Home > Point-to-Point 60GHz Links

Point-to-point links are used today for telecommunications backhauls. They employ high-gain antennas to increase the range of the link. The 60-GHz band is being used in the marketplace today for such links, and the chips are implemented in III-V technologies. Silicon offers the promise to reduce the cost of these systems, though the bulk of the system cost is still installation fees requiring someone to install the equipment on top of a pole, for example.

One drawback of 60-GHz is the oxygen absorption (~10dB/km at sea level) which begins to play a role at ranges greater than 100m. Additionally, rainfall adds additional attenuation (another ~5dB/km for region K at rain rate of 12mm/hr). High-gain antennas certainly help to overcome these atmospheric effects.