Abstract: As demand for data services expands, users expect untethered (“wireless”) systems to provide a same level of service as their tethered (“wired”) systems. Described herein are systems and networks for providing high bandwidth wireless connectivity with user broadcast throughput of at least 1 Mbps. This connectivity is may be used in stationary, portable, and mobile computing environments. A communication system is described having a radio card for electrical communication with a transceiver. A wireless area network is described having a communication system and a wireless local area network adapted for broadcast communication with the communication system. The wireless local area network comprises one converter having a point-to-multipoint radio having at least a 10 MHz bandwidth, and another converter having a point-to-point radio having at least a 10 MHz bandwidth. The wireless local area network may form a cell of a plurality of cells in a wireless metropolitan network.