What Kind of Performance Should I Expect from Fixed Wireless Internet?

Fixed wireless internet is capable of delivering broadband speeds. It is also reliable and comes with low latency.

However, a few factors can impact the performance of fixed wireless internet. The list includes the distance to towers, quality of installation, and more.

Let’s explore more on the performance of fixed wireless and what you can expect.

Why do People Prefer Fixed Wireless Internet?

Fixed wireless internet is suitable for areas that lack access to a fiber optic or broadband internet. The internet signal comes from towers covering a certain radius. Homes and buildings in this radius can use receivers to access the internet from the towers.

The internet reaches the towers via fiber optic or fixed cables. The towers only do the job of broadcasting the signal through airwaves.

Buildings may use a modem and router to receive and share fixed wireless internet. It is also possible to use a transceiver or antenna to access fixed wireless. A wired connection distributes the signal from the receiver to homes and buildings.

Performance of Fixed Wireless Internet

Fixed wireless internet is highly reliable. You can compare it to broadband and fiber optic connections. Additionally, you may be able to enjoy a 99.99% uptime.

Therefore, you may lose only an hour each year in downtime in theory.

In reality, several factors impact the performance of fixed wireless:

The distance of the tower
The infrastructure of the base station
The capacity of the service provider
Users accessing the internet from the tower
Radio frequency interferences
The terrain of the coverage area

A few practices like maintaining a line of sight between towers and buildings can improve performance.

Next, we will evaluate the performance of fixed wireless based on a few factors:

Speed

Most fixed wireless service providers offer speeds comparable to broadband. You may be able to download files at 100 to 400 Mbps. The upload speed can range between 10 and 50 Mbps.

However, fixed wireless delivered over millimeter waves (mmWave) can reach speeds of 1 Gbps. You may even access upload speeds of 100 to 500 Mbps. The same level of speed is also available from 5G fixed wireless.

4G LTE fixed wireless comes with lower download speeds of 10 to 50 Mbps. They provide upload speeds of 1 to 5 Mbps.

Generally, service providers offer plans with different speeds. They are mostly unlimited, while a few providers can lower your speed once you cross your limit.

Latency

Fixed wireless connections have low latency. Some connections even have ultra-low latency.

Let’s take the reference of broadband to make a valid comparison. It has a latency of fewer than 20 milliseconds.

In comparison, low-latency fixed wireless can have a latency of 50 to 100 milliseconds. Ultra-low fixed wireless networks come with a latency of fewer than 30 milliseconds.

Therefore, fixed wireless can help you play games and watch videos without buffering. It takes less time to get a response for your action which eliminates lagging.

You can even use high-speed fixed wireless for video streaming and video conferencing.

Coverage

Coverage is an important factor that impacts fixed wireless performance. The capacity of the tower determines the area it can cover.

Generally, homes and buildings within a 6-mile radius enjoy the best connectivity. Modern 5G towers may cover a radius of 10 miles.

Additionally, buildings with a line of sight with the tower receive better speeds.

Trees or power lines may interfere with the signal of fixed wireless internet. Moreover, radiofrequency interferences from appliances and electronics may impact the speed.

However, bad weather generally doesn’t disrupt the performance of fixed wireless. You can enjoy good connectivity even in rain or snow. It might experience problems only in the case of severe storms or hail.

Final Thoughts

You can expect reliable performance from fixed wireless internet. It comes with a low latency of 30 to 100 milliseconds to offer a seamless experience.

Moreover, you may be able to enjoy speeds between 100 to 1,000 Mbps. Fixed wireless also has high bandwidth to allow more data exchange.

However, a few factors may impact the performance of fixed wireless. The list includes proximity to the tower, the number of users, and more.