcement of Astrome’s and SatixFy’s partnership to scale up production of GigaMesh equipment could potentially benefit the CSPs.

While fiber-optic networks are widely seen as the preferred solution for 5G backhaul—due to their ability to scale and handle very high data throughputs—deployment of fiber-optic cable may not always be cost-effective in remote/rural areas or in densely populated areas where deploying fiber is challenging. Additionally, the use of Cross Polarization Interference Cancelling (XPIC), Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MIMO), and Band and Carrier Aggregation (BCA) technologies have increased the capacities and reliability of wireless backhaul links, therefore presenting wireless backhaul as an attractive alternative to fiber deployments in the above-mentioned scenarios. To this end, ABI Research expects the number of wireless macro and small cell backhaul links to grow collectively from 6.8 million in 2022 to 9.5 million in 2027.

Many equipment providers have recognized the potential of wireless backhaul solutions for 5G networks and have developed their proprietary E-band solutions to address 5G backhaul requirements. For example, with its multi-beam technology, Astrome’s GigaMesh device—consisting of six E-band radios—enables the creation of multiple long-range links capable of multi-Gigabits per Second (Gbps) data throughputs. As the device cost is split over multiple links, this reduces Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) per link, thereby resulting in a cost-effective and scalable solution.

Huawei has also launched its Long-Reach E-band (LR E-band) backhaul solution, which is reportedly able to provide a high-capacity microwave link up to a distance of 10 Kilometers (km) with greater reliability. In February 2023, Nokia also announced its latest E-band radio, the UBT-m XP, which can deliver multi-Gbps connectivity over 12 km when used in conjunction with its Nokia SteadEband antenna.

While large enterprises, with their strong financials and funding, continue to dominate in the Research and Development (R&D) department for wireless backhaul equipment, Astrome provides us with an example of how a startup is still able to enter and potentially disrupt the industry by forging meaningful partnerships with government and private bodies alike. For example, Astrome has partnered with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in India to trial its GigaMesh solution across 15 districts in India, and has also received US$22 million in funding from the Technology Development Board (TDB).

Likewise, large traditional players in the wireless backhaul space have launched various programs to support startups offering innovative solutions that complement their own services. For example, Astrome was initially selected as a participant for Cisco’s startup accelerator program, Cisco LaunchPad, back in 2016, and has since become an official partner solution provider for Cisco in 2021. More recently, Astrome has also enrolled in the Intel Startup Program to leverage Intel’s tools and mentorship to scale up its solution. Such programs create a suitable ecosystem where startups can leverage the technical expertise of large established players to further develop and scale their solutions, whereas these large organizations can also stand to benefit when a successful complementary solution launches.

Additionally, strong collaborations with educational and research institutions are other possible avenues that can help drive innovation in the wireless backhaul market. For example, Vubiq Networks, Inc. partnered with Ganpat University in India and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona to educate students and leverage R&D efforts for wireless backhaul technologies. With a variety of collaborative roadmaps and opportunities available, there is indeed a positive outlook for the wireless backhaul market in the coming years.