Fibre is usually presented as the preferred transport technology for mobile networks, particularly as operators introduce 5G Standalone and prepare for 5G-Advanced. In practice, however, fibre cannot economically or quickly reach every site. Microwave transmission therefore remains an important part of mobile backhaul. It is especially relevant in rural and suburban areas, difficult terrain, temporary deployments and locations where operators need additional resilience alongside fibre. Huawei’s 2025 Microwave Industry White Paper argues that microwave is evolving beyond its traditional role as a straightforward point-to-point connection. Future microwave networks will need to provide more capacity, operate reliably in challenging conditions, use spectrum more efficiently, simplify crowded sites and make greater use of AI-based automation. Microwave and fibre are complementary The discussion around mobile transport is sometimes framed as a choice between fibre and microwave. In re...
2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, Wi-Fi, IoT, Bluetooth, LoRaWAN, Sigfox, Satellites