How do you connect the base stations (repeaters) when designing a multi-site radio system, be it DMR, TETRA, DIMETRA, or traditional MPT1370? With a Mobile Network Internet Router, you might find the solution is simple and relatively inexpensive.

If fibre or copper internet connection is available, this is one option, however in many instances this isn’t the case. A number of customers therefore use Point to Point or Point to Multi-Point Microwave Links.

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Digital Microwave Radio (DMR Links) are one option, however this depends on having approval from the owner of the building to erect masts, pull cables, power etc.

 

One simpler solution might be to use Mobile Network Internet Routers for the backhaul.

At iPTT we have deployed numerous Mobile Internet Routers. Normally configured with a primary unlimited data SIM and a failover SIM (on another network) which makes it a robust and viable solution for connecting multi-site DMR radio systems. Given the flexibility of Mobile Routers, they can easily be deployed and management is done through the cloud, so operations can be monitored, any faults corrected and profiles deployed.

Should the primary network fail, the Routers can be deployed so they immediately switch to the secondary network. This takes a few seconds.

Compare this to a microwave link – because there’s a physical infrastructure, costs have a very different profile and engineers might have to be deployed in site (at additional costs).

Should you need redundancy, not just in terms of networks but also in terms of hardware, 2 routers can be connected, to provide another level of safety. And if you’re worried about power, we also have solutions, which can continue on battery power, until power is restored. The flexibility of 4G Routers is second to none and can be deployed within days without planning permissions or engineers erecting towers, cutting costs and time.

We currently offer unlimited data SIMs from:

• Vodafone
• EE
• Three
• O2

Before we start, we recommend you look at coverage of the mobile networks. You can check that here: https://www.iptt.co.uk/coverage-multi-network-sims/

If you’ve got any questions, need any help or want find out more about how 4G Routers can substitute microwave links, please call iPTT, email iPTT or get in touch

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