How Broadband Fixed Wireless Works

Different from other connections like DSL or fiber, fixed wireless provides broadband internet access to locations through radio waves – eliminating the need for phone or cable lines.

Service providers will install a receiver at your home or office which communicates with the nearest wireless base station. This offers you access to the internet via radio waves carrying the broadband signal from the receiver to the router in your home or office.

Fixed wireless internet is mainly used in rural areas where setting up the infrastructure for broadband services like DSL is prohibitively expensive. Transporting and burying cables in the ground and getting the necessary permits can be expensive. So it doesn’t make financial sense for service providers to go down this road in less populated areas, where they can’t get enough subscribers on board to justify the total costs.

Fixed Wireless Advantages:

• Easier set-up. Service does not require physical cables or the hassle of build-out scheduling and timing
• No data caps. You can download or upload large files (software, updates, large email attachments, etc.), run a VoIP phone system, stream music in your office, or use internet-based applications and databases as much as you need to in order to keep your business running at its best.
• Download speeds are just as fast as other broadband services. One of the biggest differences between fixed wireless and satellite is the amount of latency, or lag.  This is how long it takes information to be sent or received over your connection.  With a fixed wireless connection, the signal only travels from the antenna to the nearest tower. The shorter distance means that fixed wireless has about the same latency as a cable or DSL connection, and will run just as quickly.

Considerations:

• Weather can affect strength of signals
• Line of sight between receiver (house) and wireless base station factors into performance
• Obstructions (trees, buildings, hills) can affect the quality of service