Wireless broadband to power the Internet needs of homes and businesses has come a long way since the introduction of fixed wireless.  In the last year alone, consider: 

• Wireless broadband using 5G technology can easily exceed 100 Mbps (what should become the new minimum threshold speed for connectivity).
• In the US, unlicensed spectrum was released for CBRS (3.5 GHz) and 6 GHz. A lot of it.
• Speaking of unlicensed frequencies, 3GPP Release 16 was approved that allows 5G tech to use unlicensed bands.

To summarize the key events, it has become much easier to use global standards for wireless technology (5G) without requiring a significant amount of capital to buy wireless spectrum.  This should be great news for new wireless operators and municipalities that are building networks for fixed wireless, IoT and smart cities.  The barrier to entry has been significantly reduced.

Estimating Capital Requirements and Potential Revenue

The next generation of fixed wireless – let’s call it fixed wireless 2.0 – is a different business model.  Equipment is different.  Installation costs are different.  And Airwaive’s unique hosting model adds another element to the new model that drives efficiencies.  

To help the next generation of wireless operators, we’ve designed an online calculator that takes an operator’s key assumptions and generates estimated income and expenses over a ten year period.  Find out how much capital is required to build a network.  Find out how long it may take to get a return on the investment. 

The key assumptions are the number of households covered in a wireless coverage area, your expected adoption rate and annual growth rate.  Thinking about building a wireless network in Rochester, New York?  Enter 87,000 total households.  Expect to get 20% of this market, with annual growth of 5%?  Enter these numbers and see the result.

The Airwaive Model

The online calculator’s default assumptions use the Airwaive model where property owners are hosts of wireless access points and are paid a monthly fee for this service.  However, this assumption, like all assumptions in the calculator, may be modified to fit your business model.  If you’d like to learn more about Airwaive’s model, contact us.