A new broad-band microwave antenna system

Radio relay in the bell telephone System now provides over 13 million miles of 2-way message circuits, approximately one fourth of all the long-distance telephone circuits in this country. It also provides about 62,000 miles of broad-band radio channels which make network TV (television) available to over 500 TV broadcasting stations in 350 cities. This rapid expansion of radio relay facilities indicated some time ago that by 1955 portions of the central transcontinental and other backbone routes would be loaded to their capacity of six broad-band channels in each direction of transmission. Continued expansion would require the development of new radio relay systems in the higher frequency bands assigned by the Federal Communications Commission for common-carrier use.