System manufacturers eye wireless backhaul

摘要

With the emergence of high-speed wireless networks, there's a growing market for optical links as an alternative to today's copper backhaul lines. And vendors of metro access gear are keeping a close eye on this opportunity, reports Stephen Hardy. ONE COMPANY'S COMPETITIVE threat is another's opportunity. The ability of Wi-Fi and WiMAX technology to deliver Internet and broadband services may cut into the market opportunity for optical access systems. However, metro access equipment and bandwidth providers believe the growing popularity of high-speed wireless networks will create a bottleneck in mobile operators' back-haul links - a problem they'd be happy to help solve. With mobile operators around the world straining under the cost of leased T1/E1 copper backhaul lines, several companies, particularly players mid-sized and smaller, have positioned their products as cost-effective alternatives to the status quo. Yet it may turn out that the very technologies that have sparked this market may limit its growth.