Communication Infrastructure

The Best Practices to Deploy
a Reliable Microwave Network
Harvey Lehpamer, MSEE

HL Telecom Consulting
November 2008
Remote 2008
Harvey Lehpamer 1 HL Telecom Consulting
About Microwave Networks

Microwave has provided effective communications solutions
worldwide for over 50 years,
Two terms are used : Microwave Point-To-Point or Radio-

Relay Systems (common term in Europe),
Microwave systems are favored for the routes over difficult

terrain, demanding high security and/or requiring quick
implementation (especially “split-configuration” MW systems
and new outdoor - only units)
Line-of-Sight (LOS) is the main prerequisite (although not the

only one) for achieving satisfactory communication
performance over the microwave point-to-point link.
1
Different Microwave Network Requirements
Wireless Operator Utility
Typical Hop Length 0-10 miles >10 miles
Typical Frequency Bands > 10 GHz < 10 GHz
Required Availability (99.99 - 99.999) % (99.999 – 99.9999) %
Redundancy Required Sometimes Always
Power Backup Time (0 – 2) hours 8 hours
Delay Limitations Some networks Stringent
New Technologies Adaptation Fast Slow
Challenges of Rain and Multipath

Assuming the same reliability, same hardware, terrain type and
climate, for two states (or countries) with the different rain rate,
maximum MW hop lengths could be as follows:
Location A Location B
(higher rain rate)
6 GHz - 40 mi 6 GHz - 40 mi
18 GHz - 10 mi 18 GHz - 6 mi
23 GHz - 7 mi 23 GHz - 4 mi
38 GHz - 4 mi 38 GHz - 2 mi
Below 10 GHz issues are multipath related.

Multipath fading (flat or frequency selective) is the
dominating fading mechanism for frequencies lower than
approximately 10 GHz.
Above 10 GHz the main problem is rain
2
Multipath Fading
Superrefractive layer
Refracted wave
(multipath) Receiver
Transmitter
Direct wave
Reflected wave
(multipath)
Water surface
Microwave Build-out Activities
MW Network MW Network MW Network

Planning Design Deployment
3
Initial Planning Activities
Sign-off the Non-Disclosure Agreements with all parties
(Customer, Vendors, Partners, etc.) involved in the project,
Meet with customer(s), contractor(s), vendor(s) and/or

partner(s) and determine responsibilities for the transmission
(leased lines, fiber, MW) network design and deployment,
Perform high-level preliminary design using maps/terrain data,
Define the technical requirements, budget, schedule, internal

and external expertise requirements, etc,
Complete the “Scope and Task Delineation List” (who’s doing

what, also called “Responsibility Matrix”).
Microwave Network Design Considerations
Network Architecture
Capacity (node and link)
Hardware Redundancy
Reliability (performance & availability - link engineering)
Operation and Maintenance
4
MW Design Methods and Models
North America
Multipath analysis (Vigants 1975 North American Model)
This Vigants model is also widely used in ITU-R regions
and can be found in computer programs as CCIR
Rep.338 using KQ geo-climactic factors.
Rain (Crane)
The Crane rainfall zones are defined differently than the
ITU zones with more defined zones in the US than the
ITU zones.
The Rest of the World

Multipath and rain (ITU-R P.530-10)
Microwave Network Deployment
Deployment (also called implementation) includes

all the field activities:
Site Acquisition (if required),
Tower Erection or Modification,
Equipment Ordering, Staging, and Installation,
Creation of As-Built Documentation,
Acceptance Testing and Commissioning.
The installation team must have

enough people skilled in the
different aspects of the microwave
project, i.e. installers, riggers, and
commissioners to insure that
the project is completed in a
professional manner and as scheduled.
5
MW Build-out Process and Documents
Customer MW Network MW Network MW Network
RFQ Contract
Requirements Planning Design Deployment
Site and
SOW
Path
(Equipment Punch
Reports
And List
Preliminary ATP
Services)
MW
Customer Network
Detailed
Questionnaire Plan Change
MW
Network Order As-Built
Plan Form Documentation
(including
Customer Preliminary FCC)
Input BOM Financial
(Factory Ts & Cs Site
Notification) Engineering
Final Maintenance
Documentation
Systems Plan
Responsibility Design
Preliminary Matrix
Systems
Design Final BOM
Hardware and
and Equipment
Services Order
Offer
Initial MW network planning should be performed by in-house staff

or by an experienced independent consulting company
Microwave Engineering Services
Feasibility Studies and Business Case Analysis

Planning
Design
Ordering Equipment
Installation
Testing
Document Control
Project Management
Operation
Maintenance
6
Selecting the right Equipment Supplier(s)
RFQ
Large projects – multiple suppliers
All-indoor or Split Configuration
The right frequency and the right
capacity
The required configuration
Reliability (supplier’s reputation)
Maintainability and Upgradeability
Experience with similar projects
and/or clients
Warranty
Price
Is detailed microwave path survey required?
YES and NO; this will largely depend on the link location and length.
In the suburban and rural areas path survey is desirable, while in
highly dense areas (many tall downtown buildings) flashing may be a
better method to establish LOS on short links.
The most common use of the path survey and the Fresnel zone
information on a profile plot is to check for obstructions that penetrate
the zone (now and potentially in the future.)
Analysis of the multipath problems and a need for space diversity can
only be done after a detailed path survey is performed.
7
“These communications towers look sturdy enough for a
new microwave link.”
It is very important to use expert tower company to

calculate the loading of the tower and maximum
allowed twist and sway of the structure.
These decisions cannot be made on the basis of
qualitative perceptions or “gut feeling.”
Do not try to save money by using the “ballpark“
method!
Can we use existing electric transmission towers for

mounting microwave antennas?
Installation of the microwave systems using electrical utility

poles and towers must be carefully analyzed.
They may not fulfill requirements for the twist and sway of the
microwave antenna mounting structure, especially at the
higher frequencies and/or for larger antennas.
Partially blocked Fresnel zone by power lines or even towers

may not be a problem but has to be taken into consideration
during the path engineering.
8
Can we build a microwave network that will never fail?
Every network, regardless of the type, will have brief outages

from time to time and microwave networks are not an
exception.
Most outages and unavailability time are due to human error.
Communication network that never fails is a fiction.
Is a quick project cost and time estimate useful?
A preliminary cost estimate will be only as accurate as the

defined scope of the project.
In cases where very limited preliminary design has been

undertaken, this estimate will likely reflect the cost of
equipment and engineering services contemplated in the scope
of the project.
In cases where more extensive preliminary design has been

completed and the scope of the project has been well defined,
this estimate will likely reflect the total project cost very closely.
9
Can we expect problems with our microwave links in the
future?
There is a good reason for problems with the microwave link;

either it wasn’t designed properly or installed properly, or both.
Unreliable (failing) equipment could also be the reason for

problems with the microwave link.
Properly designed and installed microwave link from the

reputable supplier should be problem-free for many years.
Do we really need all these Change Orders, Record

keeping, As-built documentation, etc., that is slowing
us down?
Make sure that all the suppliers, consultants, and contractors

leave behind detailed written trail in the form of calculations,
drawings, test results, (As-Built documentation), etc.
You will be running the network long after they are all gone to
other projects and clients.
10
4. Conclusion
Here we will summarize some of the “sound microwave network
planning and design techniques” that will help reduce the potential
of having problems during the microwave system deployment and
later during the operation.
Do the preliminary activities, like network planning, properly and

spend sufficient time to analyze the details,
Create detailed SOW (Scope of Work) and carefully define who is

doing what (Responsibility Matrix). There is no such thing as “too
detailed scope of work.”
Leave enough spare capacity for the future expansion of the

system. In other words, design your network TODAY for the
requirements of TOMORROW.
Issue an RFQ for the equipment and services, perform due diligence
and pick the best (not necessarily the cheapest) companies to do the
job.
Make sure that all of the obvious requirements are fulfilled i.e. enough
space for the transmission equipment, available AC and DC power,
enough space for antenna installation and panning, access to the site,
etc.
Do not try to over-dimension the network and make it unnecessary

costly. Every network, regardless of the type, will have brief outages
from time to time and microwave networks are not an exception.
11
Perform detailed path survey on ALL microwave hops.
Topographical and digital maps are only used for initial planning as
a first approximation.
Keep good record of all the design documentation, survey reports,
change orders, ATP results, etc. Many of the long-term test results
will be later a benchmark for maintenance and troubleshooting
purposes.
Use in-house expertise and/or hire an independent consultant to
help analyze the requirements and create the best and cost-
effective solution for the particular project, and
Use in-house expertise and/or an independent consultant(s) to
manage the project. You need someone working directly for you
and protecting YOUR interests .
Use only reputable companies and consultants that have many
years of experience in the microwave field.
5. Q & A Session
12
6. Contact Information and Literature
E-mail: HarveyLehpamer@HLTelecomConsulting.com
Web Page: www.HLTelecomConsulting.com
Harvey Lehpamer: “Microwave Transmission Networks –

Planning, Design and Deployment,” McGraw-Hill, 2004,
ISBN 0-07-143249-3
Harvey Lehpamer: “Transmission Systems Design

Handbook for Wireless Networks,” Artech House, 2002,
ISBN 1-58053-243-8
13

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The Best Practices to Deploy

a Reliable Microwave Network

Harvey Lehpamer, MSEE

Harvey Lehpamer 1 HL Telecom Consulting

About Microwave Networks

 Two terms are used : Microwave Point-To-Point or Radio-

 Microwave systems are favored for the routes over difficult

 Line-of-Sight (LOS) is the main prerequisite (although not the

Typical Frequency Bands > 10 GHz < 10 GHz

Required Availability (99.99 - 99.999) % (99.999 – 99.9999) %

Redundancy Required Sometimes Always

Power Backup Time (0 – 2) hours 8 hours

Delay Limitations Some networks Stringent

New Technologies Adaptation Fast Slow

Harvey Lehpamer 3 HL Telecom Consulting

Challenges of Rain and Multipath

 Below 10 GHz issues are multipath related.

Harvey Lehpamer 5 HL Telecom Consulting

Microwave Build-out Activities

MW Network MW Network MW Network

Harvey Lehpamer 6 HL Telecom Consulting

Meet with customer(s), contractor(s), vendor(s) and/or

Perform high-level preliminary design using maps/terrain data,

Define the technical requirements, budget, schedule, internal

Complete the “Scope and Task Delineation List” (who’s doing

Harvey Lehpamer 7 HL Telecom Consulting

Microwave Network Design Considerations

 Capacity (node and link)

 Reliability (performance & availability - link engineering)

 Operation and Maintenance

Harvey Lehpamer 8 HL Telecom Consulting

 The Rest of the World

Harvey Lehpamer 9 HL Telecom Consulting

Microwave Network Deployment

 Deployment (also called implementation) includes

 The installation team must have

 Initial MW network planning should be performed by in-house staff

Microwave Engineering Services

 Feasibility Studies and Business Case Analysis

Harvey Lehpamer 12 HL Telecom Consulting

 Is detailed microwave path survey required?

 It is very important to use expert tower company to

Harvey Lehpamer 15 HL Telecom Consulting

 Can we use existing electric transmission towers for

 Installation of the microwave systems using electrical utility

 Partially blocked Fresnel zone by power lines or even towers

Harvey Lehpamer 16 HL Telecom Consulting

 Every network, regardless of the type, will have brief outages

 Most outages and unavailability time are due to human error.

 Communication network that never fails is a fiction.

Harvey Lehpamer 17 HL Telecom Consulting

 Is a quick project cost and time estimate useful?

 A preliminary cost estimate will be only as accurate as the

 In cases where very limited preliminary design has been

 In cases where more extensive preliminary design has been

Harvey Lehpamer 18 HL Telecom Consulting

 There is a good reason for problems with the microwave link;

 Unreliable (failing) equipment could also be the reason for

 Properly designed and installed microwave link from the

Harvey Lehpamer 19 HL Telecom Consulting

 Do we really need all these Change Orders, Record

 Make sure that all the suppliers, consultants, and contractors

Harvey Lehpamer 20 HL Telecom Consulting

Two terms are used : Microwave Point-To-Point or Radio-

Microwave systems are favored for the routes over difficult

Line-of-Sight (LOS) is the main prerequisite (although not the

Below 10 GHz issues are multipath related.

Meet with customer(s), contractor(s), vendor(s) and/or

Perform high-level preliminary design using maps/terrain data,

Define the technical requirements, budget, schedule, internal

Complete the “Scope and Task Delineation List” (who’s doing

Capacity (node and link)

Reliability (performance & availability - link engineering)

Operation and Maintenance

The Rest of the World

Deployment (also called implementation) includes

The installation team must have

Initial MW network planning should be performed by in-house staff

Feasibility Studies and Business Case Analysis

Is detailed microwave path survey required?

It is very important to use expert tower company to

Can we use existing electric transmission towers for

Installation of the microwave systems using electrical utility

Partially blocked Fresnel zone by power lines or even towers

Every network, regardless of the type, will have brief outages

Most outages and unavailability time are due to human error.

Communication network that never fails is a fiction.

Is a quick project cost and time estimate useful?

A preliminary cost estimate will be only as accurate as the

In cases where very limited preliminary design has been

In cases where more extensive preliminary design has been

There is a good reason for problems with the microwave link;

Unreliable (failing) equipment could also be the reason for

Properly designed and installed microwave link from the

Do we really need all these Change Orders, Record

Make sure that all the suppliers, consultants, and contractors

Do the preliminary activities, like network planning, properly and

Create detailed SOW (Scope of Work) and carefully define who is

Leave enough spare capacity for the future expansion of the

Do not try to over-dimension the network and make it unnecessary

Web Page: www.HLTelecomConsulting.com

Harvey Lehpamer: “Microwave Transmission Networks –

Harvey Lehpamer: “Transmission Systems Design