Evaluating the Capabilities of Fixed Wireless Technology to Deliver Gigabit Performance in Rural Markets

This paper considers specifically the extent to which fixed wireless services may be capable of delivering Gigabit‐level services in the kinds of sparsely populated rural areas that the Rural Digital  Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction primarily seeks to serve. Fixed wireless networks will face difficult, if not insurmountable, challenges to provide Gigabit services in very select circumstances when attempting to service distant, non‐town rural subscribers. During the review of the long-form applications, we believe it essential for the Federal Communications Commission to consider technical and related economic criteria such as those analyzed herein to determine whether and to what degree each applicant will be capable of delivering Gigabit level service based upon its proposed network design. When considering any proposed wireless network designed based on mid band spectrum, it would be difficult or impossible to conceive a scenario where a wireless network in this band could reliably provide RDOF Gigabit Level Services. The only band that would have enough capacity to accommodate even just a small handful of gigabit users would be the 5  & 6 GHz unlicensed bands. When using these bands, the wireless provider is not protected from interference from other wireless users and devices such as common home Wi‐Fi routers. This is not an acceptable solution, especially when considering the RDOF broadband services must also provide voice services and access to  emergency services such as 911.