Australian NBN Fixed Wireless Network Grows in Popularity
In 2017, NBN Co, the Australian nationally funded broadband network, rolled out approximately 70 additional towers of its fixed wireless network following its popularity among the Australian population. The LTE fixed wireless network is very similar to the technology that Horizon Communications is working on deploying. It is set to serve at least 5% of Australia’s population, particularly those in smaller towns and rural areas.
The fixed wireless network rollout is set to be completed by the end of 2018. It will deliver super-fast internet speeds by making use of 1,700 wireless towers around Australia. The present-day maximum speeds are around 50 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads. Once completed, the speeds are expected to double.
How does NBN Co. plan on achieving this?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the internet activity in Australia shows an increase in the number telecoms offering speeds greater than 24 Mbps. The trend suggests that Australia’s need for faster broadband is rapidly growing. NBN seems to have played a significant part in the adoption of higher speed internet.
Funds collected by the Australian Government will be used to fund rural broadband installation, as there is no alternative to the internet service in these regions at the moment. This put additional pressure on the NBN to find innovative and economical solutions. With Australia roughly the size of the Continental United States, but with only 1/10th the population, the NBN’s fixed wireless network is one of the only solutions for connectivity where the population density cannot support running copper or fiber networks.
The NBN has a relativity paltry budget, with only $30 million raised annually to support hundreds of thousands of customers, showing the tremendous cost efficiencies that the LTE open standard brings.
What does the consumer stand to gain from NBN’s fixed wireless plan?
· Network planning and dedicated towers support a large number of users
· High speed internet for watching videos, surfing, social media, connectivity for schools etc
· NBN’s fixed wireless plans transmits data over long distances without quality loss
Challenges facing the wireless network rollout
Currently, about 240,000 homes use the fixed wireless network which has the potential of covering up to 600,000 residences. NBN’s chief Bill Morrow says, “The average consumption across the NBN network is just under 200 gigabytes per month…” However it’s immense popularity, speed and stability he added “there’s a large portion that is using terabytes of data.”
NBN Co. intends to invest in an upgrade program to increase the capacity of its wireless towers. The expansion project is set to start off in areas with the highest congestion.
As NBN’s rollout continues, it is evident that more people are switching to this new broadband connection. With the only installation requirement is that you have the antenna directly aligned to the transmission tower, it’s rollout its incredibly cost effective compared to traditional telecommunication networks.
Gilbert A Darrell is the Founder of Horizon. He has 18 years experience in information technology and telecom solutions, a veteran in Fire and EMS Services, a crypto enthusiast and a member of the Bermuda Government’s Cryptocurrency Task Force.
Horizon Communications is an upcoming fixed wireless internet and cellular service provider looking to provide services in Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Central America before expanding internationally.
While utilizing 4th generation and soon 5th generation wireless technology, it will also heavily incorporate blockchain and cryptocurrency technology, one of the 1st ISP’s in the world to do so and the 1st to tokenize their services using an Initial Coin Offering (ICO).
More information can be found on their website — www.HorizonComm.co
