What is a Fixed Wireless internet service?

Fixed wireless technology delivers a high-speed internet connection ‘through the air’, bypassing the National Broadband Network (nbn™) and other fibre services using point to point and point to multi point technology.

How does Fixed Wireless internet work?

Your internet connection is delivered via a small attachment installed on your roof or attached to the TV antenna that connects wirelessly to our tower nearby. This tower is part of a private network operated by Northern Beaches Broadband and is completely separate to the nbn™. The signal requires a direct, uninterrupted line of sight, however new technology means that “meshing” is increasingly being used to bridge the distance.

Inside the premises, the attachment connects to an installed data point using a CAT-6 ethernet cable with a POE (Power over Ethernet) injector providing power and signal for your router. The router is responsible for distributing the connection throughout your home or business using Wi-Fi or a direct cabled connection.

What speeds can Fixed Wireless internet service deliver?

Fixed wireless speeds vary depending on provider and choice of plan, with top-tier residential and commercial plans offering up to 1 gigabit per second speeds.

Whereby nbn™ service providers are using third-party infrastructure owned by NBNCo, a fixed wireless network is normally owned and controlled by the internet service provider. They operate and maintain the network, and set the limit for the number of subscribers that connect to their service. A great fixed wireless internet provider will operate with a low contention ratio, meaning fewer subscribers and/or more network capacity to consistently and reliably deliver the plan’s upload and download speeds. For the end user, this translates to consistent, reliable speeds to the demarcation point all day and night (including peak times!).

Fixed Wireless Reliability

To understand Fixed Wireless reliability, there are two main points to note: provider network capacity and installation quality control.

With any network, reliability is closely linked to network capacity and congestion. In plain English, if your provider is overloading their network with too many customers and not enough capacity, it will result in slower speeds (especially at peak times). Ask your provider about their network capacity and how they maintain consistent speeds all day and night.

Reliability is also dependent on initial installation quality control procedures. While most providers will usually use ‘best efforts’ practice to determine if you have a line of sight to a tower, here at Northern Beaches Broadband our Fixed Wireless coverage was designed from scratch using Cambium equipment and technology. You can see some of their equipment and solutions in places like the Himalaya Base Camp, the Thai Cave rescue and areas subject to harsh weather conditions such as hurricanes and storms.

Even if your service qualification seemed solid, it’s good to note that there’s always a chance that we may not be able to connect you to a Fixed Wireless tower once we are onsite. This could be a result of radio frequency interference, or a physical signal disruption like trees, buildings, power lines, etc. that didn’t show on our satellite maps, (we also do a no obligation site check to confirm connectivity).

Fixed Wireless Internet in Bad Weather

Contrary to popular belief, the frequency used for NBB Fixed Wireless is not affected by weather. Normal weather conditions outside of extreme hail and storm activity should not affect your Fixed Wireless connection.

Northern Beaches Broadband network is backed by multiple fibre paths. Our connections terminate in S1 Data Centre operated by NextDC in Macquarie Park. NextDC is Australia’s most trusted independent data centre operator with a nationwide network of Tier III and Tier IV facilities in the Australian market. Visit nextdc.com for more information.

Cost of Fixed Wireless Internet

Fixed Wireless costs may vary depending on provider and plans available. Currently, plans are comparable to nbn™ plans in terms of cost and speeds. Installation costs may apply as the setup requires equipment to be installed on the roof of your premises by a qualified and fully licensed local Electrician as well as a new data point inside your home.

How long does it take to install NBB Fixed Wireless Internet and connect to the internet?

A small apparatus is installed on your roof and then cabled into your premises, with a data point installed inside for router access. Installation usually takes around 3 hours. If you have a compatible router ready to use, you will be able to connect to the internet immediately once the installation is complete. If you’re using an NBB router this will have been set up for you already and will also provide instant access to the internet.

How do I get Fixed Wireless Internet for home or business?

Simply call us or send an email. Our people are located in Newport and we are here to help.

What is latency and what does it mean to me?

Latency is measured in milliseconds, and indicates the quality of your connection within your network. Anything at 100ms or less is considered acceptable for gaming. However, 20-40ms is optimal. Northern Beaches Broadband’s latency (or ping) is consistently less than 10ms, which means that gamers love NBB, especially when they are competing online.