• by Ian Framson
• Oct 10, 2012
• Fixed Wireless, Bandwidth, Tradeshow Internet

As part of our CONNECT service, TSI provides temporary bandwidth for larger events. Bandwidth can be thought of as a physical circuit. The size of this circuit controls how many digital packets (0's and 1's) from your event can travel to the Internet in 1 second. Thus, a 1 Mbps circuit means 1 Megabit (or 1 million bits) can travel per second. This may sound like a lot, but when you have 1,000 attendees at an event, you may need 50 or 100 Mbps to ensure adequate bandwidth for the group. Ultimately, how much bandwidth you need is determined by your group's use of web-based content, apps, and streaming video. Planning for the proper amount of bandwidth in advance can mean the difference between frustrated attendees and an amazing technology experience.

In addition to obtaining the right amount of bandwidth, TSI recommends redundant path bandwidth and fail-over equipment as best practices to prevent network failure. Whether for your primary or secondary circuit, fixed broadband wireless technology is a modern, viable, cost-effective alternative to a traditional terrestrial fiber-optic line.

Fixed wireless broadband can be used to transmit bandwidth over the air from a bandwidth source (i.e. a telecom central office or data center sitting on an Internet trunk line) to any building or outdoor location. The two locations can be several miles away but must be within line-of-sight of each other. For a hotel or convention center, line-of-sight can often be accomplished by stationing an antenna on a rooftop or nearby tower. Fixed wireless technology requires specialized directional antennas that transmit and receive high-bandwidth secure communications at speeds from 1 Mbps up to 1 Gbps. Fixed wireless broadband uses a variety of frequencies from FCC Part 15 bands (3.65 GHz, 5.2 GHz, 5.7 GHz) to FCC Part 101 licensed bands (11 GHz, 18 GHz, 23 GHz).

It's important to clarify that this is not the same wireless technology used by WiFi for your wireless local area network (802.11 a/b/g/n on 2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz). You'll still need a WiFi router or access point to distribute your bandwidth via WiFi to your laptops, smart phones, and other mobile devices. ]

Interested to learn more about temporary bandwidth options for your next event? Talk to us!