If you happen to be searching for internet options for your home or business, you might have come across one option known as fixed wireless internet which is also known as a fixed wireless broadband. It is a very popular way of connecting to the internet in this day and age, especially when you move towards the suburbs since it helps to connect in areas where cable or fiber optics are not available easily or are quite expensive to install. But what is it exactly and how is it different from other forms of internet connections? We will tell you all about it in this blog!
It is basically one of the types of the high speed internet that utilizes the radio signals instead of underground cables to deliver internet to your homes and businesses. You have to install an antenna or a receiver at your location that will communicate with a base station nearby that is connected to the internet. Unlike 4G or 5G internet in your smart devices that you can move around with, the fixed wireless internet is set up at a fixed point. Usually this fixed place is on a pole or on a roof top so that it can maintain a direct connection with the base station without any obstruction in between.
It is a reliable option for the ruralites or people living in remote areas where installing cables or fiber optics would be expensive or not feasible. It has fast internet speeds and is more reliable than satellite based internet, especially in bad weather conditions.
The fixed wireless broadband has a straightforward concept of working. It’s similar to when you connect your phones with 4G or 5G for the most part. Below are some differences in its working:
The ISP or Internet Service Provider has a base station located on a tall structure or a building. This base station is connected to the fiber network.
The small antenna or a dish installed at your home or business is known as the receiver. It is installed in a way that it’s pointing at the direction of the base tower with a clear line of sight for getting optimum speeds.
The base station sends data to your receiver via the radio waves just like a cell tower connects with your mobiles. The receiver transmits this data to your WiFi router thus giving you access to the internet.
SInce the transmission of data is done wirelessly, the speed and connection quality is dependent on factors such as distance from base station, presence of obstructions between the tower and receiver and weather conditions. However, most of the modern systems are manufactured in a way to minimize such problems. The speeds provided by these connections are fast.
This is one of the biggest advantages of having fixed wireless internet. It has the ability to reach far-off areas which the traditional cables underground can’t reach. Installing fiber optics or DSL cables can be a high-cost investment for the internet service providers. Many of them are unwilling to invest this much for a small area. This is where the fixed wireless broadband comes in with its relatively less cost and ease of installation making it a practical choice for the ruralites.
Modern fixed internet systems are able to deliver impressively high speeds. While the former versions of such technology struggled to keep up with the traditional broadband, advanced equipment and transmission tech has allowed the fixed wireless internet speeds to reach up to 100 Mbps and even more in some areas. That is a sufficient amount of speed for streaming content, playing online games, downloading stuff etc. all together. In a recent survey conducted in the U.S, the average speed for fixed wireless internet was around 50 Mbps which makes it an equivalent competitor to other types of internet connections.
While other types of internet connections can take a few days to install, fixed wireless broadband is quite easy to set up with just an antenna to be fixed on top of the roof facing the nearest base station. Due to its simplicity, you save yourself from the hassle which is caused by internet installation like in the case of fiber optics and DSL etc.
Fixed wireless internet relies on a clear line of sight between the base tower and receiver. It doesn’t have to face problems associated with other types of connections like physical damage to cable lines or congestion in the network.
Although fixed wireless internet is more reliable than a satellite connection, it still has the tendency to be affected by bad weather such as heavy rain, snow or dense fog etc. All of these can hinder the radio waves that can cause the internet speed to be slow.
The receiver and base tower needs to be in clear line of sight to each other for optimum speeds. Any obstructions such as buildings or hills etc. can cause the signals to disrupt frequently. Similarly, if you live further away from the base station, you will get weaker signals causing the internet to be slower as this type of internet connection works the best within a 10 mile radius of the tower.
If you happen to live in rural or hilly areas where a standard underground cable internet might not be available, then fixed internet may be the only option that will provide you the best value for money. It is reliable, cost effective, provides high speeds without compromising on the budget. WHile there are a few drawbacks, the modern fixed internet setup is designed to minimize those issues giving you a much better experience than what was previously available. WIth the advancement in technology, it is only going to get better from here!
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