MDUs future-proofed with improved internet connectivity

The company urgently required a simple, high capacity solution to upgrade its existing WiFi network and deliver a faster, more reliable broadband experience. The network needed to support building residents who were eating up existing bandwidth due to data-intensive online services such as streaming content.

Amtech harnessed Mimosa B5 and B5-Lite backhaul, which work in the 5GHz unlicensed spectrum, delivering high-capacity short and mid-range links. The radios use unique high-precision GPS sync technology, allowing reuse of the same radio channel and therefore improving network efficiency. Over thirty links were deployed in buildings and towers across a number of residential sites. With the Mimosa solution installed, broadband speeds increased from 30 to 200Mbps – delivering superfast connectivity for hundreds of MDU residents.

James Hawthorne, Network Engineer at Amtech Communications said: “In MDUs, it is common for a large number of people to access high-bandwidth internet services simultaneously, which can put a huge strain on a network. We needed to add additional capacity and improve broadband speeds so that residents could use their favorite online services without their connection letting them down. We could not believe the immediate and impressive results from Mimosa’s backhaul radios, with internet speeds increasing dramatically across our network.”

Amtech Communications handled the design and installation of the Mimosa links. The company used the Mimosa Cloud+ tool to ensure good health of the network as it replaced the old links with Mimosa radios. It also enabled the company to observe traffic patterns on the network and monitor for any external interference.

“The Mimosa Cloud service enables us to gain a holistic view over all of our network links and ensure they are performing optimally,” said Hawthorne. “We were also amazed by the ease of the deployment – it only took about an hour to install and program each radio. We are now switching out all of our old links with Mimosa products,” he finished.

Following this successful deployment, Amtech Communications now plans to roll out a new Mimosa network in the Washington DC area. It is also looking to take advantage of clear, licensed 11GHz spectrum by deploying B11 backhaul radios to connect two buildings located about seven miles apart.

Jaime Fink, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Mimosa said: “Today, tenants in MDUs value high-speed internet connectivity above many other utilities. Mimosa’s backhaul technology enables service providers to quickly inject additional capacity into networks across MDU sites at a competitive cost. By using Mimosa’s technology, Amtech is future-proofing its broadband network for the next generation of internet services that demand a fast, reliable data connection.”