Fixed wireless access a ‘nice complement’ to fiber

Nokia has been pushing hard on the fiber front, unveiling a new platform that will eventually support 100G capabilities. But President of Network Infrastructure Federico Guillén said that fixed wireless access is a key tool in the toolbox for areas where fiber may not reach. “Let’s face it. Fiber is going to reach 50%, 60%, 70% of the population with time. But there is always going to be a remaining 10, 20, 30% of the population where it’s going to be impossible to lay fiber because economically it doesn’t make sense or you have to go through the historic center of a very old city or whatever,” he explained. “In those cases, fixed wireless access is a complement, a nice complement to fiber. But it is a complement.” In the long run, Guillén said fixed wireless access “cannot compete” with the multi-gigabit speeds fiber enables. But he reiterated wireless technology still has a key role to play in bridging the connectivity gap in areas where fiber may never make it to town.