Overview

Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS), also known wireless cable, is another wireless broadband technology for Internet access. MMDS has been around since the 1970s and is a well-tested wireless technology, which has been used for TV signal transmission for more than 30 years. The service is delivered using terrestrial-based radio transmitters located at the highest location in a metropolitan area. Each subscriber receives the MMDS signal with an exclusive, small, digital receiver placed at your location with line of sight to the transmitters. MMDS channels come in 6 MHz chunks and run on licensed and unlicensed channels. Each channel can reach transfer rates as high as 27 Mbps (over unlicensed channels: 99 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.7 to 5.8 GHz) or 1 Gbps (over licensed channels). Typically, a block of 200 MHz is allocated to a licensed carrier in an area.

MMDS is a broadcasting and communications service that operates in the ultra-high-frequency (UHF) portion of the radio spectrum between 2.1 and 2.7 GHz. MMDS is also known as wireless cable. It was conceived as a substitute for conventional cable television (TV). However, it also has applications in telephone/fax and data communications.

In MMDS, a medium-power transmitter is located with an omni-directional broadcast antenna at or near the highest topographical point in the intended coverage area. The workable radius can reach up to 70 miles in flat terrain (significantly less in hilly or mountainous areas). There is a monthly fee, similar to that for satellite TV...