Microwave internet delivers high-speed connectivity through a direct, point-to-point radio link. It uses microwave frequencies to beam internet between two fixed locations—often between your building and a nearby tower with a clear line of sight.
This technology provides fibre-like speeds and reliability, especially in places where fibre installation is too slow, costly, or unavailable.
How It Works for Businesses
A microwave antenna is installed on your rooftop and aimed at a base station or tower that connects to the wider internet. The signal travels through the air rather than a physical cable.
Microwave links are engineered for high performance. They’re often used in business parks, dense urban zones, or industrial areas where physical infrastructure is hard to build or modify.
Typical Speeds and Performance
Microwave links can deliver 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps or more, depending on distance, line-of-sight, and equipment used. Speeds are symmetrical, with low latency and extremely low jitter.
Common Business Internet Speeds for Microwave
| Broadband Microwave Internet (Business) | Dedicated Microwave Internet (Business) |
| 50 Mbps Download, 10 Mbps Upload | 20 Mbps Download, 20 Mbps Upload |
| 50 Mbps Download, 50 Mbps Upload | 100 Mbps Download, 100 Mbps Upload |
| 100 Mbps Download, 20 Mbps Upload | 250 Mbps Download, 250 Mbps Upload |
| 200 Mbps Download, 20 Mbps Upload | 500 Mbps Download, 500 Mbps Upload |
| 300 Mbps Download, 50 Mbps Upload | 1000 Mbps Download, 1000 Mbps Upload |
Pros and Cons of Microwave Internet
Why Businesses Choose Microwave Internet:
- High-speed alternative to fibre
- Quick deployment without digging or permits
- Excellent uptime and consistent performance
- Ideal for buildings without direct fibre access
What you need to know about deploying Microwave Internet:
- Requires clear line-of-sight to the transmission tower (ask us if your site qualifies)
- Rooftop access and structural mounting may be needed
- Higher upfront costs than basic broadband
When Microwave Internet Makes Sense
Everyone these days wants fibre connectivity. Microwave makes the most sense when fibre is unavailable or delayed. It’s also a strong option when your business needs a dedicated, high-capacity connection but where your area only has limited wireline bandwidth options (like a 5 Mbps DSL from Bell). Your choice is to either wait months for fibre construction at a significant upfront cost, or install a slow DSL and suffer productivity losses internally.
Microwave makes sense as a stop-gap solution for businesses waiting on Fibre. It also is a significant improvement over available business internet wireline options as you’ll see below.
Many companies also use Microwave Internet as a redundant path in case their primary wired connection is cut or interrupted – especially with our OnePort™ backup internet service.
Microwave Internet use case:
In the GTA there are many areas that have poor wired connectivity options.
Two great examples are Speers Rd in Oakville and Harvester Rd in Burlington. Both of these streets are lined with businesses. Most of the buildings are spread apart, and are single-occupant.
The result? Terrible wireline connectivity. There is no business case for putting fibre in the ground because there are so few potential customers for wireline carriers like Bell and Rogers.
Fidalia deploys a lot of microwave internet on Speers Rd and Harvester Dr. Sometimes we’ll deploy our OnePort™ service, sometimes just a high-bandwidth solution. See below:
Compare Bandwidth Availability on Harvester Dr and Speers Rd
| Service Address | Max Available Wireline Bandwidth | Max Available Microwave Bandwidth |
| 1050 Speers Rd, Oakville, ON | 5 Mbps Download, 1 Mbps Upload | 200 Mbps Download, 20 Mbps Upload |
| 3115 Harvester Rd, Burlington, ON | 5 Mbps Download, 1 Mbps Upload | 200 Mbps Download, 20 Mbps Upload |
The difference isn’t small. Microwave service offers the same reliability and, often, better latency as wireline services. In this case, Microwave bandwidth options are 40X faster than the traditional wireline alternatives.
How much is Microwave Internet for Businesses?
It’s a little unfair to compare the two, but Microwave internet is just as affordable as wireline. Let’s look at those two locations again? And we’ll compare a middle-of-the road 50/10 Mbps microwave service to the available 5 Mbps wireline connection from Bell Canada.
Compare Monthly Pricing between Wireline and Microwave
| Service Address | Cost of 5 Mbps Wireline Service | Cost of 50/10 Mbps Microwave Service |
| 1050 Speers Rd, Oakville, ON | $54.95/month | $87.44/month |
| 3115 Harvester Rd, Burlington, ON | $54.95/month | $87.44/month |
How Fidalia Helps
Fidalia works with microwave providers across Canada to offer high-performance wireless circuits tailored to your location and needs. We’ll assess your line-of-sight, arrange installation, and manage everything so you get fibre-grade service without the fibre wait.