Fixed Wireless Access

Written on 10:31 AM by ooe

Mankind has been communicating via radio signals for a very long time, between neighbouring buildings, across oceans and even from one planet to another. Theoretically such technology can be used for the last mile of a telecommunications network to connect its customers. In practice, however, it is not well suited to such use and it is only over the last decade or two that tailored solutions have emerged, allowing large scale wireless access to become economically viable.

Wireless access splits into two classes – fixed and mobile. Fixed systems are known by many names including fixed wireless access (FWA), wireless local loop (WLL), multimedia wireless systems (MWS), broadband wireless access (BWA) and local multipoint distribution systems (LMDS). While mobile systems allow users to roam around the network, in fixed systems the radio units are permanently mounted in the same way as copper and optical fibre.

Using radio in the access network presents a unique set of engineering challenges, especially if service quality is to rival wired delivery. Securing suitable spectrum is a prerequisite to establishing a network. The transmission medium presents many challenges which are outside the direct control of the network operator, and those that are of particular importance for fixed applications have to be considered when selecting radio equipment. Careful planning of the network is required to ensure it meets initial and longer term market requirements and the initial technology and architecture choices are key to achieving success. When all these aspects have been considered, a network operator can assess the likely costs and revenue of a wireless system and can answer a more fundamental question – is wireless the best choice of access technology for this application? This chapter will explore each of these issues in more depth.