FWA has emerged as a strategic tool to increase competition in residential broadband markets
While it’s true that U.S. telco providers built 5G for mobility, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has become a standout use case for mid-band and millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G spectrum. In fact, FWA is proving so effective at providing fast, reliable broadband, it has emerged as a strategic tool to increase competition in existing residential broadband markets as well as underserved areas, such as rural environments. As a result, FWA has emerged as one of the most successful ways to monetize 5G investments.
“The U.S. is a strong market for FWA,” Nokia’s Head of global FWA marketing activities Keith Russell told RCR Wireless News, explaining that for the converged operators, FWA is a complimentary application that allows them to offer services outside of their fiber footprint or capture new subscribers in advance of their fiber buildout. “Fixed wireless is more than just a rural play today, although that is a market where it continues to shine. Broadband funding in the US has a heavy focus on fiber, which makes sense, but there will always be areas that simply can’t be reached with fiber. This is where 3GPP-based 5G FWA can deliver on government funding objectives,” he continued
As a result, Nokia sees significant growth potential for U.S. operators in urban, suburban and rural markets. And to help them realize this potential, Nokia is expanding its 5G Fixed Wireless Access portfolio with the addition of the FastMile 5G outdoor receiver and the FastMile 5G Gateway 12. Nokia says these additions are designed to meet the unique demands of the North American region.
The new products support a broad range of 4G and 5G bands, including CBRS, but Russell highlighted the value of mmWave in FWA applications, commenting that this spectrum will help operators manage capacity. “If you have a really successful operator, they’ll start having issues with congestion in areas where they are rolling out a lot of FWA,” he said. “mmWave is underutilized, low-cost spectrum that can easily add capacity for those networks. “
In general, though, Russell shared that the company takes being 3GPP-compliant very seriously. “The licensed spectrum approach is really important to Nokia and to a lot of operators,” he said.
In addition to boasting 4 carrier aggregation of up to 300MHz of bandwidth and high gain antennas, Nokia’s latest 5G receiver can be self-installed by the consumer, which means fewer trucks rolls, and therefore, cost savings for operators and a more efficient setup process for consumers.
The gateway boasts high gain antennas with up to 8 dBi of gain, carrier aggregation and 200 MHz of spectrum support. Further, it also utilizes tri-band Wi-Fi 7, the latest generation of wireless technology, making it a truly “high-performance” and “forward-looking device,” according to Russell.
The FastMile 5G outdoor receiver and the FastMile 5G Gateway 12 will be available in Q3 2024. To learn more about Nokia’s Fixed Wireless Access portfolio, visit the company’s website.
