Short answer
Higher-frequency microwave links can be weather-sensitive. FirstNet accounts for this in the survey and design, and can pair microwave with another medium for resilience.
In detail
In general, heavy rain absorbs and scatters radio signals, and the effect grows at higher frequencies and over longer distances, so a microwave link is engineered with its path, frequency and conditions in mind. For FirstNet microwave this means:
- A desktop and physical line-of-sight and RF assessment before anything is committed
- Delivery only through ICASA-licensed network operators on approved spectrum
- ICASA type-approved radios and antennas, mounted on a roof, wall or mast
- PRTG monitoring through the indoor router once the link is live
Weather is one reason FirstNet treats diversity as a design principle. Microwave is often the backup to fibre, because an air path does not share fibre's trench and is unaffected by cable cuts. Where microwave is the primary, pairing it with LTE/5G, fixed wireless or LEO satellite gives a second path. LEO satellite can also be affected by severe weather, so the right pairing depends on the site and is decided during design.
Source: FirstNet Wireless Connectivity service page →
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