Fixed wireless access (FWA) using sub-6 GHz spectrum has generated significant new revenue since 2021 for mobile network operators (MNOs) at the expense of the cable industry. This should be no surprise given research by Nokia in 2020 showing that consumers would be willing to switch providers to get FWA if it delivered the same or better performance. Consumers are enjoying better service and more choice among service providers.
mmWave will sustain FWA
MNOs are enjoying “free money” with FWA because it uses the same networks already built for mobile. Eventually, sub-6 GHz networks will run out of capacity to satisfy both FWA and mobile subscribers, particularly among multi-dwelling units where data traffic is more concentrated. Some MNOs are taking steps to turn FWA into a more sustainable business by migrating their data hungry but less profitable FWA subscribers to less costly but more plentiful mmWave spectrum.
mmWave FWA will continue to leverage the same networks already built for mobile, but line-of-sight (LOS) propagation will require network repeaters to redirect base station capacity from mobile street coverage to FWA coverage.
Low hanging fruit
For capacity reasons, MNOs typically avoid serving MDUs with sub-6 GHz spectrum. MDUs account for a third of US households. Because subscribers are more densely concentrated in MDUs than in single family homes, they are economical to serve, so MNOs will likely focus mmWave on them first. Unlike cable companies, MNOs can activate FWA subscribers directly, avoiding landlords or wires, because connectivity occurs through the window.
New paradigm
Thanks to precision beamforming, deploying a new wireless edge of mmWave repeaters for FWA can be more deliberate, more targeted and more economically organic than deploying sub-6 GHz for FWA. This new edge allows buildings, even individual subscribers, to be canvassed in advance of installation, so repeaters will never be underutilized or stranded. If they become overutilized, then they can be replaced with fiber-connected base stations, which, in turn, promote additional repeaters and a new wireless edge.
The challenge with mmWave is that traditional sub-6 GHz network planning and deployment methods are inadequate for mmWave due to the unique LOS nature of mmWave propagation. Without proper network modeling and planning capabilities, customer acquisition cost and time-to-market increase, particularly in the dense deployments that typify mmWave.
For mmWave deployments, MNOs need network modeling tools that can capitalize on beamformed mmWave signals to precisely target individual household windows in MDUs. Traditional, low-resolution planning tools for sub-6 GHz geographic deployments lack the precision to target individual buildings, let alone individual windows. Precision targeting allows MNOs to pick and choose prospects based on a variety of factors, from socio-economic to competitive.
MNOs also need repeaters to minimize the number of high-capacity, fiber-connected gNBs. This way, repeaters act as demand probes, to be replaced when and only when more gNB capacity is warranted. MNOs must also reduce the cost of mmWave deployments to close the business case for FWA. mmWave repeaters offer a low cost, low power alternative to extend mmWave signals beyond gNB LOS.
People, partnerships and products
Besides products, MNOs need people and partnerships to deploy mmWave as fast as possible. Every market has its own strategies for dealing with local jurisdictions. Programmatically, the deployment process, from design to validation, can take a year or two without network design expertise and external partnerships that often rely on local relationships. This partnership of experts – ideally under one roof — navigating jurisdictions for permitting, site validation, installation and so on, can mean the difference between negative and positive ROI for the MNO.
Subscribers win too
FWA is shaking up the broadband industry by offering another service option that customers would recommend to others. Net promoter scores (NPS) are a subjective measure of how much customers would recommend a certain product or service. FWA has surpassed its wireline competitors in this regard. As predicted by Nokia in 2020, consumers are switching to FWA for better service and performance.
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