For theWISP:
Since you are looking for hardware solutions, not business practices, it is very interesting how this thread varies. However couldnt resist making some blunt comments, so be careful what you ask for.
You operate a WISP and didnt realize 2.4 is useless? 5GHz has the only chance to deliver the bandwidth you want.
So much misinformation: TV whitespaces are for smartphones and very very low power devices with antennas that are ostensibly restricted to such low heights, it yields the so-called 'new spectrum' absolutely useless for WISP business. This is actually a hardware comment, because any notion that hardware will be available any time soon is for those on another planet. TV whitespace spectrum was a purely political play. I too researched it at the behest of investors, and could not report anything worth spending their money on. Research on the 'trials' will give you the evidence of this ploy.
Regarding 3.65GHz, in the urban areas it has been essentially rendered useless. Certain utilities with endless budgets have saturated the tiny band with massive deployments for their AMR and 'SmartHome' systems. Did they have to invade this tiny token of spectrum so their gullible customers could adjust thier air-conditioning while driving down the expressway? Big money vendors have come to town to show me their wares, only to leave with their tails between their legs when even they couldnt cut through the ridiculously high noise floor that has been foisted on the urban and metro areas of the country. This is a disappointing trend, but thats what happens when you only have money to throw at the problem.
Since this is a MT forum, I hate to get into vendor issues, but your question begs at least a comment. I deployed Canopy the day it became available. Today's Canopy is not your daddy's Canopy [sic]...There is Canopy that utilizes totally different transmission techniques, although taking some of the desirable features with them. The order of magnitude of increased expenditures for Canopy is significant, but cannot disrespect the product for that alone.
Knowledgable and savvy WISP operators can and do make delivering bandwidth with MT and similar hybrid equipment viable, and I do it every day. Standardization becomes a significant factor when making hardware decisions, and MT has always delivered a compatible path delivering a scalable infrastructure without having to throw away your legacy network. It just isnt that hard.
You requested information on hardware, but I believe another concept would be recommended. The ability to compete is not necessarily related to just the hardware. Do you monitor your network? The only way to stay competitive is to develop a 'system' that provides reliable service, and the speeds your customer base demands. Monitoring your network and collecting years of empirical data will give you the information, and ability to respond to the widely varying events that occur within the day of a WISP operation. The ability to respond to customers, based on effective and viable monitoring (hint hint), combined with hardware that is scalable and as future proof as possible is essential to business continuity. IMHO, MT provides the most flexibility to configure and operate reliably within a constantly changing environment. Vendors with so-called high-end equipment lock you into their way of thinking about the way
you operate
your business. Dont let the hardware dictate how you operate your business. Let your total systems approach, combined with a good dose of common sense and customer service deliver the goods. MT combined with the Dude has been the only combination so far that meets these requirements. Having operated most all of the mentioned equipment and technologies for over 15 years, I have seen many come and go. The ones that are still around all have good
systems, with varying sets of equipment, many of them with MT, some with others. I have personally seen them, know them, and co-exist with them to this day.
So to not continue the verbosity, thats my take on this situation that we are all in. Again, be careful what you ask for...It might not be what you wanted to hear. Thats my system to compete...