When Pentanet was founded we made a commitment to offering high speed and low latency connections all across Perth, in areas underserviced or even unserviced by the nbn™. Following through on that goal, Pentanet now proudly operates Perth’s largest and best Fixed Wireless network.
However, for someone to receive a Fixed Wireless connection their premises requires a clear line of sight (LoS) to one of our Fixed Wireless towers. This can be a sticking point, as it means we cannot always service every home within our towers’ range. A common question we receive is; why does Fixed Wireless require direct line of sight? After all, a mobile phone doesn’t need direct line of sight to a tower.
Despite both being wireless, they’re very different technologies, serving two different purposes, so, let’s break it down, shall we?
How does Fixed Wireless work?
Fixed Wireless is what’s referred to as a ‘Point-to-Multi-Point' or, if it’s easier, hub-and-spoke technology. The tower is the hub, and the receiver dish on your roof is the spoke. Rather than deliver your internet through underground cables (like the nbn™) or by emitting it at high frequency in a wide cone (like a mobile network), our towers send the signal direct to a dish on your roof, one that provides extremely high speeds and low latency but is disrupted by obstructions. This technology trades the portability of a mobile wireless network for higher speeds, lower latency, and greater reliability.
How is Fixed Wireless different to Mobile Wireless?
We all know the feeling of being somewhere with poor mobile reception, bouncing around the room trying to find the ‘sweet spot’. That sweet spot is where your phone is receiving a clear, unobstructed signal from the mobile reception tower. A wireless signal can be obstructed by anything from trees to walls and even competing signals.
Whereas a mobile signal must compete with these obstructions every moment, providing you with only the best it can manage in that moment, even bouncing your connection from one tower to another, a Fixed Wireless connection is set up to provide that ‘sweet spot’ 24/7/365.
This is why a clear LoS is so critical to an effective Fixed Wireless connection. Our installers set up a receiver on your roof, aligned with our tower, creating a straight line for your connection to travel along to provide you with a superfast connection.
Why you should be considering a Fixed Wireless connection
Fixed Wireless surpasses the speeds and reliability you generally see from ordinary fixed-line networks, many of which rely on outdated copper lines that can't keep up with today's internet demands. Plus, installation is quick and easy! Once it's been determined if your home has a clear line-of-sight to one of our towers, an installation will only take 3 to 4 hours, as one of our team comes by to install a dish on your roof and run a line down to a data point inside your home.
Wondering why we keep harping on about latency? Read more about it here. If after all that you’re keen for a high-speed, low-latency wireless connection at your house, head to our Fixed Wireless page to learn more about it and see if it’s available at your premises.
