For example, your home Wi-Fi network or the Wi-Fi at your favorite coffee shop both manage the internet connections for all the devices on their respective networks, but they rely on an ISP internet connection to relay all those connections.įixed wireless is also different from cellular technologies like 4G and 5G. Wi-Fi generally refers to small Local Area Networks (LANs). This technology allows for high availability but also results in high latency. Satellite internet works using transmitters orbiting Earth. Fixed wireless internet is different from satellite internet, Wi-Fi, 4G, and 5G. There are a lot of kinds of wireless internet, and fixed wireless is just one specific kind. But, in flatter areas, providers might have to build towers just to keep the signals from being blocked by the curvature of the earth. Tall buildings and mountains make excellent spots to mount antennas. However, to get the most out of their range, they need to be mounted someplace high.
These antennas then use direct PtP connections to send the signal toward the backbone of the provider’s network (a high-bandwidth fiber connection), which then connects to the rest of the internet.įixed wireless antennas can also be much smaller (and cheaper to build) than cell towers. The antennas that connect to all the residential customers in a given area use PtMP, with one tower providing a signal to multiple homes. These wireless transmitters connect in two different ways, point-to-point (PtP) and point-to-multiple-point (PtMP). Not only does this configuration save on the up-front costs of building a network, but it also allows for a strong and fast internet connection within that network. Fixed wireless infrastructureįixed wireless providers work similarly to most landline networks, but they use wireless transmitters instead of running cables underground. With the development of 4G LTE home internet and 5G home internet, which both sacrifice mobility to provide a stronger signal, the distinction between fixed wireless and cellular providers is becoming even more blurred. In multifamily buildings like apartments, the entire building might be connected to the network with a single antenna and CPE, which is then connected to routers in each individual household. This is then connected to the customer premises equipment (CPE) where you plug in your router (or the CPE might have a router built in). Fixed wireless connections usually have an external antenna or dish mounted on the outside of the house to maximize signal strength. Cellular equipment usually consists of a single device within the home, which may have a separate antenna that is placed in a window. The main distinction between fixed wireless connections and cellular technologies is that fixed wireless connections cannot be moved and require line of sight (or near line of sight) to the transmitter.Īnother difference between fixed wireless and cellular connections is the equipment involved. Fixed wireless signalsįixed wireless providers use a variety of technologies in their networks, ranging from microwave-band connections like WiMAX to millimeter-band connections similar to those used in 5G technologies.
While cell towers transmit in all directions within a given radius to serve mobile customers, fixed wireless transmitters send signals directly to other fixed wireless transmitters. Fixed wireless networks-also known as fixed wireless access (FWA), broadband wireless access (BWA), wireless internet service providers (WISPs), and several other terms-work by sending a wireless signal directly from a remote transmitter to a receiver on your home.
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