No fiber? No problem! 3 Use Cases Wireless Backhaul Solves Easily - by Patricia Costa, Andrea Orioli
- jlagan74
- Oct 8
- 4 min read
Imagine needing to connect a new building, parking lot, or sports field to your network. The vision is clear—but the reality of running fiber? That’s a whole different story. For IT leaders, the cost and complexity of digging, trenching, and laying cables can put projects on indefinite hold – imagine this challenge for cities and school districts working to close the digital divide in underserved and rural communities.
While fiber-optic cable is often considered the gold standard for connectivity, there are a few important factors to consider:
Time: Projects can be delayed and stretch on for months, as they often require trenching, environmental clearances, and can cause disruption to people in the surrounding area.
Obstacles: Highways, rivers, graveyards, and historic sites can make traditional cabling nearly impossible.
Cost: Expenses can range from $1 to $6 per foot. Urban projects may reach $40,000–$80,000 per mile, while rural deployments often higher due to difficult terrain and lengthy permitting.
Wireless backhaul provides a compelling alternative to physical cabling, using high-capacity wireless links to connect access points and extend network reach where fiber or copper would be too costly or time-consuming. Unlike traditional wired infrastructure, wireless backhaul can be deployed rapidly with minimal disruption, making it ideal for expanding connectivity to parking lots, adjacent building areas, or even entire communities and rural regions.
By addressing common cabling challenges—such as high costs, lengthy installation times, and geographic obstacles—wireless backhaul enables agile, scalable network expansion for everything from smart cities and industrial automation to community internet access. The result is connectivity that is faster, more affordable, and far more inclusive.
Cisco’s access points make it easy for you to use URWB as a backhaul technology to extend your network and Wi-Fi for end-user access simultaneously. This means when you need to extend Wi-Fi to a new location, a single remote access point is all you need—simplifying installation, reducing hardware costs, and accelerating deployment.
Did you know? Cisco’s access points can simultaneously extend your network with URWB and deliver Wi-Fi access simultaneously—so extending your network is now even easier.
Let’s explore three practical use cases URWB helps you connect farther, faster, and smarter.
Bring Wi-Fi Where You Never Thought Possible. Whether you’re overseeing a university campus, healthcare complex, or corporate HQ, your network often needs to reach places fiber just can’t go—at least not easily or affordably. Think parking lots, outdoor event spaces, or new temporary structures. With Cisco access points, you can quickly bridge these gaps— extending your network with URWB and enabling seamless Wi-Fi for students, employees, or guests wherever they need it. Deployment is fast and flexible, with access points installed on rooftops, light poles, or existing infrastructure—no digging required.
Extend Physical Security Beyond the Building. Modern security requires eyes everywhere. But placing cameras at the perimeter of a facility, near parking areas, or covering outdoor assets can be cost-prohibitive if you rely on trenching cable. With URWB, you can connect cameras and sensors across your property—delivering the bandwidth and reliability you’d expect from fiber, without the cost or delay. This is ideal for campus perimeters, athletic fields, or remote storage areas within your grounds.
Quickly Connect Communities, New or Temporary Buildings. Need to bring connectivity to a modular classroom, event tent, or a newly built annex? Or maybe extend connectivity to under connected neighborhoods? Running fiber might not be practical—or possible on short notice. URWB lets you set up high-performance links in days, not weeks, helping you adapt to changing needs. Cisco URWB empowers communities to bridge these gaps—connecting city buildings, libraries, or distant school campuses with robust, scalable wireless links, Wi-Fi can be enabled in the access point to provide access to end-user devices. This flexibility makes it ideal for temporary classrooms, construction trailers, or pop-up health clinics on your property.
Real-world solutions
Organizations are putting these ideas to work—right now:
“We needed to extend reliable connectivity to our athletic fields and remote campus buildings, and traditional fiber just wasn’t feasible. With Cisco’s wireless backhaul, we connected every corner of our district—quickly and cost-effectively.”— Gary Gomez, Executive Director of Technology, Canutillo ISD
“We saved substantial time and money by deploying Cisco’s wireless backhaul instead of running new fiber. The reliability and performance exceeded our expectations, even in challenging urban environments.”— Kevin Gunn, Chief Technology Officer, City of Fort Worth
Break Connectivity Barriers—No Cables Required
Cisco’s URWB isn’t about replacing every fiber run—it’s about giving IT leaders the flexibility to extend networks where it matters most, when it matters most. With enterprise-grade reliability, simple deployment, and the ability to scale as your needs grow, Cisco URWB helps you rapidly extend your network wherever you need.
Cisco access points supporting both Wi-Fi and URWB simultaneously offer:
Rapid deployment: No cabling, no delays—just a clear path and power at each access point
Rock-solid reliability: Backhaul technology engineered for mission-critical applications.
Flexible coverage: Extend your network exactly where you need it within your property.
Cost savings and simplified operations: One access point delivers both wireless backhaul and Wi-Fi, streamlining deployment and management.
If you’re ready to expand your network faster, more affordably, and with greater flexibility—learn more about Cisco URWB.
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