Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), an interesting business opportunity

5G mobile communication will be a reality for operators worldwide in 2021. It provides new services for customers based on a great increase in speed and with deployments in NSA (Non-standalone) mode on the infrastructure of the current 4G network.

In this phase of 5G, the first interesting application for customers is a faster and more easily accessible network, which generates a growing demand for fixed wireless access (FWA) services.

FWA is not a new concept

First WiMAX and then 4G have offered broadband of 100Mbps and up to 1Gbps, as an alternative to FTTH. But neither was it supplied by all operators nor did it guarantee SLAs to corporate clients. In business environments, 4G has been used for backup or latency-insensitive applications.

Who is interested in FWA?

FWA interests all operators, either as an advantage or as a threat if they do not react in time. For those with fixed-mobile infrastructure, it retains its customers by providing them with a second connection with high added value and low cost, or allows them to attract new customers where they do not have fiber.

For operators with only mobile infrastructure, it enables them to enter the corporate broadband market with a quality wireless network.