- Description
- Specifications
GPS-Synchronized 5 GHz BaseStation with Spectral Filtering for High-Density PtMP and Long-Range PtP Deployments
The Ubiquiti airMAX Rocket Prism 5AC Gen 2 (RP-5AC-Gen2) is a carrier-class 5 GHz basestation with GPS synchronization, active spectral filtering, and 500+ Mbps throughput for point-to-multipoint and point-to-point wireless links. It mounts to any airMAX AC sector or dish antenna via dual RP-SMA connectors, runs on 24V passive PoE (adapter included), and operates from -40 to 80°C in a die-cast aluminum enclosure. Managed through UISP for centralized networking fleet management or configured standalone through the airOS web interface.
The Prism Gen 2 is the flagship radio in the Rocket lineup for high-interference environments. Compared to the Rocket 5AC Lite, the Prism adds active RF filtering that rejects out-of-band noise from co-located radios and nearby cellular towers, plus GPS sync that coordinates transmit timing across multiple sectors on the same tower to prevent self-interference. For WISPs deploying three or more sectors on a single site, the Prism's filtering and sync capabilities justify the price difference over the Lite in reduced client disconnects and higher aggregate throughput.
Where the Rocket Prism 5AC Fits
- High-density WISP tower sites where multiple 5 GHz sectors co-located on the same structure create self-interference, and GPS sync coordinates transmit timing to prevent sector-to-sector collision
- Long-range PtP backhaul links paired with high-gain dish antennas where the Prism's spectral filtering rejects noise from adjacent operators and maintains link stability over distance
- Noisy metro deployments near cellular towers, radar, or competing WISPs where active RF filtering preserves clean channel access that standard basestations cannot maintain
What the Rocket Prism 5AC Delivers
- GPS-synchronized transmit timing: Coordinates multiple sectors on the same tower to eliminate self-interference. Enables predictable per-client throughput even at 50+ subscribers per AP.
- Active spectral filtering: Hardware-level RF filtering rejects out-of-band noise from co-located radios, cellular towers, and competing operators. Maintains clean signal in environments where standard radios degrade.
- 500+ Mbps throughput with up to 80 MHz channels: PtP mode supports 10 to 80 MHz channel widths. PtMP supports up to 40 MHz. Real-world aggregate throughput for demanding subscriber loads.
- Die-cast aluminum enclosure rated -40 to 80°C: Built for continuous outdoor exposure on tower sites without supplemental heating or cooling. Handles extreme environments year-round.
- Dual RP-SMA connectors for external antenna pairing: Works with any airMAX AC sector antenna or dish. Separates radio from antenna for flexible deployment geometry and independent hardware upgrades.
What Throughput Can You Expect from the Rocket Prism 5AC?
Real-world throughput depends on channel width, distance, interference, and subscriber count. On a clean 40 MHz channel with line-of-sight, a single Rocket Prism 5AC typically delivers 250-300 Mbps aggregate across all connected clients. In PtP mode with an 80 MHz channel and a high-gain dish at each end, the radio can exceed 500 Mbps aggregate over short to medium distances. In high-density PtMP deployments with 30+ subscribers, per-client throughput is managed by airMAX TDMA scheduling, which provides fair access without the hidden node problems that degrade standard 802.11 networks. GPS sync becomes critical at this scale because it prevents your own sectors from interfering with each other during simultaneous transmission.
