December 2012
VIEW FROM THE TOP

Jon Opalski
COO, Remec Broadband

Q: The importance of sustaining and developing technology has reached a point where states and cities are more actively building relationships with universities and recruiting high-tech companies. However, there continues to be a shortage of engineering graduates, especially those focusing on RF and microwave technology. What would your company do (or is doing) to help promote careers?

A: Work with local universities on internship program for students during summer or work terms. Through that experience provide feedback to universities on program/course content.

Q:If your company serves the commercial markets, are you encouraged by any particular emerging application or technology?

A: We operate primarily in the digital microwave radio market. The biggest emerging sectors of this market are small cell backhaul and 60/80Ghz. Small cells are getting lots of attention now from cellular operators as a way to provide more localized bandwidth and capacity for their broadband data networks, primarily LTE. The biggest challenge to deploying small cells is a both a cost effective and aesthetic solution to backhauling the data from the access points. Lots of talk about integrating the access and backhaul radios into a single box, so partnering becomes a critical element of your go to market strategy. As traditional licensed microwave bands become limiting in bandwidth and data throughput for backhauling broadband access networks, 60 & 80G bands are getting a lot more attention given the large frequency bandwidths available. Sixty Ghz in unlicensed and 80 Ghz has now been licensed most places around the globe today both with multiple GHz of bandwidth available. The key is getting the cost of these higher frequency solutions down to the same levels as the traditional microwave bands. One of the most interesting possibilities is of course the overlap of these two trends in using 60/80 Ghz for small cell backhaul. This application really offers the large volumes necessary to drive costs down.

Q: Last year, we asked what impact the global economic crisis was having on the markets you serve and on how you run your business. What is your current perspective?

A: The mobile communications infrastructure market and microwave radio backhaul subset of that in particular, have seen very low to no growth the past few years and projected into the next year. All the major infrastructure equipment OEMs are seeing poor financial performance and executing various downsizing activities. Pricing in such a market is very tough. Our current perspective is that the coming year will be similar and you need to come up with compelling solutions for the higher profile trends like small cells and diversify the customer base and product portfolio as much as possible.

Q: What countries or regions do you believe will provide the greatest growth potential for the wireless industry in 2013?

A:Since we deal primarily through the OEM equipment providers we don’t have as good a view on the end market trends. ♦