A system and method of wirelessly communicating in a backplane mesh network is disclosed. A data message received from a first network device is handled at a first antenna system located in a first network device cabinet via a first network interface. The data message is wirelessly transmitted from a first millimeter wave antenna coupled to the first antenna system over a high speed backplane network to a second network device in a second device cabinet using emitted millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation. The data message is wirelessly received at a second millimeter wave antenna over the high speed backplane network using emitted millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation, wherein the received data message is handled by a second antenna system coupled to the second millimeter wave antenna. The received data message is sent, via a second network interface, from the second antenna system to the second network device.