Nokia has announced the launch of a purpose-built FWA (fixed wireless access) receiver for the North American market. The Nokia FastMile 5G receiver uses a high gain antenna to deliver high speeds over long distances making it suited to serve both suburban and rural underserved communities.
The receiver supports a broad range of 4G and 5G bands including CBRS (citizens broadband radio service) in either 4G or 5G as well as c-band. It also supports up to 4CA (four-carrier aggregation) NR (new radio) meaning operators can bundle bands for higher throughput.
The necessity for high-speed broadband has never been clearer and governments are responding with a wide range of programmes to ensure access for their citizens. Full coverage will require a combination of fibre and wireless technologies where it is too difficult to lay fibre.
The FastMile 5G receiver is mounted outside the home where it can pick up the signals, in rural areas where signals can be weak at the cell edge. The outside receiver is teamed with an inside Wi-Fi router, such as Nokia’s Beacon G6.2 which has managed mesh Wi-Fi capability to deliver signals throughout the home.
Chris DePuy, technology analyst and founder at 650 Group, says “For those that require unlicensed spectrum, the 5G outdoor FWA device supports CBRS (B/n48), enabling CBRS in both 4G and 5G. We think the market is well over 10mn users for rural access that uses either unlicensed or licensed spectrum. This new product brings much-needed speed to rural areas that traditionally need to settle for less. Also, it broadens out Nokia’s portfolio to allow it to serve a broader set of customers.”
Dirk Verhaegen, VP broadband devices at Nokia, says “Our high-gain technology extends the range of fixed wireless access to deliver high speeds even in rural environments. Our receiver supports a wide range of mid and low-bands in both 4G and 5G along with up to 4 NR carrier aggregation, enabling operators to take best advantage of the spectrum investments.”
The Nokia 5G receiver is available in the North American market. The receiver joins Nokia’s portfolio of customer premise equipment which includes 4G and 5G gateways for indoor use.
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