Microwave Backhaul
Definition
A mobile backhaul implementation using a point-to-point microwave radio link between a base station and the core network or an aggregation point, requiring unobstructed line-of-sight between the two endpoints, providing terrestrial-grade capacity and latency without requiring fiber construction to the site.
Key Points
- Requires an unobstructed line-of-sight path between the two microwave link endpoints, since the radio frequencies used don't penetrate or diffract around terrain, buildings, or dense vegetation the way lower-frequency signals can
- Deployable considerably faster and at lower cost than trenching fiber to a site, making it the preferred terrestrial backhaul option specifically where fiber construction is impractical but a clear line-of-sight path exists
- Provides substantially higher capacity and lower latency than satellite backhaul, since the link operates over a much shorter terrestrial path rather than a round trip to orbit and back
- Susceptible to rain fade and other atmospheric attenuation, though generally less severely affected than higher-frequency satellite feeder links given microwave backhaul's typically lower operating frequencies and shorter path lengths
- Site selection and tower placement are directly constrained by the need to maintain line-of-sight to the paired endpoint, meaning terrain and obstruction analysis is a first-order factor in where a microwave-backhauled base station can practically be located
Concept
A microwave backhaul link operates much like a wireless bridge — a transmitter and receiver at each end of the link, aimed directly at each other across a clear path with no obstruction — carrying base station traffic to an aggregation point or the core network without a physical cable running the distance. Because the microwave frequencies involved travel in a straight line and don't bend around obstacles, the link's feasibility depends entirely on whether a clear sightline exists between the two locations, which is why terrain and obstruction analysis precedes any microwave backhaul deployment decision.
Explainer
Microwave backhaul occupies a specific middle position in the backhaul technology landscape: it delivers capacity and latency performance much closer to fiber than to satellite, while avoiding fiber's construction cost and timeline, making it the preferred choice specifically where a clear line-of-sight path exists between the site and a suitable aggregation point but running physical fiber isn't economical. This is precisely why microwave backhaul and satellite backhaul serve genuinely different site profiles despite both being non-fiber terrestrial alternatives — a site with an unobstructed sightline to a nearby tower is a strong microwave backhaul candidate, while a site in genuinely remote or obstructed terrain with no viable line-of-sight path has no microwave option at all and must rely on satellite backhaul instead regardless of the latency and capacity tradeoff that involves. For CE verticals, microwave backhaul is frequently the most cost-effective backhaul choice for extending coverage to mining, energy, and rural sites where terrain permits a clear sightline to existing infrastructure, making terrain and line-of-sight survey work a standard early step in evaluating backhaul options for any new site in this category.
Cite this entry
Microwave Backhaul. ConnectedEarth Knowledge Base. https://connectedearth.space/knowledge-base/microwave-backhaul/ (updated 13 September 2026).