PCCA Journal|2
nd
Quarter 2015
31
TELECOM NEWS
Continued on page 32
Study Finds Wireless Connections Complement
Rather Than Replace Wireline Networks
W
ireless technologies are a complement to
wireline broadband technologies rather
than a replacement for them, according
to a technical report issued in April by
telecommunications engineering and consulting firm Vantage
Point Solutions at the NTCA—The Rural Broadband Associa-
tion’s Rural Telecom Industry Meeting & EXPO in Phoenix,
Ariz.
The study, “Wireless Broadband Not a Viable Substitute for
Wireline Broadband,” reviews terrestrial wireless technolo-
gies’ ability to deliver current and future broadband services.
Vantage Point studied various broadband delivery networks
and the characteristics of a high quality broadband con-
nection and found that there are several factors, including
lack of spectrum, weather, and terrain, which limit a wire-
less network’s broadband quality but do not affect wireline
broadband networks.
Among the report’s key findings are:
Spectrum:
Spectrum is a limited resource and expensive for
a wireless carrier to secure. The limited amount of available
spectrum can significantly constrain broadband speed. When
additional spectrum is not available, a broadband provider
must add towers to increase capacity, which increases de-
ployment cost and only underscores the ultimate dependence
of wireless services on wireline technologies.
Speed:
An important determinant of connection speed is
the proximity of the customer to the tower. In rural areas,
customers may live longer distances from the closest tower,
which frequently are spaced 10 to 20 miles apart. At this
distance, service may be extremely slow or nonexistent.
Environmental impacts:
Mountains, hills, buildings, and
trees can interfere with a wireless signal. Rain, fog, or snow
can also reduce broadband speeds and even cause network
outages. All of these factors are common in rural areas.
“While wireless networks are needed for low bit rate
mobile applications, such as voice, email and small screen
video, wireline networks are required to meet customers’
high-speed, fixed broadband needs,” said Larry Thompson,
P.E., Vantage Point Solutions’ chief executive officer and the
report’s chief author. “Even fixed wireless solutions that offer
near-term promise for reaching consumers face the prospect
of being unable to keep up with consumer demand over the
longer term. With the rapid increases in broadband demand,
it is important and most efficient to invest in networks and
technologies that can not only deliver the broadband required
today, but also deliver the broadband of tomorrow without
major upgrade expenditures.”
Survey Reveals Operators’
Ambitious Upgrade Plans
I
nfonetics Research, a technology
market research firm, released
excerpts from its latest broad-
band study, “VDSL, G.Fast, and
Next-Gen FTTH Strategies and Vendor
Leadership Survey.” Infonetics provides
insights into the fixed broadband deploy-
ment plans of and technologies utilized
by global broadband operators, as well
as their thoughts on leading broadband
equipment vendors.
“For many service providers, growth
in broadband revenue has more than
offset the losses from declining voice
services. Fixed broadband services,
driven in part by the growth in online
video services, have some of the highest
margins of any services. Thus, service
providers continue to invest strategi-
cally in their fixed broadband networks
to increase speeds offered to residential
and business customers and to increase
the number of additional services they
can offer, including multiscreen video,
home automation, and home security,”
said Jeff Henyen, principal analyst for
broadband access and pay TV at Infonet-
ics Research.
The survey found that the percentage
of service providers planning to offer an
average bandwidth speed of 1 Gigabit
(1G) to residential subscribers grows
from 15 percent in 2015 to 40 percent