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mmWave has already been environment in 360 degrees, using every new subscriber. An intelligent
successful at delivering wireless advanced analytics to create a mobile application then guides the
capacity in hot zones and high-traffic fingerprint of the radio environment, end-user or a technician to install
urban environments where limited and directing itself to the best signal their FWA CPE in the best position to
range and signal attenuation don’t that it receives. This means it can maximize broadband performance
present a significant problem. This connect to signals from any direction, and optimize capacity usage of the
signal attenuation has led to a long- whether they are direct or reflected. radio network.
standing belief that mmWave is only
for urban areas and it can’t really be So, if something comes along Nokia FWA devices also enable
used in other scenarios. that blocks the signal, such as a operators to drive new revenues
tree growing, the antenna can beyond connectivity. The Corteca
Not so, says Nokia. By advocating find another signal path including software within Nokia devices uses
the deployment of mmWave as reflections, and continue to connect. application container technology
a capacity overlay to mid-band This dispels another myth, says Nokia: so that enhanced features, such
spectrum, Nokia says it can add much that mmWave FWA doesn’t work in as cyber security or low-latency
needed capacity for FWA subscribers non-LoS conditions. performance for gaming, can be
that are within mmWave range from downloaded to the FWA CPE and sold
the base station, while freeing up the However, when LoS isn't an issue, to subscribers as add-on services
mid-bands for mobile broadband mmWave has another very attractive that increase ARPU.
and more distant FWA subscribers. use case. In Australia, nbn is deploying
The operator study mentioned earlier Nokia’s mmWave technology in rural When thinking about deploying FWA
found that 50 per cent of suburban areas and achieving broadband to connect homes and business,
FWA subscribers would be able speeds up to 1 Gb/s over a 7km range. the mid-bands are still going to be
to connect to and benefit from a Nokia has shown that its FastMile the first choice for operators in most
mmWave capacity overlay. FWA technology can drive mmWave scenarios, says Nokia. But as FWA
deployments continue to accelerate
– industry experts expect 250 million
FWA subscribers by 2028 – mmWave
FWA is becoming a vital tool for
preserving capacity and maintaining
service levels. It will also prove
valuable in helping operators meet
their regulatory service coverage
commitments and as a tactical
deployment tool where fiber can’t be
deployed, as nbn is demonstrating
with its rural FWA service.
Nor will an mmWave FWA solution of
the kind being deployed by nbn work
for everyone, and it probably won’t
be widely repeated. The need for a
long-distance rural application meant
Nokia is busting the myths around signals out over 12km. This makes that nbn had a specific network
FWA mmWave with their advances FWA a compelling choice where that they built for rural connectivity
in antenna technology and device the economics of deploying fiber using 4G, and which was upgraded
intelligence. These advances mean broadband don’t make sense. to mmWave. They had that total
that mmWave FWA can be deployed LoS environment, and in that kind of
in non-line-of-sight locations (NLOS) Ensuring a brilliant end-user scenario it can be economic.
and over far greater distances, says experience is a key concern for
Nokia. The company has announced Nokia. Network planning tools enable So even though deployment
a new outdoor mmWave device, the operators to look at radio capacity scenarios for mmWave over FWA may
FastMile 5Gmm Receiver that does and cell site locations to know where be very specific, Nokia is showing that
exactly this. A 27dBi gain antenna to market their FWA services. The this is a much more useful tool than
overcomes propagation loss and same data is then used at point of everybody thinks.
weak signals. It also scans the sales to validate the service levels for
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