Fastback Launches the Intelligent Backhaul Radio 1300

Fastback Launches the Intelligent Backhaul Radio 1300 Enabling Faster, Lower Cost Urban Connectivity Anywhere

Fastback Networks® today announced its latest innovation, the highly compact Intelligent Backhaul Radio (IBR) 1300, a new solution that delivers 900 Mbps performance in the smallest form factor. The new discrete form factor and other advances enable the ultimate freedom of location for mounting on any tower, building or street asset anywhere backhaul is required to support carrier grade backhaul service. This flexibility assures operators can locate cellular radio access equipment where it is most needed to complement existing backhaul, increase network density, or improve reliability. The IBR 1300 allows operators to rapidly connect sites, address network “choke” points and provide flexibility in deployment.

The IBR-1300 is packed with both technical and economic advances, including world-first breakthroughs in transmission to ease set-up and mitigate interference, on-board power to simplify install, and a compact design that guarantees deployment in any location or environment.  These and other innovations were driven by 1000’s of customer engagements to address the real-world challenges of network densification, both technically and economically.  The IBR 1300 is part of the all new Fastback Networks product line-up of sub6 GHz, 60 GHz, and 70-80 GHz backhaul radios. These licensed and unlicensed complementary solutions extend the reach of high performance Carrier Ethernet and are universally easy and economical to install, deploy, maintain and scale.

“Backhaul capacity, affordability and deployability are all critical, as operators densify their networks with wireless fiber fill-in via macro and small cells in ever increasing numbers,” says Kevin Duffy, CEO and Co-founder, Fastback Networks. “High performance backhaul devices must be designed to make operators network densification job easier. The IBR 1300 sets a new standard for high performance, reliable, operationally elegant, and economically deployable urban backhaul.”

Packed with Innovations


At 900 Mbps and a mere 8x10x4 inches, 50% smaller than its predecessor, the IBR-1300 is the fastest, smallest and most versatile radio available. The IBR 1300 delivers even higher performance by enabling the full radio spectrum to be available at all times to both the transmit and receive channels, while at the same retaining very low (less than 400ms) latency . This innovative use of FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) transmission dramatically cuts installation time through immediate alignment of the radio link, and further advances Fastback’s Extreme Interference Protection (XIP) for more connections in more locations. In addition, beamforming technology on both transmit and receive channels is another industry first of the IBR-1300, which improves reliability for high density, large scale deployments. And the IBR-1300 is the only radio in its class that can operate using integrated AC power when no other source is available. This is ideal for small cell deployments in city centers and urban locations using street furniture, while the small form factor is well suited to the new “shrouds” required by many municipalities.

Ease of Deployment Redefined


During installation, an immediate IBR 1300 link can always be achieved without “swapping ends” and incurring the related cost. This simplifies installation, troubleshooting, configuration and cuts the cost of deployment spares in half. Very quick and uncomplicated alignment is a strength of the IBR, enabled by the wide azimuthal and vertical apertures that make installation and operation simple.

The IBR-1300 operates across any line of sight (AnyLOS) radio environments. In addition, Fastback’s 3D Ray Tracing network planning tool, IBR Predict, is offered to Fastback customers to quickly and accurately predict backhaul radio performance across Any Line of Sight, including LOS, near LOS to complete NLOS.

The IBR-1300 will be available in FCC regulatory markets in Q1 2016, and in ETSI regulatory markets in Q2 2016. The radio operates in the 5GHz spectrum that is licence free in FCC and ETSI regulated countries.

About Fastback Networks


Fastback Networks was founded with a vision to deliver innovative technology for the mobile infrastructure of the future. Fastback solutions enable network operators to expand and enhance services, and private networks to secure, monitor and manage operations via high capacity data connectivity. With insights derived from the collective team’s experience building leading edge radio and data networking solutions, Fastback Networks looks at the challenges of 4G/5GLTE deployment with fresh eyes and better ideas, and develops transformational mobile backhaul solutions that enable the acceleration of the mobile future.Â