High-speed internet has become the driving force behind modern businesses. With more than 70% of companies planning to accelerate their use of digital technologies,1 there's a growing demand for reliable internet connectivity.
SD-WAN offers numerous benefits, including optimal bandwidth utilization, top-notch network performance, and seamless management. It also helps organizations connect multiple sites while working with cloud-based applications and a hybrid workforce, so it isn't surprising that analysts project the SD-WAN market to reach $8.4 billion by 2025.2
However, SD-WAN service providers face several limitations when it comes to rural internet connectivity. SD-WAN is susceptible to downtime during inclement weather, power outages, and other factors – and can cause your customers to incur heavy losses as a result.
Luckily, you can provide uninterrupted connectivity to your SD-WAN customers with a reliable, secondary connection. That's where fixed wireless internet comes in. This blog will explore the advantages of using fixed wireless to support your SD-WAN services and strengthen your customers' connectivity.
While users in urban areas enjoy access to high-speed cable or fiber-optic internet, the same isn't true for many businesses in remote locations. Users in hard-to-reach areas often struggle with low speeds, jitter, and latency. If their primary connection fails, they need a reliable secondary connection.
Secondary internet connections help businesses avoid the challenges created by SD-WAN service interruption, such as decreased employee productivity and financial losses. Check out our free, on-demand webinar to learn more about the importance of secondary connections.
Webinar: Secondary Connections With Fixed Wireless
Fixed wireless internet offers several benefits to help businesses overcome a number of challenges when it's used to support SD-WAN connections. Here are a few reasons why fixed wireless is an ideal secondary connection for SD-WAN support:
Unlike cable or fiber-optic internet, providing fixed wireless internet to a business doesn't involve extensive underground infrastructure. Setup is as simple as installing an antenna in a base station's direct line of sight, making it possible to connect users in the most remote locations.
It's also easier for internet service providers (ISPs) to expand coverage thanks to the simple hardware used to leverage fixed wireless. You can use cable or fiber-optic internet as the primary connection and fixed wireless as a secondary connection, allowing you to quickly scale your services to reach more customers in remote locations – without escalating costs.
Wireless base stations are located below the level of storm clouds, decreasing interruptions to internet access during thunderstorms. Fixed wireless providers also analyze a user's location, terrain, and historical weather patterns to ensure optimal performance, no matter what. They even use adaptive modulation to adjust signal strength based on the weather.
Because fixed wireless is less susceptible to interruptions during bad weather, it's a more reliable option for rural connectivity than cable, DSL, fiber, or satellite. Using it as a secondary connection means your customers won't have to experience downtime due to adverse weather.
Fixed wireless internet isn't as CapEx-intensive as traditional connectivity options, so you can expand your SD-WAN services without worrying about downtime or additional expenses. Combining this technology with SD-WAN provides uninterrupted connectivity to your customers, who can onboard more employees and take their businesses to new locations.
One of the most common misconceptions about fixed wireless is that it isn't secure due to the over-the-air data transmission. However, the reality is that fixed wireless providers use military-grade encryption and other measures to provide a secure connection.
That brings it up to par with the security offered by other technologies – including cable, fiber, and satellite. Using fixed wireless as a secondary connection will help protect your customers' data and applications from cyber attacks.
Deliver the best, most reliable service to your customers with fixed wireless for SD-WAN support. Fixed wireless offers several benefits to SD-WAN providers, including improved network performance, security, and scalability. It's also easier to implement and less susceptible to weather interference, making it an ideal secondary connection for your customers in rural areas.
BeyondReach specializes in powering hard-to-reach locations with high-speed fixed wireless access. Explore our SD-WAN support services today to learn more about how fixed wireless can help you deliver the uninterrupted connectivity your customers need for business growth.
Sources: