Why FWA Is A Viable Option in 2022

Would you believe that in the United States approximately 19 million people lack internet access, and another 14.5 million don’t have access to reliable internet? Whether that is due to lacking infrastructure updates, geographical challenges, or affordability, one thing is certain: America needs a better way to connect.

Connecting the masses

If it’s not reliable internet access, what is one thing that just about every American adult owns? A cell phone! Nearly 97% of Americans own one, and more than 85% of those are smartphones. With these devices, users have been enabled to connect just about anywhere since the mid-2000s. Fast forward to 2022 and carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and US Cellular have begun offering their mobile networks for use inside the home.  

FWA can oftentimes be faster than traditional internet services like broadband, DSL, or even fiber, especially if users live in an area that’s covered by mid or high-band 5G. Most users will only be able to access the low band based on the current state of 5G infrastructure, but even then users will see speeds, download times, and latencies that rival the more common internet options. Two of the biggest advantages offered by FWA in its current state are price and ease of use.

Pricing

It’s common in the FWA space to see little or no fees and a very low monthly payment. For example, T-Mobile’s Home Internet service offers speeds of up to 200Mbps for only $50 per month, whereas CenturyLink and Xfinity charge $50 and $40 per month for more traditional packages that only offer speeds up to 100Mbps or have data caps. T-Mobile’s service, along with other carriers’, usually comes loaded with perks and deals as well. For new customers T-Mobile is offering one free year of Paramount+, 50% off YouTube TV for one year, $50 off a streaming device of the customer’s choosing, and maybe best of all, a 5G mobile gateway for free and without monthly charges.

Ease of Use

A hurting point for many consumers is the setup and confusion that comes along with installing a new internet service. Sure, ISPs will send a technician to your address, but those trips are often accompanied by exuberant installation fees. Most if not all FWA services feature a simple setup and usually require zero cables other than the power cable for the gateway. The only thinking required is deciding on the best placement for the gateway, as it can have its signal weakened by things that would normally disrupt smartphones like microwaves, cement walls, or heavily wooded areas.

Challenges

While Fixed Wireless is an excellent option for millions of households across the United States, it isn’t without its issues. One of the challenges facing FWA is limited availability. The service is powered by the same networks that connect our cell phones, so users that get poor cellular reception at home will most likely also receive a poor FWA connection if they use the same carrier. Additionally, most areas are connected by a small number of cell towers, and once those towers reach their maximum number of supported connections, speeds will be throttled, and users could face connection issues. Thankfully carriers are working around the clock to expand capacity more than introducing 5G already has by constructing new access points and towers.

How RTech Solutions Can Help

At RTech we strive to make dependable solutions affordable for everyone, which is why we offer our solutions As-a-Service. While we don’t currently offer FWA directly, we do offer comprehensive data solutions from all major carriers. This means that the same highspeed data you use at home from T-Mobile or Verizon can be used to connect your POS system, routers, computers, or even employee handheld devices. For customers that need to connect more than one location, we offer bundling services to ensure that all locations get the data they need when they need it. One of the best perks of working with RTech is that we can consolidate your bill into one easy-to-read statement regardless of how many lines of data you need – even if they’re from different carriers. Contact us today to learn more about