How do you interconnect remote DMR voice base stations across the Southern Alps – where microwave links are expensive and VHF/UHF radios lack the capacity? In New Zealand, the answer is RipEX2.
https//www.racom.eu/ru/case/connectivity-across-new-zealand
Challenge: Reliable IP Backhaul for DMR Tier 3 Base Stations
New Zealand has long been a strong market for RACOM technology. Since 2011, operators have deployed RipEX radios and RAy microwave links across the country. But as networks evolved, voice communication providers demanded:
- higher capacity for IP-based DMR Tier 3 backhaul
- full-duplex operation for simultaneous voice traffic
- stable communication in mountain terrain with NLOS conditions
- licensed-band radio performance without the cost of microwave
- scalable links connecting sites up to 50 km apart
Ashley Communications, operating a large VHF DMR Tier 3 network on the South Island, needed a reliable way to link remote base stations using modern IP technology.
Solution: RipEX2 Delivers High-Capacity, Full-Duplex Radio Links
Holland Communications – RACOM’s long-time partner in New Zealand – proposed testing RipEX2 for interconnecting three base stations in the Southern Alps.
The trial was highly successful.
RipEX2 provided:
- full-duplex point-to-point links in the licensed 400 MHz band
- 50 kHz channels with 64 QAM modulation
- up to 250 kbps throughput (and up to 1.7 Mbps depending on configuration)
- excellent performance in NLOS mountain terrain
- stable operation across paths of up to 50 km
Ashley quickly recognised that RipEX2 offered the capacity and reliability needed for modern DMR backhaul – at significantly lower operating cost than microwave solutions.
Results: Cost-Effective Backhaul and a Foundation for Expansion
Encouraged by the trial, Ashley Communications purchased new RipEX2 units and began migrating additional links.
Key benefits:
- economical deployment compared to microwave alternatives
- reliable full-duplex IP connectivity for mission-critical voice networks
- stable performance in challenging mountain conditions
- a scalable approach to linking future base stations
RipEX2 is now a strategic component of Ashley’s DMR Tier 3 network – bringing modern IP capacity to areas once limited by the constraints of traditional radio technologies.
