Earlier this year, I bought a property in Ensenada, Mexico. The previous owners were using a slow internet connection from the incumbent telecom provider in the area. My work and my personal requirements were not being supported, so I started looking for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the area that could support fixed wireless broadband solutions with more capacity.
While researching through the internet, browsing local internet message boards and talking to people in the area, I connected with Carlos Munguia from Baja Networks. Although the company was focused on business customers, Baja Networks was very willing to engage in exploring the opportunity to provide service to my property.
The property is located about 30 minutes outside of the city center on the southern point of the bay of Ensenada. The area is elevated, but not very densely populated. We initially looked at using a basic link, but we found that we had to cross 20 kilometers over open water between the house and the tower from Baja Networks. First, we reviewed this concern with the experts from Baja Networks, Cambium Networks’ Rolling Meadows team and the Cambium Mexico sales and technical support teams. We decided that we should use a PTP 670 wireless backhaul link to get from the tower to the house and use a cnPilot™ r201 access point for the Wi-Fi connectivity in the house.
This was the first time Baja Networks worked with a PTP 670, and they needed to do their homework. Carlos Peralta, responsible for Ensenada at Baja Networks, took the lead, visited the property, went to the tower and ensured that the link was possible. Carlos used the free LINKPlanner tool to model the solution. He then ensured that all equipment was available and proceeded with the installation. As a homeowner, there are always the initial thoughts about where equipment (radio and antenna) would have to be placed. After Carlos walked me through his logic, we came to a compromise which both maximized the performance of the equipment and satisfied the esthetic angle.
It took good communication between Baja Networks and me to get the link up and running. While the link immediately satisfied my needs, Baja Networks ensured that the Service Level Agreement was met with 20 Mbps Upload/20 Mbps Download with unlimited data. I can now successfully conduct business from my home, have a great experience with movies from streaming services like Netflix, monitor the property with cameras when we are not there and benefit from the many other advantages of having a solid internet connection.
Baja Networks has been an outstanding partner in this endeavor. One day, while monitoring my link with cnMaestro™, they messaged me that my link was down. It was due to a power outage in my neighborhood, and they even sent me a link to contact the power company.
Using the equipment from Cambium Networks has helped me better understand some of the challenges that customers have and the benefits our solutions bring to companies. It is obvious that a fixed wireless broadband solution has not matured in this area and there are many opportunities. My neighbors are eyeing the dish and radio on my house and are asking questions about my internet connectivity. There is a lot of opportunity for ISPs, including Baja Networks, to grow in the Ensenada area.