Systems and methods for improving wireless mesh networks
Disclosed herein is a wireless mesh network comprised of ultra-high-capacity nodes that are capable of establishing ultra-high-capacity links (e.g., point-to-point or point-to-multipoint bi-directional communication links) using a millimeter wave spectrum, including but not limited to 28 Ghz, 39 Ghz, 37/42 Ghz, 60 Ghz (including V band), or E-band frequencies, as examples. The higher capacity and/or extended range of these ultra-high-capacity nodes/links may be achieved via various advanced signal processing techniques. Further, these ultra-high-capacity nodes/links may be used in conjunction with other types of point-to-point and/or point-to-multipoint links to build a multi-layer wireless mesh network.
1. A communication system comprising:
a satellite having massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication capability; and
a plurality of wireless communication nodes, wherein each wireless communication node of the plurality of wireless communication nodes is located at a respective ground-based installation site and comprises respective equipment that is configured to (i) deliver a high-speed internet service to the respective ground-based installation site and (ii) connect to the satellite via a respective bidirectional wireless link that is based on a massive MIMO beam, wherein the respective equipment of each wireless communication node of a subset of nodes from the plurality of wireless communication nodes is further configured to generate one or more bidirectional wireless point-to-point (ptp) links, and wherein the respective equipment of each wireless communication node of the subset of nodes is further configured to, in response to detecting a trigger, dynamically switch from one of the one or more bidirectional wireless ptp links to the bidirectional wireless link that is based on the massive MIMO beam.
2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the satellite comprises a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite.
3. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the respective bidirectional wireless link that is based on the massive MIMO beam is utilized for backhaul data transmission.
4. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein each wireless communication node's respective ground-based installation site comprises private property associated with a respective customer of the high-speed internet service.
5. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein each wireless communication node of the plurality of wireless communication nodes is part of a wireless mesh network.
6. The communication system of claim 5 , wherein each node of a group of nodes from the subset of nodes is utilized as a seed node for the wireless mesh network, and wherein each node of the group of nodes from the subset of nodes is configured to utilize its respective bidirectional wireless link that is based on the massive MIMO beam for backhaul data transmission for the wireless mesh network.
7. The communication system of claim 6 , wherein, for each node of the group of nodes from the subset of nodes, the one or more bidirectional wireless ptp links comprise two or more independent bidirectional wireless ptp links, and wherein the respective equipment of each wireless communication node of the group of nodes is further configured to generate two or more steerable beams for establishing the two or more independent bidirectional wireless ptp links with two or more other wireless communication nodes in the wireless mesh network.
8. The communication system of claim 7 , wherein the respective equipment of each wireless communication node of the group of nodes from the subset of nodes comprises (i) first equipment that is configured to generate the two or more steerable beams and (ii) second equipment that is configured to connect to the satellite, wherein the first and second equipment are housed in physically separate enclosures.
9. The communication system of claim 7 , wherein the respective equipment of each wireless communication node of the group of nodes from the subset of nodes is configured to, in response to detecting the trigger, dynamically switch from one of the two or more independent bidirectional wireless ptp links to the bidirectional wireless link that is based on the massive MIMO beam.
10. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the trigger comprises one or more of a change in link condition of the one of the one or more bidirectional wireless ptp links, increased interference, instructions from higher layers, latency, bandwidth, or packet loss requirements of a particular application.
11. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein each node of a group of nodes from the subset of nodes is connected to a fiber access point that has access to high-bandwidth fiber.
12. The communication system of claim 11 , wherein the respective equipment of each wireless communication node in the group of nodes is configured to dynamically switch its connection with the fiber access point from its bidirectional wireless link that is based on the massive MIMO beam to the one of the one or more bidirectional wireless ptp links.
13. A wireless communication node comprising:
equipment that is configured to (i) deliver a high-speed internet service to a ground-based installation site, (ii) connect, via a bidirectional wireless link, to a satellite having massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication capability, wherein the bidirectional wireless link is based on a massive MIMO beam, (iii) generate one or more bidirectional wireless point-to-point (ptp) links, and (iv) in response to detecting a trigger, dynamically switch from one of the one or more bidirectional wireless ptp links to the bidirectional wireless link that is based on the massive MIMO beam.
14. The wireless communication node of claim 13 , wherein the satellite comprises a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite.
15. The wireless communication node of claim 13 , wherein the bidirectional wireless link that is based on the massive MIMO beam is utilized for backhaul data transmission.
16. The wireless communication node of claim 13 , wherein the wireless communication node is located at the ground-based installation site, and wherein the ground-based installation site comprises private property associated with a customer of the high-speed internet service.
17. The wireless communication node of claim 13 , wherein the trigger comprises one or more of a change in link condition of the one of the one or more bidirectional wireless ptp links, increased interference, instructions from higher layers, latency, bandwidth, or packet loss requirements of a particular application.
18. A communication system comprising:
a plurality of satellites, wherein each satellite of the plurality of satellites has massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication capability; and
a plurality of wireless communication nodes, wherein each wireless communication node of the plurality of wireless communication nodes is located at a respective ground-based installation site and comprises respective equipment that is configured to (i) deliver a high-speed internet service to the respective ground-based installation site and (ii) connect to each satellite of one or more of the satellites of the plurality of satellites via a respective bidirectional wireless link that is based on a massive MIMO beam, wherein the respective equipment of each wireless communication node of a subset of nodes from the plurality of wireless communication nodes is further configured to generate one or more bidirectional wireless point-to-point (ptp) links, and wherein the respective equipment of each wireless communication node of the subset of nodes is further configured to, in response to detecting a trigger, dynamically switch from one of the one or more bidirectional wireless ptp links to the bidirectional wireless link that is based on the massive MIMO beam.
19. The communication system of claim 18 , wherein each satellite of the plurality of satellites comprises a respective low earth orbit (LEO) satellite.
20. The communication system of claim 18 , wherein the respective bidirectional wireless link that is based on the massive MIMO beam is utilized for backhaul data transmission.