By Claus Hetting, WiFi NOW CEO & Chairman
Up to 850 MHz and 500 MHz of 6 GHz spectrum is available for outdoor standard power operations in the US and UK, respectively – and now Zyxel Networks is serving up the ideal solution for WISPs and other operators in the US, UK, and elsewhere to make full use of these bands. Zyxel’s FWA7 is the world’s first point-to-multipoint FWA solution based on standard power Wi-Fi 7, dual-band 5/6 GHz, as well as AFC.
Thus far the copious amounts of 6 GHz spectrum available outdoors at standard power (and AFC) have not been used widely by WISPs – but this could now be changing. Zyxel Network’s new FWA7 solution is packed with loads of features and performance – and it could be just what ambitious WISPs are looking for. FWA7 ‘Root Plus’ base station and ‘Leaf Plus’ CPE connect via a proprietary version of Wi-Fi 7 that makes use of many important Wi-Fi 7 features plus Zyxel’s own secret sauce, Zyxel Networks says.
“FWA7 is the world’s first FWA point-to-multipoint system based on Wi-Fi 7 for outdoor 6 GHz deployment. To boost speed and reliability and to drive down latency, we’re using MLO. This creates parallel 5 GHz and 6 GHz links. Meanwhile, multi-RU puncturing allows the system to carve out parts of the spectrum that are interfered with and therefore not useful,” says Titan Hsieh, Manager of Zyxel’s FWA product line. The FWA7 is powered by Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7 chips and AFC service, he says.
The secret sauce consists of a number of Zyxel’s own innovations beyond Wi-Fi 7. The TDMA system employed uses dynamic resource management based on client behaviour and load so as to – for example – avoid allocating idle frames to TDMA time slots.
“This improves latency and reduces collisions. We’re also using smart integrated antennas that adjust beams to serve CPEs that are located both near and far from the Root Plus base station. This is a big improvement in performance since CPEs close to the tower otherwise often receive weaker signals and therefore lower data rates. Finally, our system also offers smart rate limiting, ” Titan Hsieh says.
The FWA7 Root Plus base station delivers a total maximum data rate of 7.4 Gbps and the system is managed via Zyxel Networks’ Nebula Cloud-based management system and Nebula Mobile App for device onboarding and installation. The maximum data rate may not always be achievable under real-life conditions but it is not theoretical since it has been verified by extensive testing, Zyxel Networks says. On the CPE side, Internet data rates will vary depending on distance from the Root Plus base stations (up to several kilometres), traffic contention among other CPEs, and choice of CPE antenna, Titan Hsieh says.
While US (and Canadian) markets have had a couple of years of regulatory head start, the UK has only just recently permitted standard power operation outdoors within the 6 GHz band (we wrote about Ofcom’s decision here). Zyxel Networks says the FWA7 solution is perfectly suited to boost WISP capacity and performance across the UK.
“We think the FWA7 will go a very long way in empowering UK-based WISPs to deliver more and substantially better Internet services, now that the new spectrum is available. It’s also a system that will appeal to WISPs because of its attractive price point, ease of operations, and high capacity, which will allow WISPs to serve more clients with higher-quality services from a single base station,” says Hugh Simpson, Marketing Development Manager for Zyxel Networks in EMEA.
The FWA7 solution is available for deliver starting April 2026. For more information also see this link or contact Hugh Simpson at [email protected].
/Claus.
