Fwa

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is a method of delivering broadband to a fixed location using wireless links rather than wired connections. It relies on wireless access technologies, most commonly 4G/5G radio interfaces, to connect a home or business to a service provider’s core network, serving as an alternative or complement to fiber and other fixed lines.

In typical FWA deployments, a base station or small cell serves multiple premises via radio links. The customer premises equipment (CPE) at the user site includes a modem and an outdoor or indoor antenna. The backhaul from the base station to the core network can be fiber, microwave, or another high-capacity link. The air interface employs beamforming and directional antennas to improve capacity and reduce interference. Spectrum used for FWA may be licensed, lightly licensed, or unlicensed, and bands can range from sub-6 GHz to higher-frequency millimeter-wave bands.

Applications and deployment context: FWA is especially used to provide broadband in rural or underserved urban areas where laying fiber is costly or impractical. It can enable rapid service activation and scalable capacity, often as part of a mixed network strategy that includes fiber, copper, and other wireless solutions.

Performance and limitations: Speeds and reliability depend on technology, spectrum, distance, and environment. Higher-frequency bands can deliver very high peak speeds but have shorter range and greater susceptibility to weather and obstacles. Lower bands offer better coverage but lower maximum throughput. Network capacity, interference, and regulatory factors also influence performance.

Regulatory and market notes: FWA operates under national spectrum rules and is a growing component of broadband expansion in many regions, used to extend fixed connectivity where fiber deployment is challenging.