Adtran launches modular microwave systems

Adtran today unveiled a new series of microwave products designed to operate in unlicensed 5.8 GHz spectrum, combining TDM and IP functions into a single chassis.

The new Tracer 6000 series of modular radios allow carrier customers to combine plug-in modules, depending on their designed mix of services between T1s and IP services. Most unique is the ability to flexibly allocate bandwidth between the two modes depending on needs.

“If I want to load the chassis with the two modules and don’t need all four of the T1s I can tell the radio to be two T1s and it will give the remaining capacity to Ethernet,” said Dan Pritchett, director of wireless products for Adtran’s Enterprise Networks Division. “You can put a quad Ethernet card in there and have a full 16 Mb/s of data.”

The 6000 series is available in both integrated and split system configurations. The latter users a combination of indoor and outdoor hardware and is targets at deployments where antenna size, waveguide, or greater amounts of coax would be previously made it impossible. The radios can operate at distances up to 48.3 km (30 miles).