mmWave — once held back by network complexities, spectrum availability and early 5G expectations — is now beginning to deliver on its original promise: ultra-fast, reliable broadband connectivity where it’s needed most. When used strategically as part of a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) play, it can boost network capacity, drive new revenue streams, and deliver strong business benefits, all while delivering on the social imperative of connecting the unconnected.
The promise of mmWave
5G millimeter wave spectrum uses very high frequencies: 24 GHz and higher on the 5G spectrum chart. In these frequencies, and their abundance lies the great promise of delivering very high-speed broadband in the multi-gigabit range. However, the physics of high-frequency transmission represents a challenge for mmWave communications, which have traditionally suffered from interference and propagation loss.
Until recently, mmWave spectrum was not widespread, limiting the number of operators able to adopt and champion the technology. Today, mmWave spectrum is becoming more widely available and always much less expensive than sub-6 GHz, making it a cost-effective, high-capacity option for operators.
Available spectrum is, of course, only useful when technology is available and sufficiently mature to use it. The 5G ecosystem has grown significantly since mmWave was initially launched. Chipsets are available for mobile and FWA applications and extensive R&D has gone into solutions that overcome many of the challenges of mmWave.
And through deployments and breakthroughs in technology, we’ve shown that mmWave is capable of much more than was once assumed:
- mmWave can be used in urban, suburban and rural areas without the need for costly network densification
- mmWave can be used in non-line-of-sight conditions
- mmWave can avoid environmental disruptions
- mmWave can cover distances exceeding 10 km in the right rural environment.
The capacity crunch
The first wave of 5G radio brought new frequency bands to the table, offering significant capacity through increased bandwidth and 5G technologies, later resulted in higher spectral efficiency. These 5G sub-6GHz upgrades were made for enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), but operators soon learned that this additional capacity could generate all new revenues through broadband services delivered by FWA. Sub-6 GHz launched the FWA revolution and made it the #1 new revenue generating use case for 5G.
Of course, nothing comes for free, and many operators have struggled with the reality that FWA customers consume 20 times more data than mobile customers. To sustain growth, operators need additional capacity.
That capacity is available using millimeter wave spectrum at 24 GHz and higher. A typical operator has access to 400-800 MHz spectrum at mmWave compared to ~ 40-50MHz at sub-6 GHz TDD (Time Division Duplex). Therefore, mmWave is ideally suited for providing high-capacity and high-data-rate FWA services.
At congested base stations, mmWave can provide a capacity overlay, serving nearby FWA subscribers and freeing up mid-band resources for mobile users and distant FWA customers. Nokia studies indicate that sub-6 GHz networks can become saturated at 12% penetration of FWA services in suburban areas. With a mmWave overlay, operators can support up to 40% penetration while achieving an 84% higher Discounted Cumulative Cash Flow (DCCF) in year seven. All while leaving plenty of capacity available for mobile broadband.
More than just capacity: a versatile business enabler
mmWave FWA is now proving its value across a range of broadband use cases. Whether in high-traffic urban centers, dense residential areas, or targeted enterprise deployments, mmWave has evolved from a technical curiosity to a strategic enabler of business value that brings a new set of opportunities.
- In dense urban areas, mmWave supports premium 5G (fixed and mobile) experiences while easing mid-band congestion
- Multi-dwelling units and high-density housing can be served with a single mmWave broadband backhaul enabling operators to serve the entire building while ensuring that every tenant receives the same, consistent level of broadband service
- In enterprise and venue environments, it creates opportunities for high-value service tiers and SLAs
- For industrial applications, it enables fast and reliable connectivity to locations that can be difficult to reach, enabling high-speed telemetry and video monitoring
- For business applications mmWave has the capacity to establish true Ethernet links between business entities with Ethernet PDU (Protocol Data Unit)
Overcoming challenges with intelligent solutions
FWA has adapted in recent years to meet the mmWave challenges of high attenuation and propagation loss. According to GSA’s mmWave Hot Topic, 203 operators in 56 countries are now investing in mmWave network deployments—supported by a growing ecosystem of mmWave-capable devices. Adoption of mmWave FWA has taken time, but its growth is marked by technological advancements.
Fixed Wireless Access devices for the home are far more powerful than ever before. Very high-gain antennas are now capable of picking up reflected signals, which enables non-line-of-sight operation. Devices with a 360-degree view of the radio environment can detect these reflections from any angle to increase the likelihood of finding a usable signal. With the added benefit of intelligent algorithms, they can adapt automatically to changing environments without the need for human intervention, enabling consistent coverage as trees grow, neighborhoods change, and obstructions occur, with sub-6 GHz signals on hand to maintain connectivity under the worst of conditions. And thanks to the latest high-gain antennas, mmWave is being successfully harnessed to provide 5G FWA to rural and remote areas that were previously believed to be impossible to serve with mmWave.
These aren’t just theoretical benefits. NBN Co. in Australia is using mmWave to offer FWA at multiple service tiers, including a gigabit service, to customers who previously only had access to satellite internet services. As of January 2025, NBN had more than 70,000 subscribers using those FWA broadband services and has demonstrated connectivity speeds of up to 2.3 Gbps at almost 9 km from the transmitting site.
