Enabling Rural Broadband Services
High speed internet access via DSL, cable and fiber is still cost prohibitive in rural and remote areas and is available only where providers can deploy these networks profitably. 4G/LTE technology for fixed wireless broadband can be deployed much more cost-effectively and is a key enabler in rural areas where communities are small and housing density is low.
Fixed wireless access using 4G/LTE technology provides a high-speed Internet service via an outdoor antenna and indoor Wi-Fi Gateway router. Fixed wireless data (FWD) links are often a cost-effective alternative to leasing fiber. A recent wireless 20/20 study demonstrated that fixed wireless could reduce CAPEX by more than 50% for many low-density rural broadband deployments.
WISPs or wireless Internet service providers currently fill the gap between urban and rural broadband services by providing fixed broadband services to households and businesses in small towns and rural communities. Up to recently the majority of these subscribers were being served using proprietary technologies in the unlicensed 5GHz spectrum. With the advent of more suitable 4G/LTE technologies and available licensed spectrum, 4G is fast becoming the technology of choice for fixed wireless internet services.