5G WARS: The Race for Gigabit Internet

The race is on!

The race started some years ago, when Google upped the ante back in 2012 and launched Google Fiber.  This ignited the gigabit fever in the US market.

Now, 6 years later, many providers (including Google Fiber) have recognized that providing gigabit service via wireline technologies (Fiber, Copper and Coax) is not a easy feat.  Most have scaled back or halted their deployments. 

5G to the rescue

As previously discussed, 5G technology is capable of delivering fixed and mobile Internet at speeds of 1000 Mbps and more.  Hence why Gigabit Wireless have been acknowledged as the most cost effective way to deliver gigabit Internet to end users.

But what really is Gigabit Wireless? Many define Gigabit Wireless  as any technology capable of delivering up to 1000 mbps Internet access to a consumer via any wireless technology. Also, this definition does not differentiate between fixed access (home and businesses) and mobile access (phones, hotspots).

Having said that, how can a service provider deliver Gigabit speeds over a wireless medium? Currently, mobile operators are testing fixed wireless technologies in various band to achieve this feat.  A lot of focus is being put on millimeter wave technologies in the 28  and 38 GHz bands.  New companies like Starry and Phazr have prototype trials with several operators like ATT and Verizon. Other operators are focusing their efforts in microwave  upper bands like 60 GHz using systems from industry veterans like Siklu and newcomers like Facebook. 

Facebook's Terragraph node in San Jose CA

Most of these trials and deployments are being labeled as 5G, but is 5G equal to Gigabit Wireless and vice versa? As of today, we can agree that they are equal, as both pursue the same goal of delivering Internet at 1000 mbps speeds in both fixed and mobile scenarios.

Wireline rebounds

Although the wireline industry has been stagnant for some years, new technologies capable of achieving gigabit speeds and more have been recently deployed and validated.  This comeback, backed with DOCSIS 3.x and G.FAST technologies, shines  a light of 

retaliation to the wireless industry and shows that the wireline technologies are fighting to keep  their place in the race for Internet access.  

As more operators implement these technologies, more turf will be held by the wireline technologies against the posible 5G onslaught.

Can Wireline technologies stop the incoming 5G wave? That remains to been seen, but I would venture to say that the true winner of this war would be:

HYBRID NETWORKS

I believe that the true winner of this technology confrontation would be the concept of Hybrid Networks, the mix of both wireless and wireline.  When coupled together, fiber and wireless technologies can become the true solution to scalable, fast deployable networks that can serve 1 Gbps and above speeds to the end user. A fiber networks gives you the scalability and bandwidth capacities for future growth, and the wireless networks give you the speed and the flexibility to reach the end users.

Those operators who leverage the strengths of both technologies to complement each other and provide access to the end user in the most fast and cost-effective way, would be the true winners of the 5G WARS.

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Gino Villarini: Twitter, Instagram

Gigabit1, Our bet on Fiber and Wireless technology to bring Ultra Fast Internet to the masses!

Since the creation of Broadband Internet, speeds of access have been an ongoing pursuit. Meeting customers' expectations require constant upgrades of the ISP (Internet Service Provider) infrastructure, only to be encountered by newer expectations from end users. It has been a digital "catch me if you can" deal since dialup modems were ringing sounds of the Information Superhighway!

Microwave Technology in Old San Juan

AeroNet has been at the forefront of providing broadband access to the business market in Puerto Rico for the last 16 years using the latest in fixed wireless technology. Using Wireless Access technology has many advantages, including speed of deployment, cost effectiveness and reliability, but also has its shortcomings one of them being limitation on capacity or speeds that it can provide.  That’s when Fiber Optic technology comes in to play, as it advantages are more capacity and longer life expectancy of its infrastructure. Current technology tops at 10Gbps in microwave links, whereas fiber technology currently stands at over 400 Gbps. 

In the last 5 years we have been investing in the creation and operation of our own fiber infrastructure in the San Juan Metro area.  What started as a small project to upgrade our backbone in Hato Rey has expanded into a complete network of fiber touching San Juan, Guaynabo, Bayamon and Carolina. 

Fiber Testing in Santurce, 2011

Gigabit1 is a project born out of the need to provide Ultra Fast and cost effective Internet to the Residential and Business market of the San Juan Metro area.  Watching what was happening around the world with projects similar to Google Fiber, we decided it was time to do the same here in Puerto Rico. 

Fiber Termination Box at Ciudadela Complex

Providing Ultra Fast Internet (more than 250 Mbps) is not a small feat, as it requires heavy investment in technology and infrastructure that supports such and future customer needs.  AeroNet is no stranger to tackling huge tasks or projects and being successful at them. So we did what we thought was the right direction to gear our efforts into.

In order to be able to provide such services in a cost effective and profitable way, we started to deploy Gigabit1 services in buildings, as they provide a sizable market to approach and the infrastructure cost needed to get them "lit" or activated can be spread among all possible customers.  Since we are not Google (or have their deep pockets) nor we like to finance our investments (we do it organically), we have grown the Gigabit1 footprint steadily since October 2015 from 1 building to over 90 as of March 2017.

Gigabit1 Buildings Map as of March 2017

Gigabit1 is a hybrid network that uses the best in both Microwave and Fiber technology.  It was designed like this since its inception, long before it made sense to other providers like Google Fiber! We continue to expand our footprint, with many more buildings being activated in 2017. Services currently start at $39.95 for residential buildings with up to 500 Mbps!  On the Business side, we offer up to 1Gbps Internet access along with many other value added services as VOIP, DATA and Managed IT. 

Speed Test of an actual Gigabit1 Customer 

2017 is full of new advancements as we start to provide 1000 Mbps and higher speeds, we also have started our pre-5G technology tests which would allow us to expand our services out of the building segment. Excitement and new possibilities awaits us in the future! #GoFaster

Be sure to follow AeroNet and Gigabit1 in Social Media so you can keep with the latest news and offers! 

AeroNet: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin

Gigabit1: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Also, you can contact me at any time with your questions!

Gino Villarini: Twitter, Instagram

How 5G will change everything without changing anything

5G is the newest buzzword in the telecom industry.   All press releases from the telecom industry seem to have the term 5G attached to it somewhere.  But what exactly is 5G and what new technology or applications it will bring? Let see;  You might think that 5G is what comes after 4G, the current mobile data network technology that provides mobile Internet to a vast number of users worldwide; and yes you are partly right.  

4G is a term developed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to identify and market the Data services using technology that provides mobile speeds up to 100 mbps. 

So 5G is the term coined to follow 4G with the latest mobile technology and service definitions proposed by the ITU.  But there’s a new kid on the block, the definition of 5G also includes fixed wireless service, or in simple terms Broadband service provided to homes and businesses using wireless technology.  

5G Tower would serve Mobile, Home and Business

Defining Fixed Wireless service under the 5G standard is a innovative move by the standard body and we should look at it in detail.  Recent developments in the industry have brought to light the high cost of deploying fiber. 

5 Years ago fiber was all the rage, Google Fiber being on the spearhead of all fiber related news.  Now 2017, most, if not all, Service Providers are either evaluating or testing some sort of wireless technology to provide gigabit connectivity to the home; they have realized that fiber works, but its EXPENSIVE and SLOW to deploy. Wireless in the other hand has demonstrated that it can be deployed quickly and cost effectively. 

Posible 5G Equipment

So this takes us back to our original premise, 5G will change everything without changing anything.  Why? Because before the big service providers started to even think about using wireless technology to reach the last mile, there has been a group of smaller service providers doing so all across the world.

Wireless Internet ServiceProviders or WISP have been connecting users since the early dawn of wireless data protocols, even before WIFI. What started as individuals hacking together pieces of equipment and antennas to serve a block of users have evolved into a solid industry that currently serve a large percent of connected users around the globe and continues to evolve with the same grit and passion that those early WISP trailblazers did in the last century.

5G is here and it will change the way we connect to the world, some aspects of it will be new others just an evolution of what’s already here, but certainly WISPs will be there to connect you all the way.

Ill be following this post with more details of 5G development including technical and business related information, please make sure to follow! 

Google Fiber is stopping, Why it's great news!

Recently the broadband industry and consumers have been shocked by the news that Google Fiber its halting all new deployments of its fiber optic network in the cities that were recently announced as the next fiber hubs: 

Chicago, Dallas, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Jose and Tampa are out of the Google Fiber plans for the moment. 

Some consumers are feeling disappointed as their broadband dreams are vanishing away.  And if you are on the outside of the industry, the recent Google announcement might feel like a stab in the back from the big corp with tons of cash. 

But if you look closely, and have some industry information; these are not bad news at all.  Back in June, Google announced the acquisition of Webpass, an ISP with operations in several markets in the US including San Francisco, Miami, Boston, Chicago among others.  What its special about Webpass is that they are a Wireless ISP that focuses in serving Multi Dwelling Units (MDUS) with high capacity fixed wireless access.  Webpass services both the residential and commercial segments with speeds up to 500 Mbps. 

Since the closing of the Webpass acquisition back in October, the industry has been rumoring that Google was favoring wireless as a access medium over fiber, and it seems that with the Webpass integration, wireless technology knowledge have moved to Google higher levels and the decision was made. 

Google halting all new fiber deployments comes as no surprise to me and its a validation of our business model.   Fiber its expensive and slow to deploy;  Wireless technologies  are maturing at a fast pace and its time has come to shine bright.  Millimeter wave technology (equipment that operates higher than 30 GHz) is posing as a the new contender for fiber-like wireless access and will be able to be deployed faster and less costly that fiber to the home. 

Google is not the only company looking at fixed wireless as an alternate access medium, Facebook is heavily invested in several projects including TIP and Terragraph. Verizon and AT&T both are currently running trials of the technology (Verizon, AT&T) and even Amazon has announced that it too whats a piece of the action. 

Facebook Terragraph access site concept

So to all those crying foul at Google Fiber, I say; wait.  Good news will follow.  Be it from Google Fiber or other alternatives broadband providers that are already deploying ultra fast broadband access using microwave technologies.  Google moving to wireless, brings clout to the WISPs industry, more importantly; investment and faster development of new technologies and products.

Stay Tuned! and GoFaster!