Introducing next-generation fixed wireless access

Imagine streaming your favorite show without buffering, working from home seamlessly or attending online classes without lag – even if your area doesn’t have high speed internet options.

Billions of people worldwide struggle with struggle with slow or no broadband, affecting work, education and daily life. In fact, roughly four in ten households worldwide still lack fast, reliable home broadband, and most of those that do have speeds under 100 Mbps.

That’s where next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) comes in. This game-changing wireless technology delivers fiber-like speeds without massive infrastructure investment or digging up streets. ngFWA is an advancement in fixed wireless that makes high speed internet accessible, faster and cheaper.

In this article, we’ll break down what next-generation fixed wireless access is, how it works and why it’s revolutionizing home internet for people just like you.

Fiber is great for areas with a lot of potential customers, delivering low latency, high-capacity, high speed internet, but there are some downsides. Fiber deployment involves long timelines, a lot of complexity and high costs per subscriber in less populated areas.

4G and 5G mobile-based fixed wireless access has grown in availability, but it prioritizes phones over homes. This leads to inconsistent speeds and closed areas that can’t add more customers.

Legacy fixed wireless access networks that are based on re-purposed indoor wireless technology (WiFi) struggle with interference from neighbors and obstacles like trees and houses.

While useful for remote locations, satellite is limited by capacity and high latency.

Think of fiber as a superhighway that’s expensive to build, while older wireless is like a crowded side street—ngFWA is the smart express lane that gets you there fast without the hassle. It’s clear there’s a need for a new approach that combines wireless ease with wired reliability.

ngFWA is advanced wireless technology designed specifically for fixed locations like homes, delivering speeds up to 1 Gbps with low latency, using towers or poles to connect to devices on rooftops or walls. In other words, ngFWA acts as a bridge between traditional wired connections like fiber and flexible wireless networks, giving you fiber-like performance without the construction.

• Works in the licensed and unlicensed wireless spectrum.
• Performs well in challenging environments by using reflections, beamforming (directing multiple signals into one beam, similar to a spotlight), and interference cancellation to maintain a strong connection.
• Uses advanced interference cancellation (up to 40 dB on uplink and downlink) to suppress external wireless noise and maintain stable performance in challenging environments.

ngFWA delivers a solid connection through four different innovations:

• Beamforming: This directs multiple signals into one beam, similar to a spotlight.
• Nulling: Blocks unwanted interference like noise-canceling headphones.
• MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output): Sends multiple signals simultaneously like a multi-lane highway.
• Advanced multi-user MIMO and adaptive beamforming: Base nodes and home receivers coordinate using real-time signal processing to maintain strong performance, even in complex environments.

• Delivers fast, low-latency performance well-suited for video calls, online work and everyday home use
• High capacity per area (serves more homes without slowdowns)
• Provides reliable performance throughout the coverage area

It’s like being able to have a conversation with a person at a noisy party —ngFWA filters out distractions to hear clearly from across the room.

Compared to 5G fixed wireless access, ngFWA has twice the average speeds, three times the efficiency (fewer towers are needed) and is reliable in dense or obstructed areas where 5G fixed wireless access struggles.

There are several real-world perks of ngFWA. Next-generation fixed wireless access can be deployed in weeks rather than years, as with fiber, and installation is much easier and can often be done without a technician visit. Finally, it scales much better than 5G FWA, allowing networks to grow without degrading service.

ngFWA isn’t limited to the licensed wireless spectrum like 5G FWA and can use unlicensed spectrum, enabling greater capacity for growth. Advanced cancellation handles “noisy” environments like urban WiFi clutter.

In tests, ngFWA delivers over 300 Mbps speeds, even at over three miles away, outperforming mobile networks by seven times in downloads.

ngFWA will have a broader impact than fiber on closing the digital divide by reaching underserved areas quickly, enabling competition and better prices.

At Astound, we’re excited to bring ngFWA innovations to our customers, ensuring everyone gets fast, reliable internet without the wait. Looking ahead, there’s the potential to offer Gigabit ngFWA plans, integration with smart homes and global expansion.