Wireless

Bringing Fixed Wireless Access to Life with Samsung Networks

Among the many lessons that we all learned from the pandemic is how incredibly important broadband connections are. Interestingly, one of the more exciting advances around broadband services also came to life during the pandemic. Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) or wireless broadband provides both consumers and business with an intriguing new method of getting access to essential internet services.

Leveraging the 5G cellular network infrastructure recently built by large telcos such as T-Mobile and Verizon, FWA offers a flexible, easy and speedy means to connect across a wide geographic range. Like traditional wired broadband services, such as cable, FWA lets organizations connect to their critical web-based applications and services, but it does so without the hassles of physical installations over the last mile, such as drilling holes and running wires. From a service provider perspective, the opportunity to deliver services wirelessly can also represent a significant savings on the enormous infrastructure costs associated with building out a wired network.

As a result of both the customer and telco benefits, fixed wireless is quickly becoming one of the hottest applications of 5G that’s hit the market. Plus, it’s widely predicted to become the connection method of choice for tens of millions of homes and businesses in the US (and many more around the world) over the next several years[1].

One of the many reasons for this is the wide range of coverage scenarios it can offer. In many rural areas, for example, running wires is too cost prohibitive to make a reasonable economic argument for service providers and telcos. Offering broadband internet access wirelessly, however, becomes a much more compelling proposition. Plus, because of the emphasis now being placed on broadband, governmental institutions here in the US and around the world have started to provide funding to enable the creation of internet access services for remote areas and help close the digital divide. In denser urban environments, wireless broadband can deliver speeds that meet or exceed existing wired options but without the costs and hassles of having to wire and physically connect each household or business interested in using the service.

Another reason why FWA is becoming so popular has to do with the availability of critical new spectrum resources. While it’s theoretically always been possible to deliver wireless data services on older networks—and indeed some 4G LTE-based FWA networks do exist—it took the release and deployment of mid-band (roughly 2.5-4 GHz) and millimeter wave (24 GHz to 39 GHz) frequencies for 5G networks to bring FWA to a mass audience. Both the licensed frequencies, such as C-Band, as well as partially licensed ones, such as CBRS here in the US, in those ranges offer the bandwidth necessary to support millions of high-speed connections. 

To make fixed wireless work, telcos and other service providers need access to these critical mid-band and/or mmWave frequencies and the proper equipment to deliver the high-speed data service over their networks. That’s where companies like Samsung Networks come in. They have optimized several components of their traditional cellular network equipment, such as antennas, radio units, virtualized RAN (vRAN), baseband components and the software that runs them, for fixed wireless applications. In fact, they’re one of the few companies that offers a complete end-to-end FWA solution that goes all the way from the chips inside the radio equipment to the antennas sitting on cellular network towers.  This innovation has made Samsung’s network technologies an ideal solution for a growing number of broadband leaders, including Mediacom, Mercury Broadband and Verizon, all of which selected Samsung to help them leverage FWA to expand their reach to underserved, rural areas across the U.S.

For telcos and service providers interested in leveraging FWA as their “last mile” solution to connect to individual homes and businesses, the process starts with assessing the RF spectrum assets they have (or might need) and then determining the appropriate hardware to deliver that service. Unlike traditional cellular networks where mobility is a key factor, with fixed wireless services the emphasis is on throughput and coverage distance. As a result, technologies like Massive MIMO radios and beamforming, both of which are key elements of Samsung’s network offerings, take on increased importance. In addition, depending on the topography and population density of a given area, having low power radio solutions that can be mounted on streetlights, can be an essential part of a complete solution. Finally, because network planning and coverage maps for fixed wireless have their own set of unique requirements, offering support services and software planning tools is also critical for organizations who are looking to create an FWA offering.

Like 5G networks as a whole, the technologies behind fixed wireless continue to expand and improve. Recently, for example, Samsung announced the company has achieved download speeds of 1.75 Gbps over a 10 km range, in a trial with NBN Co., an Australian service provider, using  mmWave solutions from Samsung. Very few existing wired broadband solutions can come anywhere close to that level of performance, highlighting how rapidly the technology behind wireless broadband is improving.

Providing high-speed, highly reliable and geographically robust internet access is going to be an absolutely essential business opportunity for decades to come. Achieving those solutions wirelessly is an exciting new opportunity that telcos and other service providers would be wise to pursue. It’s one of those rare, but exciting opportunities where there are clear benefits for both the business providing the solution and the customers receiving it. That’s a combination that’s hard to beat.

Bob O'Donnell is the president and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research, a market research and consulting firm that provides strategic consulting and market research services to the technology industry and professional financial community.


[1] Source: Counterpoint Research data, July 2022

The editorial staff had no role in this post's creation.