What’s next for Microwave?

5G growth and emerging 6G capabilities are increasing backhaul capacity demands across diverse radio access network deployments. The 2026 Ericsson Microwave Outlook explains how modern microwave solutions can support this evolution across high-capacity and long-hop scenarios. It also examines how E-band microwave and satellite feeder links can coexist through carefully calibrated power limits. Finally, it explores two practical challenges in live networks: sunflower effects in towers, which can affect narrow E-band links, and multi-band aggregation, where Layer 1 bonding achieved more than 99 percent utilization in the tested scenarios while preserving quality of service and supporting large traffic flows.