Faster through air than glass

This map presents the licensed microwave and millimeter wave links that carry market data between the CME matching engines in Aurora, the exchange venues in New Jersey, and the Washington buildings where federal figures are released. A signal propogates through glass about a third slower than through air. Wherever a clear line of sight exists, a microwave hop beats the fiber beside it. Every path here ends at a real antenna on a real structure, drawn at the height the FCC has on file.

Microwave

FCC licensees filtered to entities known to trade

MM wave

Registered paths within 50 km of the corridor

Licenses

Active and expired, not cancelled; expired draws dashed