Broadband can reach a home or office by radio, from a tower to an antenna mounted on the building, instead of a copper or fiber drop from the street.
The antenna and the radio attached to it stay at that address. They do not move with a person’s phone as the person walks or drives.
How the Signal Reaches the Building
- Tower. A radio site on a tower or a tall roof sends the broadband signal through the air.
- Fixed antenna. A receiver on the home or office is aimed back at that site and left in place.
- Short indoor run. From the outdoor antenna, service continues inside on a short cable. That cable is not the long copper or fiber drop this method replaces.
Why the Receiver Stays Put
- One address. The outdoor equipment is installed for a building, not carried from place to place.
- Unlike a phone. A handset keeps changing radio sites as it moves. This link is planned between one tower and one fixed antenna.
- A clear radio path. Hills, trees, and other buildings can weaken or block the signal between the tower and the antenna. The installer places the antenna where that path is as open as the site allows.
Fixed Wireless, a Wired Drop, and Satellite
A wired drop brings copper or fiber to the building. Satellite broadband, including service from Low Earth Orbit (LEO), uses a path through space and does not need a nearby tower.
| Question | Fixed wireless link | Wired drop | Satellite broadband |
| How service arrives | A radio link between a tower and an antenna fixed to the building | A copper or fiber cable brought to the building | A radio path through space to a terminal at the building |
| Where the receiver sits | Mounted at the home or office, aimed toward the tower | At the end of the cable inside or at the building | Mounted at the home or office, aimed toward the sky |
| Whether it travels with the person | No. The antenna stays at the address | No. The cable stays in place | No. The terminal stays at the address |