Cambium Networks Announces cnMEDUSA(TM), First-Of-Its-Kind Massive Multi-User MIMO Technology In PMP 450 Platform For Fixed Wireless Broadband

ROLLING MEADOWS, Illinois, June 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Cambium Networks™, a leading global provider of wireless broadband solutions, today debuted the first product to include cnMedusa™ technology the PMP 450m. cnMedusa allows network operators to offer 5G like speeds surpassing DSL and Cable while offering throughput comparable to fiber. Consumer demand for streaming media like Netflix™, the need to support symmetric traffic required of Cloud based services, and provide higher capacity Service Level Agreements are driving the need for this innovation.

Cambium’s cnMedusa is the first commercially available Massive Multi-User, multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) platform for fixed wireless broadband. The 14×14 integrated antenna array exceeds both 802.11AC Wave 2 and LTE-A planned implementation of 8×8, and yields the ability to support up to seven simultaneous carrier chains. The unprecedented spectral efficiency of the cnMedusa-enabled PMP 450m allows wireless services providers to offer triple play services to existing subscribers, and add new customers, without requiring additional scarce and expensive spectrum.

Developed over the course of three years at Cambium Labs cnMedusa’s Massive MU-MIMO technology offers a three-to-four times increase in network capacity and groundbreaking spectral efficiency in the field proven PMP 450 wireless broadband platform, while being managed from a single pane of glass in the cloud.

“cnMedusa will allow us to bring Ultra Broadband services at competitive prices to outdoor deployments we never could have reached previously,” said Luca Spada, President and CEO Eolo SpA. “The Massive MIMO technology in the PMP 450m allows us to build on our current deployments, using the same spectrum and subscriber equipment as before, while increasing throughput to existing customers with bandwidth to support network expansion.”

Key features of cnMedusa MU-MIMO technology in the PMP 450m include:

  • 3X-4X increase in capacity, with more than 400 Mbps in a 20 MHz channel
  • Industry leading spectral efficiency of 20+ bits per second per Hz (bps/Hz), and over 40 bps/Hz when deployed in frequency re-use configurations.
  • Fully integrated advanced sector antenna reducing capital costs and reducing operating expenses in installation and recurring tower fees.
  • Works with existing PMP 450 subscriber modules to protect investment in network equipment, while dramatically increasing capacity by changing out only the Access Point.

“The introduction of cnMedusa marks a shift in the way people access the Internet: wireless networks are becoming faster than wired ones,” said Atul Bhatnagar, President and CEO of Cambium Networks. “Massive Multi-User MIMO allows fixed wireless network operators to offer industry-leading cost, scalability and reach advantages – particularly in traditionally underserved areas – with speeds and reliability exceeding wired networks. This capability allows people in nearly any location to experience the media-rich content they expect, even in sparsely populated and difficult to reach areas of the world.”

cnMedusa is available now through Cambium Networks distributors.