Microwave Bypass
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | March 1986 |
| Founder | David Theodore |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, Massachusetts , United States |
| Products | Fixed wireless internet access systems, EtherWave Transceiver, LAN-LINK 1000 Bridge |
Microwave Bypass, Inc. pioneered the first-ever fixed wireless internet access system in 1987, arriving ten years before the advent of Wi-Fi. This innovation allowed both local and remote network connections to operate at the full Ethernet (802.3) speed of 10 megabits per second across distances reaching up to 4.3 miles.
Established in March 1986 by 25-year-old David Theodore, the company was based at One Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their wireless technology integrated a customized 23 GHz broadcast-quality video radio with Microwave Bypass' proprietary EtherWave Transceiver. This configuration delivered the highest Ethernet data rates available at the time while adhering to Ethernet’s strict propagation delay requirements.
In March 1987, beta testing occurred at Massachusetts General Hospital, involving prominent participants from Harvard University and Boston University. After a successful trial, the initial production links were deployed between Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard’s Cardiac Computer Center, covering a distance of 2.5 miles over the Charles River. This installation represented the inaugural wireless transmission of MR images.
By 1988, Microwave Bypass collaborated with Cisco Systems to create a full-duplex EtherWave Transceiver that removed the need for 802.3 collision detection, thus enabling connections limited only by microwave transmission range rather than Ethernet constraints. This technology was applied between MIT’s main campus and Lincoln Laboratories. Later that year, Microwave Bypass entered into an exclusive technology transfer agreement with Motorola for its EtherWave Transceiver and LAN-LINK 1000 Bridge product lines.