Fixed Radio Access (FRA) overview and deployment

Fixed Radio Access (FRA) provides a different sort of wireless distribution. This is comes in 2 forms of the point to multipoint distribution of information. Instead of connecting residential and commercial properties to the public switched network by wires, like copper cable, it is possible to use radio. New networks for 'Broadband Fixed Wireless Access' (BFWA) services are currently being auctioned deployed in parts of the UK with further spectrum licences to be offered later this year, and are aimed at conveying large volumes of information (e.g. high data rate services) over short distances. Narrowband FRA services are used for local telephony and other services. FRA operators can provide important additional competition in the local loop. They generally need to have line of sight to the served premises and hence there may be less flexibility in choice of location than for mobile services. A typical pattern would be to have a multipoint antenna on a central tall point with a circle of point radios antennas facing the central point. Such transmitters/ receivers do not need large antennnas and most are likely to be very discreet.