Author
Paul Baker
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5G FTTX AccessFor years, fixed wireless access (FWA) has been used by service providers to primarily deliver internet connectivity to subscribers in rural areas.
To provide connectivity to these homes, service providers must deploy two boxes (one inside the house and one outside). The outdoor box must be weatherproof, and technicians must also deploy additional cabling for both power and connectivity. These installations can be complex, expensive and time consuming for a service provider.
FWA technology has made tremendous strides, making it a viable broadband access option for both rural and urban areas. Here is what makes this possible:
- Advancements in LTE, CBRS and 5G NR
- The use of high-performance, indoor home gateways that can be easily installed by the consumer
Broadband services delivered over 5G FWA can compete with fixed-line services in urban and rural applications. 5G sub-6GHz can provide a higher service tier than over copper and it’s particularly attractive in underserved areas, where distances can limit the bandwidth over xDSL.
Next, mmWave 5G can deliver fiber-like speeds, with low latency for gaming, virtual reality and other applications. Once the radio access network (RAN) capacity is installed, then the cost to the service provider is low—just cost of a home gateway rather than running new cable to the home for every new subscriber.
Finally, even with the need for new RAN capacity, deployment costs are shown to be up to 50 percent lower than FTTH. FWA will enable mobile operators to offer competitive broadband service to the home and generate a return on their 5G investments. For fixed line operators, FWA will complement their fiber access strategy enabled by new spectrum such as 3.5GHz CBRS in the United States.
With consumers connecting more devices over Wi-Fi, the home network is becoming more complex. CommScope’s NVG558 FWA Home Gateway is an indoor CPE unit with internal antennas that can be used in both urban and rural areas. Not only is this CPE more economical than outdoor solutions, there is no need for technician installation. Consumers can simply install/deploy the device themselves. The NVG558 is designed for service providers as a robust, managed platform for voice, video and data services with options for IoT and container-based applications. It offers a choice of Wi-Fi options including tri-band Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. The solutions are CommScope HomeAssure™ ready and, when used with Wi-Fi Extenders, they create a cloud-managed Wi-Fi system that delivers high-performance throughout the home.
CommScope is leading the industry into the next smart home evolution. By combining our expertise in the wireless industry and our RAN portfolio, the NVG558 FWA gateways are delivering the next level in smart home connectivity and edge computing capability to subscribers and service providers.
Video: Fixed Wireless Access and Solutions
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