--- title: Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul Explained description: "Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul (CURWB) explained: how it keeps cranes, vehicles and robots connected across ports, mines and factories." image: https://blog.iptel.com.au/hubfs/Blogs/What%20is%20Ultra-Reliable%20Wireless%20Backhaul%20and%20why%20it%20Matters/CURWB%20and%20why%20it%20matters%20(Instagram%20Post)-feature.jpg --- [![IPTellogo-byline-2020-dark-v2-pnd-optimised-500 (1)](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/IPTellogo-byline-2020-dark-v2-pnd-optimised-500%20(1).png?width=200&height=59&name=IPTellogo-byline-2020-dark-v2-pnd-optimised-500%20(1).png "IPTellogo-byline-2020-dark-v2-pnd-optimised-500 (1)")](https://iptel.com.au) - [Home](https://iptel.com.au/) - [Solutions](https://iptel.com.au/solutions) Technologies - [Cisco Access Manager](https://iptel.com.au/technologies/cisco-access-manager) - [Cisco Catalyst Center](https://iptel.com.au/technologies/cisco-catalyst-center) - [Cisco Meraki](https://iptel.com.au/technologies/cisco-meraki) - 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[Buying Panels](https://iptel.com.au/professional-supply-panels) - [IPTel Store](https://store.iptel.com.au) - [Request a Quote](https://iptel.com.au/request-a-quote) - [Managed Services](https://iptel.com.au/managed-services-enquiry) Case Studies - [DP World Video](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hubfs/Case%20Studies/DP%20World_Case_Study.mp4) - [DP World](https://blog.iptel.com.au/dp-world-case-study) - [Backup Assure](https://blog.iptel.com.au/backup-assure-a-disaster-recovery-case-study) [Contact Us](https://iptel.com.au/contact-us) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ## Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul Explained Dec 3, 2025 If you've worked anywhere machines never stop moving (ports, mines, factories, terminals), you know the network has to keep up with the machines. In this blog, we'll explain what Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul (CURWB) is, what makes it different from Wi-Fi, how it's built and where we've deployed it. ![Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul connecting moving industrial vehicles and cranes](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/What%20is%20Ultra-Reliable%20Wireless%20Backhaul%20and%20why%20it%20Matters/CURWB%20and%20why%20it%20matters-still.jpg?width=737&height=395&name=CURWB%20and%20why%20it%20matters-still.jpg) --- ## CURWB: Why Industrial Mobility Needs More Than Wi-Fi [![Introducing Simultaneous Wi-Fi and CURWB](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/Introducing%20Simultaneous%20Wi-Fi%20and%20URWB/Introducing%20Simultaneous%20Wi-Fi%20and%20URWB%20(Instagram%20Post).gif?width=173&height=173&name=Introducing%20Simultaneous%20Wi-Fi%20and%20URWB%20(Instagram%20Post).gif)](https://blog.iptel.com.au/introducing-simultaneous-wi-fi-and-urwb)Traditional Wi-Fi can drop a client briefly as it roams between access points (APs). In an office, nobody notices. For a moving crane, vehicle or robot, even a momentary dropout is unacceptable. Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul is built for these environments, keeping moving assets connected without interruption. We've seen this firsthand. Everything works fine until a crane moves from one AP to the next and loses its connection mid-operation. A single dropped packet might not look serious on paper. In the real world it can mean a crane operator losing visibility, an automated guided vehicle (AGV) triggering an emergency stop, a production line coming to a halt, or a remote vehicle going into fail-safe mode. Every second of that downtime costs money. So the real question is: why are we still treating industrial mobility the same way we treat office Wi-Fi? Related reading - [Introducing Simultaneous Wi-Fi and CURWB](https://blog.iptel.com.au/introducing-simultaneous-wi-fi-and-urwb) - [Wireless as a Service](https://blog.iptel.com.au/wireless-as-a-service) --- ## Use Cases: Where Does CURWB Fit? CURWB fits wherever moving or remote assets need a wireless link that behaves like a cable. Typical uses are connecting sites where fibre isn't available or is too costly, connecting moving assets, tele-remote operations in mines and ports, and AGVs and collaborative robots (cobots). Automation is what's driving demand. Autonomous vehicles, robots and tele-remote applications are becoming more common as industrial organisations digitise their operations. These mobile assets can't tolerate dropped connections or latency. Lost packets can put safety at risk, stop a line and hurt productivity. ![Cisco diagram showing industrial operations pausing when wireless connectivity drops](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/What%20is%20Ultra-Reliable%20Wireless%20Backhaul%20and%20why%20it%20Matters/If%20connectivity%20drops%2c%20operations%20pause.png?width=1279&height=668&name=If%20connectivity%20drops%2c%20operations%20pause.png) Image © Cisco Systems Reliable wireless also adds flexibility and can cut the cost and installation time of connecting fixed assets. Fibre isn't available everywhere and can be expensive to deploy and maintain. With a wireless backhaul, factories can reconfigure production lines quickly, and ports, mines and rail operators can extend connectivity wherever they need it. ![Cisco diagram of CURWB use cases across factories, ports, mines and rail](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/What%20is%20Ultra-Reliable%20Wireless%20Backhaul%20and%20why%20it%20Matters/CURWB%20use%20cases_2.png?width=1196&height=479&name=CURWB%20use%20cases_2.png) Image © Cisco Systems The diagram below summarises the main CURWB use cases. ![Cisco diagram of CURWB use cases including fixed backhaul, moving assets, tele-remote operations and AGVs](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/What%20is%20Ultra-Reliable%20Wireless%20Backhaul%20and%20why%20it%20Matters/CURWB%20use%20cases.png?width=1227&height=537&name=CURWB%20use%20cases.png) Image © Cisco Systems Related reading - [Free eBook: Top 8 Secrets to Great Wi-Fi](https://blog.iptel.com.au/top-8-secrets-to-great-wi-fi) - [Wi-Fi Surveys](https://blog.iptel.com.au/wi-fi-surveys) --- ## Ultra-Reliable: What Makes CURWB Different? Four characteristics set CURWB apart from conventional wireless: make-before-break handoffs, an end-to-end overlay that behaves like a virtual switch, Multipath Operations (MPO) that send critical packets over several paths at once, and very fast failover. Together, they keep connections stable and fast in challenging environments. **Make-before-break:** a moving radio connects to the new AP before it drops the previous one, so there's no gap in the handoff. **End-to-end overlay:** the overlay emulates a virtual switch across the 802.11 wireless links, extending ultra-low latency (under 10 ms) to fixed or mobile assets. **Multipath Operations (MPO):** high-priority packets are duplicated over up to eight different paths, on uncorrelated frequencies, to multiple APs at the same time. **Ultra-fast failover:** if a link or unit fails, traffic moves to a backup path almost instantly, for carrier-grade availability. The point? A dropped frame on one path doesn't become a dropped packet for the machine. Related reading - [Securing Your Cisco Wireless Network](https://blog.iptel.com.au/securing-your-cisco-wireless-network) --- ## CURWB Architecture: Mesh Ends, Mesh Points and Vehicle Radios A CURWB network has three building blocks. Mesh ends are the gateways between the wireless and wired networks. Mesh points are the fixed radios that provide coverage. Vehicle radios are mesh points mounted on moving assets, connecting them to the fixed infrastructure. Traffic between them is carried in an MPLS-based overlay called Fluidity. The Cisco diagram below shows how they fit together. ![Cisco CURWB architecture showing mesh ends, fixed mesh points and vehicle radios](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/What%20is%20Ultra-Reliable%20Wireless%20Backhaul%20and%20why%20it%20Matters/CURWB%20architecture.png?width=1143&height=539&name=CURWB%20architecture.png) Image © Cisco Systems ### Mesh End (Core MPLS Gateway) The mesh end is the gateway between the wireless and wired networks, connected to the core network. You can think of it as an MPLS label edge router (LER). It encapsulates traffic from the wired network into the Fluidity overlay using MPLS, and de-encapsulates traffic coming back so it's delivered as standard frames on the wired network. For small deployments, a Cisco Catalyst IW9167E can act as the mesh end. Large deployments use a dedicated gateway such as the Cisco IEC6400 Edge Compute Appliance. ### Mesh Point (Access Radio) The mesh point is where traffic from a vehicle or connected endpoint enters the Fluidity network. Mesh points are positioned to maximise RF coverage for the vehicles that need it. Every mesh point is tied to a single mesh end (or a redundant pair), and together they form a wireless cluster. The Catalyst IW9167E and IW9165E are used as mesh points on fixed infrastructure. ### Vehicle Radio (Fluidity Radio) A vehicle radio is a mesh point configured to connect a vehicle to the network infrastructure. It forms wireless links with all available fixed radios, which is what makes the make-before-break handoff and MPO possible as the vehicle moves. Related reading - [Wi-Fi Deployment](https://blog.iptel.com.au/wi-fi-deployment) --- ## Field Deployment: CURWB at Ports, Mines and Terminals We've deployed CURWB across ports, mines and terminals, and the story is much the same every time. Fibre is expensive, roaming and density issues with mobile rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) and other cranes interrupt production, and tele-remote control needs high bandwidth, industrial protocol support and ultra-reliable communication. To address these challenges, we implemented CURWB on the Cisco Catalyst IW9167E Heavy Duty Access Point. ![Cisco Catalyst IW9167E Heavy Duty Access Point](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/What%20is%20Ultra-Reliable%20Wireless%20Backhaul%20and%20why%20it%20Matters/Cisco%20Catalyst%20IW9167E%20Heavy%20Duty%20Access%20Point.png?width=173&height=145&name=Cisco%20Catalyst%20IW9167E%20Heavy%20Duty%20Access%20Point.png)The IW9167E has three 4x4 radios and eight external antenna connectors in a heavy-duty, IP67-rated housing. It's an 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) access point, ready for 6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E) where that's approved, and it can run AP, URWB or workgroup bridge (WGB) software, so the same hardware suits several roles. The photo below shows a CURWB fixed mesh point deployed onsite with horn antennas. ![CURWB fixed mesh point with horn antennas installed onsite by IPTel](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/What%20is%20Ultra-Reliable%20Wireless%20Backhaul%20and%20why%20it%20Matters/CURWB%20IPTel%20use%20case.png?width=651&height=324&name=CURWB%20IPTel%20use%20case.png) This one shows a CURWB vehicle mesh point deployed with omnidirectional antennas. ![CURWB vehicle mesh point with omnidirectional antennas mounted on a vehicle](https://blog.iptel.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/What%20is%20Ultra-Reliable%20Wireless%20Backhaul%20and%20why%20it%20Matters/CURWB%20IPTel%20use%20case_2.png?width=556&height=417&name=CURWB%20IPTel%20use%20case_2.png) Read more about how we implemented CURWB in our [DP World case study](https://blog.iptel.com.au/dp-world-case-study). Related reading - [DP World - Case Study](https://blog.iptel.com.au/dp-world-case-study) --- ## Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul: FAQs ### What Is Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul? Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul (CURWB) is a wireless technology for moving and remote industrial assets. It uses make-before-break handoffs, an MPLS-based overlay and Multipath Operations to deliver low latency and seamless roaming, so cranes, vehicles and robots stay connected as they move. ### How Is CURWB Different From Wi-Fi Roaming? A Wi-Fi client usually disconnects from one AP before joining the next, which can cause a brief dropout. A CURWB radio connects to the new AP before leaving the old one, and can duplicate critical packets over several paths, so the handoff doesn't interrupt the application. ### Which Cisco Hardware Runs CURWB? The Cisco Catalyst IW9167E and IW9165E industrial access points run CURWB as mesh points and vehicle radios. The IW9167E can also act as the mesh end in small deployments, while larger networks use a dedicated gateway such as the Cisco IEC6400 Edge Compute Appliance. ### Can CURWB and Wi-Fi Run on the Same Access Point? Yes, on supported Catalyst IW models running current software, Cisco Wireless with URWB lets one access point serve Wi-Fi clients and CURWB at the same time. We cover it in [Introducing Simultaneous Wi-Fi and CURWB](https://blog.iptel.com.au/introducing-simultaneous-wi-fi-and-urwb). --- ## Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul: Summary Traditional wireless was never designed for machines, vehicles and critical systems that are always on the move, where a split-second dropout means downtime and safety risk. CURWB closes that gap with seamless handoffs, ultra-low latency and carrier-grade reliability, without the cost of running fibre to everything. As ports, mines and factories automate, it's becoming the foundation that keeps those assets connected, productive and safe. ### Need Help With Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul? Our [Cisco URWB team](https://iptel.com.au/services/cisco-urb) can assess your site, design the backhaul and quote the radios and licences you need. If that's useful, [request a quote](https://iptel.com.au/request-a-quote), [get in touch with the IPTel team](https://iptel.com.au/contact-us) or email [sales@iptel.com.au](mailto:sales@iptel.com.au). #### Related Articles ###### [Introducing Simultaneous Wi-Fi and CURWB](https://blog.iptel.com.au/introducing-simultaneous-wi-fi-and-urwb) Jan 19, 2026 ###### [Simplifying Catalyst Center and Cisco ISE Backups](https://blog.iptel.com.au/simplifying-cisco-ise-and-catalyst-centre-backups) Nov 4, 2025 ###### [SSID Consolidation with iPSK](https://blog.iptel.com.au/ssid-consolidation-with-ipsk) June 25, 2026 Free tool ### How Many Wi-Fi Access Points Do You Need? Work out APs, PoE and switch ports floor by floor, using the same survey grades our Cisco wireless engineers design to. Takes under a minute. 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