NETWORK PLANNING FOR FIXED WIRELESS ACCESS
Assessing the business case
How can Planet help ?
Critical to the success of an FWA service is validation that the planned investment produces the required return on that investment. For a CSP without a mobile network the investment will be significant, and this will be an important first step. For a CSP with an existing mobile network, the investment will be less, but validation of the business case should still be undertaken. In the case of an existing mobile network, ensuring there is sufficient investment so that the FWA subscribers do not degrade the network for existing users is perhaps the most important consideration.
Planet can provide valuable information when assessing the business case for deploying an FWA service. For a greenfield network it can determine the optimal network required to deliver the desired FWA service. The cost for building this network can then be factored into the business case. For an existing mobile network, Planet can take inputs including the expected uptake of FWA subscribers and determine the impact on the existing network. It can highlight what upgrades would be required to ensure good FWA service and no degradation in the quality of experience for existing mobile subscribers.
Planning network coverage Planning a mobile network to support FWA services is largely the same as planning any other mobile network but there are a few subtleties that need to be considered. The first is that FWA traffic is likely to be concentrated around suburban and small business areas with less traffic in dense urban areas than a traditional mobile network. For a greenfield network it might make sense to build more rural sites than it would if considering only mobile subscribers. For existing mobile operators, assessing expanding their network with more rural coverage would be a good strategy. When planning sites, it is also critical to consider line of sight to potential customers. This is not something that is typically considered when planning a traditional mobile network.
How can Planet help ?
Planet is a market-leading radio planning tool. It leverages AI and automation to deliver more accurate network designs in less time, shortening overall time to launch and ensuring the minimization of Capital Expenditure. For FWA planning, Planet’s unique viewshed analysis provides the ability to assess each potential base station location and configuration to maximize the LoS to potential FWA customers. Critical for delivering maximum FWA impact per base station.
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