Before fibre reaches everywhere, microwave backhaul is what carries the network through the air. Those dishes on towers and rooftops are point-to-point radios moving gigabits of traffic between cell sites, campuses and remote locations. The RF chain inside is unforgiving: it must be linear over wide bandwidth, quiet on receive, and stable over temperature and distance.
The chain at a glance
Like every radio, a backhaul link repeats the same blocks: a low-noise amplifier on receive to recover a faint distant signal, a power amplifier on transmit to reach the far end, switches to route paths, filters to keep the spectrum clean, and attenuators for precise level control. The difference is the precision demanded — these links often run at high average power with strict error-rate targets.
We stock transmit and driver amplifiers such as the RFPA3800TR13, the SBB-3089Z and driver/gain blocks like the MGA-30889-TR1G, plus low-noise amplifiers such as the TQP3M9019.
Linearity is the product
Backhaul modulates many carriers at once. A power amplifier that compresses or generates intermodulation corrupts throughput across the whole link. So designers favour amplifiers that stay linear under the actual modulated signal, even if it costs a little output power. Filters then suppress the harmonics and adjacent energy the amplifier inevitably produces; we stock the LFCN-3800+ low-pass and HFCN-5500+ high-pass families.
Switching and calibration
Switches select bands or protect the receiver during transmit, and step attenuators let firmware calibrate the path precisely. We supply switches such as the QPC6044TR13 and the SKY13575-639LF, and the PE4302-52 step attenuator with fixed pads like the ATN3580-02.
Sourcing for link deployments
Backhaul gear is deployed in volume across operators and integrators, and the RF parts are frequently the lines that go allocated when a rollout ramps. We help by supplying from traceable channels with date-code verification and inspection options. Browse the RF and interface chip range and the Qorvo collection for related devices.
Frequently asked questions
What is microwave point-to-point backhaul used for?
It is the radio link that carries traffic between cell sites, between buildings, and from remote sites to the network core, without laying fibre. Common bands include 6, 11, 18, 23, 38 and E-band (70/80 GHz). It needs high-linearity power amplifiers, low-noise receive amplifiers, switches and filters, and very careful level control.
Why does linearity matter so much in backhaul?
Backhaul carries many channels of modulated traffic at once, often at high symbol rates, so the amplifier must stay linear across a wide bandwidth under a high average power. A non-linear amplifier corrupts the whole link's throughput, not just one channel. Linearity is usually the harder constraint than raw power.
What is E-band and why is it popular?
E-band (around 70 and 80 GHz) offers huge bandwidth for multi-gigabit links over a few kilometres, which makes it attractive for 5G small-cell backhaul. The trade-off is that it is highly rain-attenuated, so link budget and the quality of the RF chain matter even more.
Can you supply microwave backhaul RF parts?
Yes. We stock power and driver amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, RF switches, filters and step attenuators commonly referenced in point-to-point and E-band radio designs. Send the part numbers, package and quantity and we will quote availability and date code.
About us & trademarks: JTDZ Tech (Shenzhen Jingteng Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.) is an independent distributor of electronic components. We are not an authorised distributor or representative of the manufacturers named in this article. Manufacturer and part names are used for indicative purposes only, to help identify the components discussed; all trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. Always verify specifications against the manufacturer's datasheet before design-in or purchase.
