Are Fiber and Fixed Wireless the New PB&J?

In the world of broadband, fiber providers and fixed wireless access providers tend to be at odds. But Karsten Gewecke, president of Zyxel Communications, believes it doesn’t need to be that way. Gewecke, who is from Denmark, pointed to his experience with European markets as proof positive that fiber and FWA should go hand-in-hand. Gewecke noted that providers in Norway were quick to adopt 5G FWA technology to provide connectivity as the fiber infrastructure was being developed. Gewecke doesn’t see fiber and FWA as competing: “For [Zyxel], it’s really just another access technology,” he said. He recognizes that the two technologies have different strengths: fiber offers speeds likely to satisfy consumers’ needs for 10 years or more, while FWA offers a simpler in-home setup. But the speeds fixed wireless can ensure are advancing quickly. The future, Gewecke said, will be built around a combination of fiber and fixed wireless.