M9 Wireless SkyConnectors are cost-effective indoor and outdoor CPE that can be used for either business or residential access but without requiring copper or coaxial connections. The SkyConnectors provide an Ethernet drop to the subscriber and connect to the high-capacity wireless mesh network through a dedicated, directional 5 GHz link.

Not only do the SkyConnectors keep costs down but they also provide a range of advanced, revenue-enhancing services. The units integrate per-user rate control to allow for different service tiers (i.e. 1 Mbps, 2 Mbps, etc.) as well as providing VLAN support for transparent LAN services and quality of service parameters for latency-sensitive applications such as VoIP and video surveillance.

The M9 Wireless SkyPilot system features a unique combination of intelligent routing and transmission scheduling software and high-performance, directional antenna system, thus providing robust links for carrier-class wireless broadband access.

Extended reach
With a high-power radio (up to 44.5 dBm / 28.2 W EIRP) and 8 directional antennas, the SkyPilot mesh backhaul extends the range between nodes up to 10 miles/16 km in line of sight (LOS) environments. In addition, the SkyPilot system supports multiple hops between the SkyGateway base station and subscriber nodes, further extending the reach of the network to broaden the service coverage area.

Reliable, NLOS coverage
In non-line of sight (NLOS) environments, the SkyPilot system provides three separate methods to overcome obstructions. First, the intrinsic NLOS capabilities of OFDM modulation provide coverage in multipath environments. Second, the high-power radio can simply bore through certain obstructions like tree-line streets. Third, the meshing capabilities allow network operators to route around obstacles by extending the mesh. These three capabilities provide the flexibility to install sophisticated wireless networking even in challenging RF environments.

Intelligent routing and transmission protocol
To leverage the array of highly directional antennas, SkyPilot developed an advanced time division duplex (TDD) protocol to provide true mesh networking, increase network capacity, and mitigate self-interference. Each node within a SkyPilot network is synchronized through an embedded GPS chip, and this allows the entire network to coordinate packet transmissions for maximum frequency re-use. This protocol incorporates an algorithm to ensure optimized path routing and avoid collisions by coordinating transmit/receive times. The result is greatly increased capacity that supports a large number of subscribers.

Scalable network capacity
Each SkyGateway base station provides up to 20 Mbps of network capacity, and by simply adding SkyGateways, capacity can be scaled to meet the increased bandwidth requirements of a growing subscriber base.

System redundancy and fault tolerance
The SkyPilot system provides system-level redundancy and fault tolerance to ensure no single point of failure in the network. Multiple SkyGateway base stations provide redundant connections to the Internet for failover protection, and the mesh backhaul can provide multiple, redundant paths to provide self-healing in case of the decrease or loss of connectivity between nodes.

Embedded QoS functionality
The SkyPilot system handles a mixture of voice, video, and data traffic through integrated quality of service (QoS) functionality. With priority queuing, rate limiting, packet filtering, and a deterministic protocol, the SkyPilot system ensures that latency-sensitive traffic, such as VoIP, leverages the system's round-trip latency of 8-10 milliseconds per hop.

Innovative 8-antenna array
All of SkyPilot's base stations and mesh backhaul systems (SkyGateway, SkyExtender, and SkyExtender DualBand) feature an innovative 8-antenna array. Within this array, each of the eight antennas provides a focused 45° horizontal beam, which collectively provides 360° coverage. Internal to each system is a high-speed switching fabric that alternates between the antennas to provide focused, directional transmissions.

High output power
With this unique 8-antenna array, the SkyPilot systems are regulated under FCC point-to-point rules instead of being regulated under omnidirectional or point-to-multipoint rules. Therefore, SkyPilot is able to transmit at much higher power levels than is possible with omnidirectional systems. This allows the system to deliver as much as 44.5 dBm / 28.2 W EIRP, resulting in much longer range (up to 10 miles/16 km between nodes) and greater penetration. The SkyPilot system is also able to control power output in order to meet regulatory requirements in other countries.

Frequency re-use
Although the system covers 360°, it is fundamentally different than omnidirectional products. In omnidirectional systems, each transmission radiates out in all directions and therefore all nodes within range have to listen while the omnidirectional system talks. However, in the SkyPilot system, transmissions are narrow beams that are sent through highly directional antennas. Therefore, SkyPilot can effectively provide frequency re-use since the communication can be kept between two nodes in a narrow 45° region and therefore allow other systems to communicate on the same frequency in other parts of the network.

Interference mitigation
By pinpointing its RF energy, the SkyPilot system greatly reduces susceptibility to both internal and external interference. Mitigating self-interference allows for additional spectral re-use within the network, which increases aggregate capacity and permits densities not possible with other wireless broadband solutions. In addition, the system only schedules transmissions on active sectors, thereby utilizing the full capacity of the system by not wasting bandwidth on inactive sectors.

Automatic node discovery
Each 45° sector continually listens for active transmissions and therefore can find new nodes as they are installed and add them to the network's routing tables.