New wireless system keeps the Lab running during outages

An offsite fiber line cut during a county pipe-laying project that disrupted connectivity to Los Alamos and White Rock on March 11 and again on March 17 had no impact on Los Alamos National Laboratory's internet and landline communications, thanks to dual-band microwave technology installed in October.

The dual-band microwave dishes transmit signals between the technical area off of E. Jemez Rd., where the linear accelerator sits, and one of the Lab’s buildings in Santa Fe at Pacheco Street and St. Michael’s Drive. Approximately 20 miles as the crow flies, the microwave dishes offer an alternate wireless data-communication path, ensuring the Lab can perform essential functions even if a fiber line is cut at all of its facilities, including locations offsite in Los Alamos County and offices in Santa Fe. The system was completed in October 2024.

“Our microwave system successfully routed network traffic as designed and configured,” said Brian Martinez, deputy chief information officer for Information and Technology at the Laboratory. “Had it not been in place and functioned as planned, the Lab would have been down along with [Los Alamos] townsite on both occasions. This is a testament to the system’s reliability.”

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the project Oct. 24, Laboratory Director Thom Mason described the significance of the project during his opening remarks.

“We’ve been restricted to a single path for our communication circuits, and there have been unexpected interruptions over the years,” Mason said. “The dual-band microwave is a cutting-edge solution, designed to strengthen the communication infrastructure between Los Alamos and the rest of the world.”

Over many years, Information and Technology reviewed multiple proposals to add a redundant communication path between Santa Fe and Los Alamos. The microwave link, the first of its kind installed in Northern New Mexico, serves as a high-speed alternative, enhancing the Laboratory’s ability to handle communication traffic, even during unforeseen disruptions. It is part of the Lab’s Continuity of Operations effort.

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