[citation needed] Licensed point-to-point microwave was first deployed by AT&T Long Lines in the 1960s for high-bandwidth, interstate transmission of voice, data and television.
Following the Breakup of the Bell System on January 8, 1982, licensed point-to-point microwave solutions could be sold to enterprise and government accounts for their own private use.
Frequently, the argument was to bypass wired local loops in order to save money or backup weak copper cables.
The result was the first (FCC licensed) point-to-point microwave radio capable of delivering 10 Mbps Ethernet, full-duplex, between local and remote networks up to 4.3 miles apart.
Later, in 1988 Microwave Bypass teamed up with Cisco to create an end-to-end full-duplex connection that doubled the distance of the previous 4.3 mile limitation.
[citation needed] Following the release of wi-fi IEEE 802.11, licensed point-to-point microwave became an addition tool for wireless internet service providers (WISP) and ISPs to close the Digital divide.
Sprint was plagued with difficulties operating the network profitably, and service was often spotty, due to inadequate radio link quality.
These devices all describe the customer premises wireless system as the subscriber unit (SU), and the operator transmitter delivering the last mile local loop services as the access point (AP).
Next-Web, Etheric Networks, Gate Speed and a handful of other companies founded the first voluntary spectrum coordination, working entirely independently of government regulators.
NextWeb, acquired by Covad for a very small premium over the capital invested in it, is one operator who focused on licensed service, as did WiLine Networks.
Etheric Networks focused on improving performance by developing dynamic interference and fault detection and reconfiguration, as well as optimizing quality based routing software, such as MANET and using multiple paths to deliver service to customers.
This trend revived the prospects for local and regional ISPs, as those willing to deploy fixed wireless networks were not at the mercy of the large telecommunication monopolies.
Due to the enormous quantity of 802.11 "Wi-Fi" equipment and software, coupled with the fact that spectrum licenses are not required in the ISM and U-NII bands, the industry has moved well ahead of the regulators and the standards bodies.