TWEETHER future generation W-band backhaul and access network technology

Point to multipoint (PmP) distribution at millimeter wave is a frontier so far not yet crossed due to the formidable technological challenge that the high atmospheric attenuation poses. The transmission power at level of tens of Watts required at millimeter wave for a reference range of 1 km is not available by any commercial or laboratory solid state devices. However, the availability of PmP with multigigabit data rate is pivotal for the new high density small cell networks for 4G and 5G and to solve the digital divide in areas where fiber is not convenient or possible to be deployed. In this paper, the advancements of the novel approach proposed by the EU Horizon 2020 TWEETHER project to create the first and fastest outdoor W-band (92 – 95 GHz) PmP wireless network are described. For the first time a new generation W-band traveling wave tube high power amplifier is introduced in the transmission hub to provide the enabling power for a wide area distribution.