The overall 60-70-80 GHz market increased 46 percent globally from 2008 to 2009 even as the overall point-to-point (PTP) microwave radio market declined almost 11 percent, according to a new market report from EJL Wireless Research. In addition, FCC registration data in 2010 for 70/80 GHz installations increased over 400 percent compared to 2009.
BridgeWave Communications, which is listed in the report as the leading global supplier of 60-70-80 GHz millimeter wave systems for 2009, said the growth in millimeter deployments is coming from both etwork operators and enterprise companies.
“The evolution of mobile networks is a key driver for millimeter wave high capacity radios as operators and service providers look to enhance their networks to manage consumer demand for more bandwidth,” said Amir Makleff, president and CEO of BridgeWave. “Data-hungry devices such as smart phones and netbooks have highlighted the importance of high capacity backhaul as operators look to alleviate network congestion.”
“We noted in our report that the overall point-to-point (PTP) microwave radio market declined by 10.9 percent in 2009, however a bright spot in this segment was that shipments of 60-70-80 GHz millimeter wave radios increased by 46 percent, with BridgeWave leading that segment of the market for the third year in a row,” said Earl Lum, founder and president of EJL Wireless Research.
