PoE for Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs)

Detailed introduction：

Does PoE Make the Internet Faster?

Most of us take high speed internet access for granted these days. Whether we are attached through an Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi in our homes or office or through 5G cellular while out and about, we enjoy the high-speed connectivity available to us. In less densely populated rural areas, this is not always the case. The cost to deploy high speed Internet service in rural areas is prohibitive and non-profitable for many Internet Service Providers (ISPs). As wireless data technology has evolved, Wireless ISPs (WISPs) have emerged to address the rural broadband markets. High speed Internet service provided by a WISP is not limited to rural areas. Data rates over a wireless Internet connection have improved to make WISPs popular and competitive in urban and suburban regions, especially where wired internet infrastructure is not available.

WISPs deploy radios on towers (re-using cellular towers where available) to blanket the service area with coverage. Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) is installed at subscriber locations to utilize the service. The CPE for WISP service includes a local antenna, a router with internal modem and a Wi-Fi access point. A key advantage to WISP service is the portability of the CPE. A subscriber can easily relocate the equipment in their home or office to a new residence without interruption in service—no need to cancel and re-subscribe to a new service when moving to a new apartment. 

How Do I Connect My CPE to My Router?

Powering the CPE with PoE provides the flexibility to install the antenna, router and Wi-Fi access point in locations that optimize the signal strength but may not have an AC outlet nearby. The optimal antenna placement for WISP service is line of sight. This usually means mounting the user's antenna in an outdoor location. The preferred location for a wireless access point is some high location within the customer's home. These locations rarely have a conveniently located AC power source. Powering these components with PoE is a good choice to provide the greatest flexibility with equipment placement.

Microchip has PoE solutions for WISP device manufacturers.

Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) ICs designed into the router create PoE ports to power the antenna and Wi-Fi access points with PoE

Powered Device (PD) and Ideal Diode Bridge (IDB) ICs in the antenna and Wi-Fi access points allow these units to be powered by PoE and eliminate the need for an external power source

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