Nokia adds 5G devices to FWA portfolio

Aiming to tap into the opportunities presented by increasingly important part of the 5G industry, Nokia has announced a new Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) outdoor receiver and indoor gateway with Wi-Fi 7, designed to conserve radio capacity and improve service coverage.

Nokia said studies indicated that operators can save as much as 60% of potentially wasted network capacity simply by placing the right device in the right location of the customer premise, using outdoor receivers where signals are weaker and indoor gateways where signals are strong. Nokia believes that proper placement of these devices in or on the home, with the aid of intelligent smartphone applications alone, can help to recover 30% of network capacity.

At the heart of the new receiver is the FastMile 5G Gateway 7, which uses high gain antennas with up to 8 dBi of gain, carrier aggregation, and 200MHz of spectrum support to enable high speed broadband access over a 5G network. The Gateway relies on dual-band Wi-Fi 7 to extend 5G speeds throughout the home.

FastMile Gateways are powered by Nokia’s Corteca software, which supports value added applications embedded in the device, cloud-based Wi-Fi optimisation, and Wi-Fi device management based on open industry standards such, as TR-369 and EasyMesh. 

The FastMile 5G receiver is described by Nokia as being ideal for locations that require optimum use of the weak signals that are available. It features high gain antennas (up to 10 dBi) in a compact, outdoor design that that can be mounted by the consumer to a window, wall or pole. With 4 carrier aggregation of up to 300MHz of bandwidth, the 5G receiver makes the most of the signals that are available to it. The solution includes a 2.5GE LAN port, TR-069 & TR-369 support and a mobile app that helps customers identify the optimal location to install the receiver. 

“Capacity is king with fixed wireless access services,” said Dirk Verhaegen, vice-president of broadband devices at Nokia. “Only by managing this capacity can operators connect more fixed subscribers while maintaining a high quality of experience for both mobile and fixed users. Our new outdoor receiver and Wi-Fi 7 Gateway are unique in the industry, bringing high gain technology together with ease of use features that deliver the best broadband experience while conserving radio resources.

The Nokia 5G FWA receiver and gateway will be available by early 2024. Both join Nokia’s portfolio of customer premise equipment which includes 4G and 5G gateways for outdoor and indoor use.

The launch comes hot on the heels of Nokia announcing what it called a new carrier-grade portfolio of Wi-Fi 7 devices designed to ensure end-users receive the “ultimate” broadband experience, and enhancements to its Altiplano Open Access Solution to include new wholesale functions for infrastructure providers seeking to better monetise their fibre networks.