What is Fixed Wireless Access?
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is a pivotal technology that bridges the gap between traditional wired connections and wireless networks. Essentially, Fixed Wireless Access provides connectivity to places where wired connections don’t already exist, or cannot go. That can mean remote locations, rural areas, sites that need to be deployed too quickly to wait for fixed lines to be installed, places too crowded for lines, offshore sites, installed as a business continuity failover… the list goes on.
However, the business case for Fixed Wireless Access is more extensive than that and has many applications for businesses wherever they’re located – sea, sky, remote rural areas, and metropolitan sites too. Keep reading to understand how Fixed Wireless Access can support your business with a cost-effective alternative to wired connections.
Understanding Fixed Wireless Access
Fixed Wireless Access is a type of rapidly-innovating technology that is proving more and more competitive with wired connections. It uses wireless mobile communication technology (5G/4G/LTE) to deliver connectivity directly to a fixed location, such as a home, office, or business premise. Unlike traditional wired broadband services that rely on physical cables, FWA leverages radio signals to transmit data between the user’s premises and the service provider's cell tower.
FWA is typically deployed using a combination of customer premises equipment (CPE), which includes an antenna and a router that connect to an existing cell tower that connects to the Internet backbone. The cell tower communicates wirelessly with the CPE, enabling reliable Internet access without the need for extensive cabling.
The importance of Fixed Wireless Access in modern connectivity strategies
Bridging the “digital divide”
One of the most significant roles of FWA is its ability to provide Internet access to areas where traditional wired infrastructure is either impractical or too costly to deploy. This is called the “digital divide” because in many rural and remote regions, laying fiber-optic cables can be expensive due to the vast distances and challenging terrains involved.
As FWA doesn’t need extensive wired infrastructure, just the router and antenna, it can provide reliable Internet in these locations.
Enhancing urban connectivity
In urban settings, the demand for reliable Internet is increasing while the patience for infrastructure installation is decreasing, or non-existent. As FWA can be rapidly deployed, this makes it an ideal solution for temporary or temporary setups such as events, construction sites, and pop-up offices.
FWA can also be introduced as a complementary solution to existing wired networks to alleviate congestion on overloaded networks. It can provide technical diversity, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity.
Business continuity and reliability
The cost of downtime for large organizations has been estimated at as $9,000 per minute, and for higher-risk enterprises in finance and healthcare, for example, the cost can exceed eclipse $5 million an hour. And that doesn’t take into account potential fines or penalties.
The good news is that FWA provides a robust and resilient solution that can function as a primary or backup Internet connection. In the event of a disruption to the primary wired connection, FWA can seamlessly take over, ensuring business continuity.
The key benefits of Fixed Wireless Access for businesses
- Technology diversity: By offering an alternative to wired connections, FWA reduces dependency on fiber or cable networks. It ensures network resilience, business continuity, complements existing infrastructure, and improves connectivity options as either a primary or failover.
- Cost-effectiveness: One of the standout advantages of FWA is its cost-effectiveness. Deploying FWA infrastructure is generally less expensive than laying fiber-optic cables, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.
- Rapid deployment: The rapid deployment capabilities of FWA are another significant benefit. Unlike wired connections, which can take months to install, FWA can be set up in a matter of days. This speed of deployment is crucial for businesses that need immediate Internet access, whether for new office locations, temporary setups, or emergency situations.
- Scalability and flexibility: FWA offers excellent scalability and flexibility, allowing businesses to easily expand their network as their needs grow. Adding new users or increasing bandwidth can be accomplished with minimal infrastructure changes, providing a seamless and adaptable connectivity solution. This scalability is particularly beneficial for growing businesses and those with fluctuating connectivity demands.
- High performance: Modern fixed wireless solutions are capable of delivering high-speed Internet comparable to that of traditional wired connections. With advancements in wireless technology, FWA can offer low latency and high throughput, making it suitable for bandwidth-intensive applications such as video conferencing, cloud computing, and data-intensive operations.
The role of Fixed Wireless Access in providing reliable Internet
FWA is rapidly evolving and gaining traction for a range of industries and company types for developing use cases. These are the top three:
Urban connectivity
In urban areas, where the density of buildings and users can strain existing wired networks, FWA can enhance connectivity. It can be deployed to provide additional bandwidth and reduce network congestion, ensuring that users experience consistent and reliable Internet speeds.
FWA is also ideal for reaching high-rise buildings and dense urban environments where laying cables can be challenging.
Rural connectivity
Rural and remote areas often suffer from limited Internet options due to the high cost and logistical challenges of deploying wired infrastructure. FWA provides a viable solution, offering high-speed Internet without the need for extensive cabling, connecting schools, businesses, and homes that previously had limited or no access to the Internet.
Emergency and temporary connectivity
FWA is also valuable in situations requiring temporary or emergency connectivity. Whether for disaster recovery efforts, temporary events, or construction sites, FWA can be quickly deployed to provide reliable Internet access for business continuity.
Ready to incorporate Fixed Wireless Access into your connectivity strategy?
Deploying Fixed Wireless Access is a quick and efficient process, when you work with the right provider. When you partner with Expereo, we quickly deploy reliable, flexible mobile (4G/LTE/5G) networks even in remote areas or locations that are normally difficult to connect.
Whatever your network needs, we can build and manage your networks in-region, with localized support that ensures you can maintain business continuity, while managing your whole global network through expereoOne.
Get in touch today to discuss your connectivity needs.