There is some great news for Ham Radio operators working in Sardinia Island. They can now keep in touch with their people in Italian peninsula, all thanks to a new world record. The record was created when a 5 GHz Wi-Fi link achieved a distance of 304km (188.89 miles) across land and sea. The link extends from Sardinia Island to Central Italy achieving data-rates of about 5 Mbps. This is the first time when a connection on a 5GHz radio band was achieved at transfer rates of 5MBps.

The achievement is due to the combined effort of the Italian Center for Radio Activities (C.I.S.A.R), and Ubiquiti Networks (a leading innovator in outdoor wireless broadband solutions). The record was set up using Ubiquiti’s XtremeRange5 (XR5) High-Power Carrier Class mini-PCI radio module and 35dBi 5 GHz parabolic dish antennas.

The alignment of two 35dBi antennas at 304km (188.89 miles) spanning sea and land is a very difficult and complicated technical endeavor, however, this alignment was achieved by providing a beacon through a semi-directional antenna (short-backfire 17dBi) on the Sardinia Island and one of the two 35dBi antennas on Monte Amiata, which is about 5,220 feet (1,740m) above sea level.

This record opens up many Wi-Fi technologies doors, and there are many possibilities of incorporating super-high frequencies at far greater distances than ever before.

'Source'