Are you feeling the bandwidth strain? A fixed wireless network could be the answer

Even though Australian homes and businesses are transitioning to higher speed networks, the demand for bandwidth continues to grow. For many remote businesses, the NBN is unavailable and other traditional network connections are still notoriously expensive and too slow. Fortunately there’s a solution – fixed wireless networks.

Can you imagine trying to conduct business without high speed internet? Slow or unreliable access is simply not an option anymore. Like upgrading road infrastructure, businesses are now expected to invest in better network technologies to keep up with demand.

The challenge comes when connecting a remote organisation. Although the NBN is rolling out fibre technology across most of Australia, this option is prohibitively expensive when large distances are involved. Connecting the ‘last mile’ is impossible, even when the NBN rollout is complete – much of the technology will be Fibre to the Node (FTTN), with some premises getting Fibre to the Curb (FTTC). Alternatives such as ADSL are too slow and 3G/4G networks are becoming too crowded.

An effective high performance alternative is fixed wireless.

What is a fixed wireless network?

A common misunderstanding is that fixed wireless is a mobile- or WiFi-related technology. The technology uses extended-range wireless networking technology to transmit data using radio signals between two fixed points, instead of fibre- or copper-based cabling to carry data.

Fixed wireless networks can deliver speeds of up to 10Gbps (billions of bits per second). The client is connected to the network through a radio transceiver, which is wired into the customer's LAN using a standard Ethernet cable.

This option is typically used where there are large distances (kilometres) between business locations.

Because data is transmitted by high frequency radio signals, good ‘line of sight’ from the tower to your premise is essential.

What are the benefits of a fixed wireless network?

The biggest benefit for businesses is the cost – it’s much cheaper to set up a fixed wireless network because the only installation required is a transceiver, rather than a physical connection to a terrestrial network.

It is easier to expand the network as your business grows, as well. If you are looking at setting up a new building or branch, it can get complicated designing a new network topology to cope with splitting workforce and assets. Fixed wireless lets you create multiple locations while maintaining high network performance and keeping costs down.

These days, unified communication and shared digital work spaces have become a workplace standard. These systems need consistent network speed and reliability across all sites to work effectively for your workforce. A fixed wireless networks lets you deliver fast, reliable network connectivity to even the most remote locations.

As more and more organisations implement cloud technologies, there is a greater need to ensure flexible and on-demand access to application, data storage and collaboration tools. Fixed wireless provides high-availability, symmetrical broadband performance to ensure speed and uptime for cloud-based technologies.

Finally, managing disaster recovery scenarios can be complex across multiple sites, in particular ensuring correct data backup and business resilience of core applications. With traditional networks, a single severed cable is enough to jeopardise smooth operations for days, resulting in big productivity losses. A fixed wireless network can provide effective backup connectivity in the event of flood, fire or telco outage.

Applications of a fixed Wireless Network

While remote businesses and multiple-location sites are obvious candidates for fixed wireless networks, there are other applications for businesses to consider:

• Create a private data for Wide Area Network (WAN) – seamlessly extend your local area network into a wide area network (WAN), establish clearer connections and reduced telco bills for voice or video communications, mirror data for brilliant business continuity and more.
• Get access to high speed internet – Superloop has business-grade, high-availability, high-speed internet access with symmetrical upload and download speeds with the latest encryption and security features to provide the highest level of security and reliability that is commercially available.

Building the right network

There are many considerations to take into account when designing a network, whether it is terrestrial or wireless.

•  Ensure compatibility with your existing technology, particularly telephony equipment
•  Will you need encryption on mobile devices?
•  Can it support unified communication and cloud-based applications
•  Consider the number of users and types of application within your business
•  Will you be streaming video on a regular basis?
•  Discuss your speed options with Superloop – we can recommend a solution that’s right for your business.