Wireless Internet Service Providers have long had a role in connecting homes and business. For over 20 years WISPs have been serving a portion of the market that does not have access to traditional wireline solutions such as xDSL, Cable or in some cases fiber. As 5G becomes reality, vendors including Siklu, have begun introducing products that can deliver gigabit speeds with a combination of mmWave solutions in the 60,70/80GHz frequencies for the WISP.
The challenge for the average WISP is how to grow a business and a network without spending tons of cash. A typical WISP today starts with serving small towns and cities with a wireless overlay network. Many times this network starts with radios on a single tower or high spot in town. This allows the WISP to offer service without huge investments. As the business grows, additional towers and/or rooftops are deployed and many time these base stations or hub spots are connected wirelessly as well.
This is where many WISPs are today, serving business customers that have no access, are spread out over a city. The primary use of this wireless network is the business customer looking for connectivity. The savvy WISP is also working with the city or municipality to add additional applications and hence revenue from:
- video security
- public wifi backhaul
- a municipal network for the local government
With the advent of 5G, WISPs no longer have to limit themselves, they have the option of building on the existing wireless infrastructure, upgrade the capacity if need be, and start offering multi hundred Mbps or even Gbps access to a much larger market. To do this effectively, a broad variety of mmWave products is required from PMP last 100 foot systems to high capacity backhaul products. Only Siklu has the depth and breadth of products to meet all these needs. With Siklu mmWave WISPs can compete directly with wireline by offering high speed access anywhere within the city. With Siklu mmWave solutions, a WISP can target:
- Connectivity to residential MDUs
- Small standalone business
- Single Family homes
This densification can be done organically, leveraging the backbone assets already in place while growing the top line in a pay as you grow model. As the WISP and the addressable market mature, this approach can help service providers compete and expand their visibility as a connectivity provider in a Gigabit world.