SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviat Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVNW), the leading expert in microwave networking solutions, today announced the release of the Aviat WTM 3300 radio, the smallest and lightest 70-80GHz radio on the market¹. The WTM 3300 redefines the urban backhaul market because it is purpose-built for deployment in newly "densified" city environments where traditional microwave and typical 70-80GHz radios cannot be installed due to large, highly visible parabolic antennas. Aviat Networks has already reached agreements with and made initial shipments of WTM 3300 radios to a new mobile operator customer in Central Europe, a new mobile operator customer in Western Europe and to an existing full-line telecom customer in South America.

The visual aesthetic impact on residents of neighborhoods where the radio is installed will be minimized due to the WTM 3300's small form-factor. This makes the WTM 3300 a truly "community friendly" backhaul radio perfectly suited for installation on lightpoles, sides of buildings and other locations that must adhere to strict city regulations and zoning ordinances.

"The Aviat WTM 3300 70-80GHz radio offers up to 1Gbps capacity, which makes it ideal for meeting the requirements of even the most stringent urban application," says Ola Gustafsson, Aviat Networks' senior vice president, product and services portfolio management. "WTM 3300 supports this high throughput at one-fifth the weight and one-half the power requirements of traditional all-outdoor Ethernet microwave radios."

With WTM 3300, operators no longer have to purchase separate antennas, eliminating a configuration step and shortening the equipment's installation period. This also contributes to the WTM 3300's lower total cost of ownership (TCO) in comparison to other 70-80GHz radios.

"With small cell deployments beginning in densely populated urban areas, lightweight 70-80GHz backhaul solutions with small form factors and built-in antennas, such as the WTM 3300, can fill a critical need," says Richard Webb, directing analyst at Infonetics. "We are projecting large growth for this market segment." According to an Infonetics' October 2013 research report, the market for 70-80GHz radios will experience a 61 percent compound annual growth (CAGR) rate from 2012 to 2017.

Designed for both small cell and macrocell wireless backhaul markets as well as enterprise broadband connectivity, WTM 3300 meets the cost, compact form-factor and capacity requirements for new, densified urban backhaul environments.

¹According to Aviat Networks, Inc. research conducted April 11, 2014.

About Aviat Networks

Aviat Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVNW) is a leading global provider of microwave networking solutions transforming communications networks to handle the exploding growth of IP-centric, multi-Gigabit data services. With more than 750,000 systems installed around the world, Aviat Networks provides LTE-proven microwave networking solutions to mobile operators, including some of the largest and most advanced 4G/LTE networks in the world. Public safety, utility, government and defense organizations trust Aviat Networks' solutions for their mission-critical applications where reliability is paramount. In conjunction with its networking solutions, Aviat Networks provides a comprehensive suite of localized professional and support services enabling customers to effectively and seamlessly migrate to next-generation Carrier Ethernet/IP networks. For more than 50 years, customers have relied on Aviat Networks' high performance and scalable solutions to help them maximize their investments and solve their most challenging network problems. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Aviat Networks operates in more than 100 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.aviatnetworks.com or connect with Aviat Networks on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Aviat Networks, Inc.