What, me worry?
Fixed wireless is relatively inexpensive and impressively speedy, but it doesn't come without a few kinks.
Speed and price are its selling points, but any mention of wireless access raises questions of reliability. "Fixed wireless is for real, but there are still some teething issues to be worked through," says Andy Belt, strategic growth global practice leader of Boston-based consulting firm Adventis. Belt has researched a broad range of wireless technologies, including fixed wireless.
As the new kid on the broadband block, fixed wireless isn't perfect, Belt says. Maintenance issues create periods of downtime for subscribers as providers tweak connections. More importantly, obstructions in the line of sight from the building transmitter to the hub interrupt service. That means that trees, heavy rain, or thunderstorms can sometimes hamper connection speeds. But as long as there is a clear line of sight between your rooftop receiver and the wireless carrier's hub, service remains solid.
And there's no doubt that service is improving. Many industry watchers believe last year was the turning point for fixed-wireless technology. Even so, it isn't a one-stop solutionâ€"-especially for larger companies.
For businesses with 500 or more employees, fixed wireless is a promising technology for networking telecommuters and backing up existing fibre or copper-line connections. Banc of America Securities, a division of Bank of America, opted for Winstar's service last year as a backup for wire-line data and voice connections. The midtown Manhattan locationâ€"-where intensive option, bond, and over-the-counter trading occursâ€"-uses the fixed-wireless service to make sure its operations stay up and running at all times.
What's more, a backup fixed-wireless connection is more flexible than simply adding more wire lines since the fixed-wireless link works on a completely different backbone.
