Wireless ISPs (WISPs) face growing encroachment from network operators using fiber and LEO satellite technologies. Consumers have high expectations around speed, latency, and reliability. WISP operators will maintain and grow their businesses by offering technical advantages and practical solutions on top of their inherent advantage in customer service. Cambium Networks’ ePMP 4000 Series, specifically the ePMP 4500 Access Point, introduces an innovative new feature designed to do just that: asymmetric channel bandwidth.
Boosting Capacity with Smarter Channel Configuration
At its core, this feature allows WISPs to configure different channel widths for uplink and downlink traffic—a first for this product class. The benefit? Higher capacity and reduced interference, especially in the noisy 5 GHz band where many WISPs operate.
To understand the value, consider how bandwidth behaves in real-world deployments. Wider channels combined with high-order modulations can dramatically increase throughput. The ePMP 4500 delivers this type of performance. However, these wide channels also make links more vulnerable to interference—particularly around the tower, where RF congestion is often at its worst.
Solving Uplink Challenges in Noisy Environments
Subscriber modules, located away from the tower, typically deal with less interference. But the tower itself—often surrounded by other radios and competing signals—can become a bottleneck. This is especially problematic for uplink performance, where signals are trying to reach the tower amid all that noise. This is where asymmetric channel bandwidth changes the game. By allowing WISPs to assign a narrower channel to the uplink, the system reduces the amount of noise it picks up. Narrower channels have a higher link budget and ultimately yield higher signal-to-noise ratios, which means more reliable uplink communication—even in tough RF environments.
Aligning Wireless Architecture with Traffic Patterns
At the same time, most internet traffic is downstream—streaming video, browsing, software updates. The asymmetric setup allows WISPs to maintain a wider channel in the downlink direction, enabling high-speed data delivery to the end user without sacrificing performance in the uplink direction.
This isn’t just a theoretical advantage. In practical terms, WISPs using the ePMP 4500 with this feature are unlocking faster downlink speeds while preserving stable and sufficient uplink capacity. That translates to better customer experiences without needing to compromise on reliability or redesign the network.
A Simple Upgrade Path with Immediate Benefits
The ePMP 4500 Access Point supports backwards compatibility to Force 300 Subscriber modules, meaning network operators can take advantage of this feature simply by upgrading their ePMP 3000 AP to an ePMP 4500 AP today and start seeing immediate benefit from asymmetric channel bandwidth and other enhancements while upgrading the SMs when convenient or as they expand and grow their business.
This asymmetric channel bandwidth feature is exclusive to the ePMP 4000 Series. It reflects Cambium Networks’ focus on solving real-world deployment challenges faced by WISPs—particularly those operating in dense or spectrum-constrained environments. For WISPs looking to stay competitive without major overhauls, this feature offers a straightforward way to get more out of existing spectrum. It’s a smart approach to spectrum management that aligns technical capability with traffic patterns, making it a timely innovation for today’s wireless landscape.