2/18/2017 DronesforFieldMicrowavePathSurveys|DragonWaveInc.

DronesforFieldMicrowavePathSurveys
February07,2017
PostedBy:ChadHumeniuk,DirectorofCustomerNetworkEngineeringatDragonWaveInc.

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Telecommunicationcustomersliveinaworldofservicereliabilityonewheretheycomputeanoutagein
seconds,quicklyunderstandingthedifferencebetweena99.999anda99.995microwavedesign.Theyrationalize
economictradeoffsandproceedtodeploythesolutionthatfits.However,beforemakingthisdecision,muchtime,
effortandcostisspentinthepredeploymentphase,addressingsuchareasassiteselection,microwavedesign,
fieldvalidation,licensing,zoningandpermitting.

InatraditionalMWdesignapproachusingelectronicdesktopvalidationtoolsanetworkdesigncandeliveran
8090%successrate.Saidanotherway,forevery10MWlinksdesigned,only1or2wouldfailthefieldLineof
Sight(LoS)survey.

TraditionalApproachDesktopDesignandElectronicLineofSight(ifavailable)Approach

Customerprovides:

GPScoordinatesofsite(s)investtimeandenergytodeterminewhatmountinglocationsare
availableformonthlyleasing,costsassociated,etc.
Mountingheightandbuildingtype
Designrequirements:throughput,SLA,antennasizelimitationsetc.

DragonWavedelivers:

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2/18/2017 DronesforFieldMicrowavePathSurveys|DragonWaveInc.

Electroniclineofsightsurveysonpotentialpathandcompletesengineeringanalysisinamicrowave
transmissiontool.Resultsaresharedwiththeclient.

Outcome

CustomerBenefitslowcost
CustomerLimitationscustomersmayprovideidealcandidatelocationswithnoAZP(Access,
Zoning,Permitting)knowledge/research,lowprobabilitysitewillbeavailable.DW/OEMLimitations
lowerconversionratefrommicrowavedesigntoinstallation.

DeployingDrones

Inanefforttodeliverahigherreliablenetwork,theDragonWave
servicesteamhasbeenformingpartnershipswithdrone
professionalsintheindustry.Goingbeyondthedronehobbyist,drone
surveysrequire>$5Kdronetechnologywithbackendsupporttopost
processtheimageryandvideowithin24hoursofflight.Theymust
alsobeabletostreamthevideo/datacontentdirectlytotheDW
microwaveengineerinminutes.Thisallowsanyblockedpathstobe
identifiedimmediately,allowingtheDragonWaveMicrowaveEngineer
toproviderealtimeazimuthchangestothedroneoperator.This
streamlinedapproachensuresthatapotentialleasingcandidatesite
hasatminimumonevalidatedLoSpath.Ifnopathsareclear,the
fielddatawillidentifyalternativecandidatesitesinthecustomers
AreaofInterest.

Additionally,thisdataisvaluablefor:

RFengineerstounderstandverticalrealestateavailableand
toevaluatedowntilts,interference,etc.
ConstructiongroupsforcreatingaccuratematerialBOM's.
LandlordsorMLAstoidentifydiscrepanciesinCDsandfor
supportingasbuilts.

DesktopandElectronicLineofSightwithDroneApproach:

Customerprovides:

GPScoordinatesofsite(s)orAreaofInterest(AOI)forcoverageareaisdefined,andidentifyany
landlordpreferencesorlimitations.
Designrequirements:throughput,SLA,antennasizelimitationsetc.

DragonWavedelivers:

Electroniclineofsightsurveysonpotentialpathandcompletesengineeringanalysisinamicrowave
transmissiontool.

http://www.dragonwaveinc.com/blog/dronesfieldmicrowavepathsurveys?bitlybreaker=1 2/4
2/18/2017 DronesforFieldMicrowavePathSurveys|DragonWaveInc.

Droneusedtoperformdeploymentfeasibilityanalysisofsiteandproposedpathsfieldvalidated
withhighresolutionphotosandvideo.
CustomerBenefitsProvidescurrentviewofequipmentonproposedsiteand/orpossiblelocation,
abletoidentify#ofantennasthatcouldbemountedatspecificheights,andwhatmounting
height(s)wouldberequired.Eliminateswastedtimenegotiatingaccesstositeswhichcanneverbe
usedintheMWdesignbasedonantennaavailabilityandLineofSightavailability.
CustomerLimitationsIncreasedupfrontinvestment(duetofieldvisit)andtimeassociatedwith
schedulingandperformingthework.

http://www.dragonwaveinc.com/sites/default/files/dronesmicrowavepathsurveysimages.png

Dronerequirementshighresolutionphotos5280x3956at20.8mp,360panoramicat6heightsdefined
byMWengineer,andentireflightwouldneedvideocapturedwithflightdatagauge(compass,elevation,
flightlocation)

XandYcoordinates,location,elevationrecordedincludedaswatermarkandaddedtoeachphoto

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Thereisamarketforusingdronesinnetworkingengineeringdesignsgivencustomersunderstandtheeconomic
benefits,andthehigherupfrontcostthatprovidesinsurancethattherearenolaterdeployment
surprises/headaches.DragonWavehasseenahighvariationinpricingondronesitesurveyandLOSby
geographicmarket.Thecostislargelybasedonthenumberofsites,theirdeploymentdensity(distancebetween),
theirlocation(geographic)distancefromtheDroneoperator,andthecommercializationoftheDroneoperator
(backendsupport).

Withtheexampleabove,withtheNonDroneapproach,3FlashLoSsurveyswouldneedtobeperformedtwo
initiallyonflaggedpathsinthedesignand1moretodetermineanalternativeforablockedpathversus10
dronesurveyssitesurvey,360panoramic,videocaptureetc.BasedonDragonWavesexperience,using
dronesisonaverage20%cheaperonsurveycosts,andisabletobecompletedmuchearlierintheplanning
process.Withthatinmind,operatorsmightstronglywanttoconsiderutilizingdronesintheirnextnetworkdesign.

Labels: Drones LoS Microwave

Comments
SandySt.John
2017021312:10
IfI'mreadingthisarticleright,thenthisisn'ta"microwavepathsurvey".It'sjustusingadronetoflythetowersat
theterminalpointstoflashthepathtoseeifthere'sanydirectblockagetoLOS.Itdoesn'tmentiondocumenting
theinternalpathitselfjustprovidingphotosofthepathfromthetowersite.

TherearemanymoreconsiderationstoproperlydesigningaMWpaththanjustLOSclearanceusingphotos.This
isanothershortcutbycompanieswhowishtodesignsystemswithoutpayingamicrowavepathsurveyorto
actuallyphysicallyverifyandaccuratelydocumentthepath&pathobstructions.Usingguestimateddesignsfrom
photoscollectedonlyattheterminalpoints,theyapparentlyarewillingtoriskallsortsofmidpathphysicalissues
thatcouldaffectfeasibilityandreliability.

reply

ChadHumeniuk
2017021315:17
PerformingLineofSight(LOS)surveysisstillanafterthoughtwithmostcustomersdeployingmicrowave.Ahigh
percentageofcustomerswillleavethedecisiontothemicrowaveengineer(MWE)toapprovethepathbasedon
electronicpathanalysis.Unfortunately,theMWEhasonlyenoughbudgettosurveyapprox..70%ofthepaths
(expectthisisoptimistic).LikeidentifiedinthecommentsdroneLOSsurveyshavelimitationsandusingthemon
longerMWpathsorwheremultipathfadingorductingissuesarepresentshouldbefieldverifiedbyatraditional
approach.Fresnelinfringementswillleadtopathperformanceissuesandtheinstallationteamstrugglingtoarrive
withinthe+/3dBofcalculatedRSL.However,forthemajorityofcustomers,(trendfornetworkintensificationand
shorterhighercapacityMWlinks)beingabletoperformdroneLOSonallofthemandfurtherfindingtheblocked
pathsasextremelybeneficial.

WitharecentcustomertheyreviewedtheperformanceoftheMWEteamonthe30%ofapprovedelectronic
nonsurveyedpaths,3.1%ofpathswerefoundblockedduringinstallation.Ontheremaining70%thatwere
submittedforFlashLOSsurvey,1.7%hadablockedpathandneededtogobackintotheMWdesignphase.The
debateisnowwhetherdronefieldsurveyscouldhaveidentifiedthe3.1%ofblockedpaths.savingthecompany
time,moneyandengineeringrework.Findingsaretobecontinued..

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