What is Fixed Wireless Access?

Fixed wireless access is an “Ultrafast” internet connection that’s delivered through high frequency radio waves using PTP/PTMP technology. It is the connection of choice for businesses who would be negatively affected by downtime (which is more common on a fibre network), or those who are not willing to spend thousands of pounds on the excess construction charges to get fibre installed. The best way to describe a fixed wireless access connection is “fibre without the cables”.

Fixed wireless Internet uses point to point technology to transmit the internet from one location to another. It is very similar to a fibre connection, but uses high frequency radio waves instead of fibre cables – giving you the same level of security, encryption, Ultrafast speeds and low-latency (without the cables, long lead times or ECC’s)!

Yes, fixed wireless internet is incredibly reliable – offering uptimes exceeding 99.99%, which is higher than almost every fibre internet connection in the UK! And because the connection is delivered through the air via a point-to-point link, it is not affected by fires, floods, roadworks or other natural disasters that have left companies who rely on a fibre leased line without a connection for a number of months. Faults that occur on a fixed wireless connection are typically faster to repair too, as there are no construction works or digging up roads necessary. It’s also incredibly low latency, making it ideal for VoIP, CCTV, gaming, video calls and more!

Fixed wireless internet is considered the “gold standard” internet connection by many businesses in the UK. It offers all the benefits of a leased line without the expensive installation costs, long lead times or dependency on physical ground based cables. The only real problem business owners face when trying to get a fixed wireless connection is the lack of availability in the area. To find out if fixed wireless internet is available in your location click here.

This depends on the fixed wireless provider you choose, as many of the cheaper services will not install the adaptive modulation or adverse weather resistant links required for a truly weather-resistant connection. Our fixed wireless access at APC Solutions is fully weather resistant and will not be interrupted during thunderstorms, heavy rain, flooding, snow or anything else – and we have thousands of happy customers to prove it!

Fixed wireless can work at much higher speeds and capacity when line of sight is present, with some equipment and frequencies Line of Sight is essential to make it a viable solution.  Some equipment will work in near and none line of sight conditions, it all depends on the hardware and technology used.

Lower frequency fixed wireless solutions can penetrate trees more efficiently than higher frequency solutions.  A commonly used 5Ghz solution has reasonable tree penetration when used with a short range link while a 3.5Ghz solution has much better tree penetration. 

Fixed wireless internet speeds range from 100Mbps to 10Gbps for both upload and download speeds (depending on your requirements and location). This makes fixed wireless internet faster than fibre for many businesses across the UK. To find out the exact speeds you can expect at your premises, fill out the form here.

The fixed wireless installation process is quick, simple and often only takes 14 days from start to finish! The fixed wireless provider will install a “receiver” on your premises that will link to the nearest “transmitter” of wireless internet – this is known as PTP (or point to point wireless). Your receiver will then be connected to multiple “access points” located throughout your building to provide full Wi-Fi coverage and ensure there are no “Wi-Fi dead zones”.

If you are a homeowner that’s looking for fixed wireless broadband in Essex, our subsidiary company Essex WiFi covers most of the county. For business grade fixed wireless access, our team at APC Solutions covers most of the UK. To find out if we’re able to get fixed wireless internet to your businesses premises click here.

Yes, fixed wireless broadband is ideal for gamers who need a low latency connection that won’t lag and ruin the gameplay. It is also classified as “Ultra-fast” and often gives gamers a much faster internet connection than they could get through any ground-based fibre.

Fixed wireless is an internet connection that is used to get Ultrafast internet into a premises, whereas Wi-Fi refers to the technology that is used to connect wireless devices to an internet connection.

Fixed wireless is a much more flexible technology, it can have symmetrical speeds, so your download speeds are the same as your upload speeds, this is not possible with DSL.  DSL is commonly delivered over copper wires and if you’re not close enough to the termination box your performance will be severely degraded, while fixed wireless technology has its own challenges around line of sight, you can often get a much better connection and higher speeds using fixed wireless.

Yes fixed wireless internet is better than a satellite connection in almost every instance imaginable. Satellite connections have a much slower upload/download speed and have far higher latency. To put this in perspective – the maximum speed available for the average satellite internet connection is around 30Mbps, whereas fixed wireless internet speeds can go all the way up to 10Gbps! Satellite connections are also adversely affected by the poor weather conditions, whereas a properly set up fixed wireless connection is not. You are also able to get an uncontended connection when using fixed wireless, whereas a satellite connection must be shared with other users.

Yes fixed wireless is the better option for most businesses in the UK due to the fact that they do the exact same job as a fibre connection, without the expensive installation costs (Excess Construction Charges), dependency on physical cables that easily break but take months to fix, or the long installation times (of around 3 months).

To find out if you can get fixed wireless internet access at your location, use our free coverage checker above or contact us now on 03331 500 140.