All About Fixed Wireless Internet
All About Fixed Wireless
Before we discuss the benefits, it’s important to first answer a common question that we often get….”What is fixed wireless technology?” For those of you who were paying attention in tech classes in college, feel free to jump to paragraph three and skip this primer. For the rest of us, here’s a quick overview on what fixed wireless Internet is all about.
What is Fixed Wireless Internet? 
In the simplest terms, fixed wireless Internet is a radio signal that is sent from a small tower or antenna, directly to a receiver antenna in a direct line of sight. The antennas are generally around 3-5 feet in height and are easily installed on building rooftops such that equipment visibility is concealed. The point-to-point connection is typically less than 10 miles (usually 3 – 5 miles away with BelWave). This Internet signal travels through the air directly to client locations via licensed or unlicensed radio frequency bands. The antenna equipment on both ends can be mounted on the rooftop and then hard-wired into the building to provide the final connection to the web.
The Benefits
Now that you have a basic understanding of this technology, the benefits are easy to understand. The connection is direct – no repeaters or distribution points, just a straight line-of-sight connection to the web. Since the transmission is over the air, there’s no need for in-ground cable, fiber or phone lines. There’s less risk of accidents and line breaks. But there’s more…fixed wireless Internet is completely redundant, so it’s a great primary or backup connection source for critical infrastructure such as hospitals, emergency response, municipalities, e-commerce operations, and any other business that requires constant Internet.
A common misconception is that fixed wireless uses satellites to send Internet. This is not true. BelWave Internet is sent directly from the source tower via antenna, to our client locations in a direct line of sight. Another benefit over satellite Internet is resistance to rain and snow. Fixed wireless Internet equipment is designed to perform outdoors in all seasons, and is not disrupted by storms.
Also, BelWave offers battery backup technology on both ends of the connection which provides further security and uptime in the event of a power-outage. Speaking of security, even though this is a wireless connection, all data is secured using military-grade 128-bit encryption. Still wondering where else fixed wireless can be used? Answer – just about anywhere in DFW.
- Construction sites are a perfect fit for BelWave where there is no fiber Internet infrastructure in place.
- Concerts and events that are temporary, but need high-speed Internet on-demand.
- Data processing centers with critical uptime requirements.
- All other organizations in need of commercial-grade Internet to run a business.
