Perfect for businesses that want Internet connectivity in areas where traditional broadband and dedicated access is not available such as rural areas. Fixed wireless Internet is also commonly used as a backup or fail-over Internet connection.
What is Fixed Wireless Internet?
Fixed wireless broadband is a type of high-speed Internet access where connections to service providers use radio signals rather than cables. Areas that lack fiber optic cable, coaxial cable, or DSL can still enjoy broadband Internet access via a fixed wireless service. Although they tend to offer lower speeds than other types of broadband Internet, fixed wireless services generally support between one and 10 Mbps of network bandwidth.
Fixed wireless broadband utilizes transmission towers (sometimes called ground stations) that communicate with each other and with the subscriber’s location (sometimes called customer premises). These ground stations are maintained by Internet providers, similar to cell phone towers. Subscribers install transceiver equipment on their building to communicate with the fixed wireless ground stations. Transceivers consist of a small dish- or rectangular-shaped antenna and attached radio transmitters.
Unlike satellite Internet systems that communicate into outer space, fixed wireless dishes and radios communicate only with ground stations.
Why Fixed Wireless?
With the growing infrastructure of the GSM wireless networks, fixed wireless has also become a viable solution for broadband access. Using the 3G speed and reliability, businesses and homes can use fixed-wireless antenna technology to access broadband Internet and Layer 2 networks using fixed wireless broadband.
Because of the redundancy and saturation of the GSM network, antennas that can aggregate signal from multiple carriers are able to offer fail-over and redundancy for connectivity not otherwise afforded by wired connections. In rural areas where wired infrastructure is not yet available, fixed-wireless broadband has become a viable option for Internet access.
Benefits of Fixed Wireless?
- Remote Area Availability: Subscribers in remote areas that don’t have fiber optic cables, coaxial cable, or DSL have access to an Internet network with fixed wireless.
- Redundant Internet: Fixed wireless can serve as a redundant or backup connection for when your organization experiences downtime or service disruptions from the primary ISP.
- Pricing: Lower installation and monthly charges. As more people begin using fixed wireless internet, the price will drop even more.
- Latency: With fixed wireless the internet signal only has to travel from the antenna to the nearest tower. This leads to lower latency and a faster internet connection.