David Zumwalt: Rural America’s Wireless Revolution

Broadband is essential to living a safe, prosperous and connected life. Yet we often take it for granted. We overlook its complex infrastructure and the costly challenges of deploying and maintaining it.

This is especially true in rural America, where sparse population, tough topography and longer distances between residences challenge the delivery of any type of utility, let alone 21st century internet. Nearly one-quarter of Americans live in these areas; but, unlike their urban neighbors, they are less likely to have access to reliable broadband because the economics do not support as viable a business case for network providers.

A major reason is our continued reliance on legacy infrastructure.

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Wires have been the bedrock of our communication networks since the inception of the telegraph and telephone over 145 years ago, but their deployment costs can be prohibitive and they no longer provide the capacity we need today. While cable, and to a lesser-but-growing-extent fiber, play a significant role in getting Americans online today, the economics of wired models only pencil out in more densely populated suburban and urban areas. Stringing wires from a central office to a rural farm or a sparsely populated community can cost upwards of $50,000 per location. In some cases, fiber deployment can be twice as much. 

Fixed wireless access (FWA) provides a reliable and cost-effective answer to this challenge. 

FWA works by delivering broadband over the air – transmitting and receiving on specific bands of spectrum specifically authorized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – bypassing the need for costly wired connections. By this means, FWA broadband service can be deployed to virtually any location the spectrum can reach, and can fly over terrain and infrastructure barriers to deliver high-speed internet to all corners of the country.

Fixed wireless access precedes the large national providers

While you may know FWA from large national providers and their 4G and 5G products in urban and suburban America, rural innovators have been using it for decades. Hometown network operators – known as wireless internet service providers (or WISPs) – were the true FWA groundbreakers and have used it for over two generations. They built their own networks – often by leveraging proven and available equipment – to connect their farms, neighbors and communities. Today, WISPs deliver fiber-like speeds and reliability using cutting-edge technology, often at a fraction of the cost and time required by rival companies like AT&T and Comcast.

One of the most transformative WISP FWA developments of the past five years has been the establishment of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS).

CBRS operates in the “Goldilocks” mid-band spectrum frequencies, delivering a balance of speed, range and capacity. It’s fast, far-reaching and resilient, making it an ideal alternative to wired networks. It accomplishes this in a unique way – by sharing. 

Spectrum is finite, highly sought after and not all the same. And with the federal government being the largest occupant, greenfield, mid-band spectrum for commercial use does not exist in abundance. CBRS essentially creates more available spectrum, giving use to idle frequencies or portions of them, by sharing them in an organized, prioritized way among the government and commercial users. This new sharing approach and technology is coordinated and directed by a Spectrum Access System that allows users to safely coexist without causing harmful interference. 

This flexibility has unlocked a wide range of applications, including precision agriculture, manufacturing, hospitals, retail stores, business parks, airports, entertainment venues and more. CBRS supports both fixed and mobile deployments, and its infrastructure is quick and cost-effective to set up. Setting up CBRS infrastructure is rapid and easy, adding to its cost-effectiveness. After just five years, more than 440,000 base stations have been installed across the nation – more than double the number of similar facilities operated by the largest mobile carriers after nearly two decades. 

CBRS also delivers exceptional value. It can provide fiber-like speeds and reliability to communities for as little as 20% of the cost of wired alternatives. Because it does not require more expensive spectrum licenses, it lowers the barriers to entry for smaller, local innovators.

The CBRS sharing model has been an essential tool in promoting broadband access in rural and under-resourced communities and reducing the digital divide. Nearly 70% of WISPs use CBRS to deliver internet to their customers. In fact, estimates show that over 3 million U.S. households depend on CBRS-based FWA, including 20% of all rural broadband connections. Its adoption is growing rapidly, and for good reason.

FWA, and technology like CBRS, can deliver fiber-like performance at a fraction of the cost. They are powerful, scalable solutions that empower local businesses, foster competition and can bring the internet to underserved communities in weeks, not years.

Americans trust CBRS-based FWA networks because they work. As demand for speed and reliability grows, such networks present a revolutionary answer to the costly economics of more traditional, often exclusive use, wired communications networks. Adherence to the past is nice for the nostalgia of family holidays, but not when it stands in the way of connecting every American to the future.

David Zumwalt serves as President & CEO of WISPA – The Association for Broadband Without Boundaries. David has held several roles working in the technology and radio frequency space. Prior to joining WISPA, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Broadband VI, a major Internet Service Provider in the US Virgin Islands, where his role included full P&L responsibility and had a primary mission to prepare the company to scale. This Expert Opinion is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.

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