Abstract

Overview

Fixed wireless access (FWA) offers a competitive solution against fiber deployments by utilizing cost-effective mmWave bands, notably the unlicensed 60 GHz. This study focuses on the deployment of FWA networks in these bands across both urban and rural Belgian environments.

Findings

• Development of a network planning tool integrating the IEEE 802.11ay standard, aiming to maximize user coverage with minimal infrastructure.
• Analysis of environmental impacts like rain and vegetation on network performance.
• Importance of precise edge node (EN) placement to ensure more than 95% coverage in urban areas influenced by street canyons.
• Comparative infrastructure needs: approximately 75 ENs/km² in rural areas versus 300 ENs/km² in urban settings.
• Vegetation and heavy rain can respectively reduce coverage by up to 3% and 5% or necessitate an increase in infrastructure by up to 7% and 15%.

Conclusion

The results underscore the critical nature of strategic EN placement and the influence of environmental elements in optimizing FWA network deployment in different settings. The study illuminates potential electromagnetic exposure risks associated with densely packed urban deployments and the need for stringent safety evaluations.