5G networks may compete for home broadband service
System sends internet signal from 5G cell tower into homes
Can new 5G mobile networks deliver wireless internet service that’s fast and reliable enough to challenge cable companies in the home broadband market?
That question could be answered relatively soon. As more 5G networks are rolled out, delivering broadband to homes is considered one of the most promising potential businesses for the new technology beyond smartphones.
And companies are lining up to compete. San Diego’s Qualcomm said this week that more than 30 electronics firms that make 5G gear for homes will use its modem chips and radio frequency filters, amplifiers, and antenna modules for products released next year.
The companies include San Diego’s Inseego, as well as Netgear, LG, Linksys, Nokia, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Panasonic and ZTE.
“The widespread adoption of our modem-to-antenna solution translates into enhanced fixed broadband services and additional opportunities to utilize 5G network infrastructure for broad coverage in urban, suburban and rural environments,” said Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm’s president, in a statement.
Called fixed wireless broadband, 5G home broadband aims to deliver gigabit per second wireless internet from a 5G cell tower to a receiver in a home. The technology solves the “last mile” problem of digging up streets to install fiber optic lines to achieve similar speeds.
Verizon rolled out its 5G Home service in parts of four cities last year, and it plans to expand to 30 more cities as it installs 5G technology across the country. AT&T and other network operators are also working on offering a 5G broadband to homes.
Verizon’s 5G Home — which costs $50 a month with a wireless plan — promises to transmit 300 megabits
per second. It uses an earlier version of 5G technology, though the company is expected to upgrade as it expands 5G coverage.
For 5G Home customers, Verizon supplies the in-home gear. But the industry is moving toward self-installed, plug-andplay equipment for home broadband, according to Qualcomm.
5G taps midrange airwaves as well as millimeter wave frequencies to deliver high speeds, reduced transmission lag times and better reliability.
Midrange bands are relatively sturdy but don’t deliver the same speeds as millimeter wave. The drawback to millimeter wave is it doesn’t travel very far before the signal degrades, and it is susceptible to blockage from trees and even rain.
Qualcomm last month announced improvements to its 5G antenna technologies that will allow millimeter wave to travel up to a mile from a cell tower in unobstructed rural neighborhoods.
In suburban neighborhoods with vegetation, the upgraded antenna can pick up millimeter wave signals about twothirds of a mile from the tower, according to Qualcomm.
The 30-plus fixed wireless access device makers are using Qualcomm’s s X55 5G modem and RF front end system. The chips support both midband frequencies and millimeter wave.