Introduction
The project’s main objective is to develop an alternative technology for a long-range wireless communication. An affordable and reliable high-speed Internet to remote and rural communities in Canada remains a significant challenge. Typical backbone infrastructure solutions are often uneconomical. Increasing the achievable tower-to-tower distance in wireless terrestrial backhaul links would result in a significant reduction of the number of wireless hops required to reach remote communities and enable new multi-hop paths based on locations where power and road access are available.
A wireless backhaul link is a high-capacity data connection that connects two or more points wirelessly. An ultra-long-range wireless backhaul link is a special type of wireless backhaul link that can cover distances of hundreds of kilometers.
Ultra-long-range wireless backhaul links are used in various applications where traditional wired networks are not feasible or are too expensive. For example, they are used to connect remote areas to the internet, provide communication in disaster-stricken areas, and support military operations in the field.
In addition to their low latency and high bandwidth, ultra-long-range wireless backhaul links are also highly reliable. They can operate in harsh weather conditions, including rain, snow, and high winds, and are resistant to interference from other wireless signals.
Overall, ultra-long-range wireless backhaul links offer a cost-effective and reliable solution for high-speed, long-distance data transmission.
Targeted Outcomes
Proposed Solution
The proposed solution is based on ATSC 3.0 Physical Layer (ATSC A/322). ATSC 3.0 is characterized by:
- High degree of signal robustness combined with data capacity
- Unmatched spectral efficiency that is closest to the Shannon limit
- ATSC 3.0 is IP-based and should allow easy integration with existing ISPs and communications infrastructures
Avateq proposed an AI-based channel estimation and dynamic signal parameters adaptation and employing 2x2 MIMO technology for the spectral efficiency.
Project Challenges
- Round-Trip Delays due to signal processing
- Propagation Environment: Line-of-Sight (LOS), near-Line-of-Sight (nLOS), and Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS)
- Link Reliability
- Multi-channel system management
- Traffic management and prioritization
Funding
- ISED Canada Grant
- Avateq's Investment
Summary
The project is in its final stages of development. In collaboration with Humber College’s Broadcast-Broadband Convergence B2C laboratory (https://b2convergence.ca), a fully operational prototype will be available for demonstration and testing.
