What is fixed wireless access?

Fixed wireless internet uses 4G and 5G wireless frequencies to provide internet connectivity between two different locations. These locations are generally between a mobile network tower and a FWA-enabled wireless network within a user’s home.

The wireless signals are sent from the towers to the receiver within the customer’s home. From there, a user may insert an ethernet cable into their receiver and connect it to their dedicated device or a WiFi router.

WiFi is a networking protocol that allows WiFi-enabled devices on a WiFi network to transfer data using radio waves.

While WiFi 7 is the latest release of the publicly-available WiFi standard, most devices still use the previous standard, WiFi 6, which allows consumers to use the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

With wired connections, WiFi routers receive internet signals from an internet service provider (ISP), delivered through cable or fiber infrastructure. At home, cables fit into the WiFi router’s ports and the router distributes the signal.

Some cable or fiber customers may choose to install mesh WiFi networks within their home, to make the most out of their WiFi signal.

After the WiFi router is wired to the cable or fiber network, your WiFi router’s antennas distribute the wired cable or fiber internet signals, spreading it throughout your home and providing wireless connectivity to devices such as mobile phones, IoT devices and laptops.

A fixed wireless access network customer needs to have a receiver that can accept incoming cell tower signals and turn them into transmissible data for devices. In some cases, these fixed wireless access receivers may need their own WiFi router in order to distribute the signal throughout the home.

WiFi is simply a networking protocol, and a means by which data is transferred – whether fiber or fixed wireless access.

Day-to-day, fixed wireless access can be reliable in the sense that you will have access to the internet. There are, however, many factors that may affect the integrity of a fixed wireless access connection.

Network congestion: With fixed wireless networks, your connection is in the hands of users in your area accessing the internet. If many users are streaming, gaming or using large amounts of  bandwidth, you may experience a drop in speed, as seen on Reddit.

Jitter: Jitter is a time-delay on your network connection, usually caused by internet congestion and is more present in fixed wireless access connections than fiber or cable. For gamers or streamers, this can mean a poor viewing or gaming experience.

Downtime: During peak hours, a fixed wireless network customer may experience one or all of the following:

• Slowed speeds.
• Prioritization of mobile data over fixed wireless access points.
• Disturbances of radio frequency.

These are all common actions FWA providers may take in order to keep their network online.

If you are considering the switch from fiber to fixed wireless access, understand your internet needs and build the optimal plan for your household.

With Astound’s high speed internet you can get maximum download speeds of 300 Mbps* for $20 per month. You also have the option of maximum download speeds up to 2 Gig in select areas, which is more than 14x faster than most fixed wireless access providers.

Depending on your family’s needs, Astound’s more consistent connection will better suit your activities, no matter if you’re working or learning online, gaming or streaming.

If you’re looking for the fastest internet speed, look for the highest number.

Remember: sometimes 1000 Mbps and above may be referred to as 1 Gig, 1.5 Gig, 2 Gig or 5 Gig internet. Whatever speed you choose, make sure it aligns with your household’s internet habits.

Fixed wireless access may look like a cable-free, cheaper alternative to fiber-powered networks, but its performance leaves much to be desired. It’s susceptible to interference from trees, weather, congestion and walls. And, it’s not ideal for heavy gamers or streamers.

A wired internet connection and fixed wireless access internet can both deliver speed.

A wired connection, however, delivers a more consistent connection as long as you have up-to-date equipment, including your modem and router, capable of receiving the highest speeds.

Astound’s fiber-powered internet delivers faster, more reliable speeds to handle the increasing demands of a connected home with ultra-fast speed, reliability and performance. Astound offers more of the speed you need to power all your devices – with awesome Gig pricing and speeds up to 5 Gbps in select locations. Visit www.astound.com/internet and be astounded with faster internet and better mobile.