Cambium Networks has long been a pioneer, fostering the Wireless Service Provider (WISP) industry since 2002. The release of the PMP 100 (FSK) product line, called Canopy, helped grow this industry from enthusiasts in their garages into real businesses providing many folks with broadband service. Since that time, continued evolution of the platform has fostered growth of the fixed wireless broadband industry across the globe and into many vertical markets beyond internet service providers.
In late 2016 Cambium Networks took another leap forward in technology by introducing a revolutionary technology which we call cnMedusa™. By combining several innovative RF techniques and advanced radio design; and applying the experience of past fixed wireless solutions; the PMP 450m Access Point provides an industry award-winning platform with the maximum sector capacity and best spectral efficiency of any similar products available in the industry.
As demand for bandwidth continually increases, Cambium Networks must develop solutions that keep up with the appetite for consumption. Implementation of the cnMedusa Massive Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO) technology helps satisfy this demand through the use of simultaneous data transmission to multiple subscribers to effectively multiply sector capacity by three or even four times that of the PMP 450 access point. All that is required of the installed base of subscriber modules is an over-the-air software upgrade. In doing so, the network operator is able to leverage the capital investment in subscriber modules, avoid costly truck roles to replace existing subscriber modules, and substantially increase the capacity of the network by simply upgrading the access point.
While capacity might be the headline feature of cnMedusa, there are many other important facets this technology helps to bolster. With the advanced beamforming antenna array, signaling becomes more resistant to noise and interference, sensitivity levels are improved, and range and coverage can get better. Additionally, the incredibly powerful processors in this design improve the PPS (Packet Per Second) power of the radio, resulting in smoother network performance.
If you still have questions about what this technology can do for you and your network, there are numerous ways to affirm the choice to move forward with cnMedusa. First, LINKPlanner is a free tool available from Cambium Networks that can plan a sector, even showing a direct comparison of the difference between a 450i sector and a 450m sector. You can also review what network operators are saying about PMP 450m on our Community. For more concrete evidence, there is a PMP 450m Limited version that allows for up to 30 days of MU-MIMO operation, without incurring the cost. In other words, you can save some money but prove to yourself the massive benefits of cnMedusa before even having to pay for it.
For all of the details, check out our technical solution paper that gets into the details around what cnMedusa does to innovate and enhance fixed wireless network performance around the world.