Fixed wireless access turns a 5G cell into the last mile. The CPE is the subscriber end of it, and it comes in two very different forms: an outdoor unit that buys antenna gain for reach, and an indoor unit that buys a self-install the customer can do alone. The right one depends entirely on where the premises sits relative to the cell.
Fixed wireless access delivers broadband to a building over the 5G air interface instead of a cable or fibre. The customer-premises equipment terminates that link and hands it to the home or office as Wi-Fi and Ethernet. It is the fastest way to light up a premises where trenching fibre is slow or uneconomic.
Outdoor units mount on a wall or roof with a high-gain, often beam-locked antenna aimed at the cell. The gain is what makes cell-edge and rural links work, at the cost of a professional install. Indoor units sit on a windowsill or desk and self-install in minutes, trading antenna gain for convenience, which is fine close to the cell or in dense urban coverage.
The band matters as much as the form factor. Sub-6 (FR1) is the workhorse — it penetrates and tolerates non-line-of-sight. mmWave (FR2) offers far more capacity but needs near line-of-sight, which pushes most mmWave FWA to the outdoor unit.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | 3GPP 5G NR, sub-6 (FR1) and mmWave (FR2) variants; carrier aggregation and MIMO |
| Form factors | Indoor desktop/window unit (self-install) and outdoor wall/roof unit (professional install) |
| Antenna | Indoor: integrated low-to-moderate gain. Outdoor: high-gain directional with beam lock to the serving cell |
| LAN side | Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 and Gigabit Ethernet; router and firewall functions in the indoor unit |
| Power | Indoor: mains adapter. Outdoor: Power-over-Ethernet from an indoor power/aggregation unit |
| Management | Remote management via TR-069 / TR-369 (USP) for zero-touch provisioning and fleet operation |
| Environment | Outdoor unit IP-rated and temperature-rated for roof-top exposure |
FWA CPE is where operators monetise spare 5G capacity as a fibre alternative, and where private networks extend coverage to a nearby building without new cabling. The outdoor unit opens up rural and cell-edge subscribers that an indoor unit could never reach; the indoor unit keeps the truck-roll out of urban sign-ups.
It pairs naturally with the rest of the RAN portfolio — the same cells served by the radio units and small cells here, with the core either in the network or, for a private deployment, on site.
We work on the CPE as a hardware and integration problem: the modem and carrier-aggregation design, the antenna and beam-lock for the outdoor unit, the thermal and ingress design for roof-top exposure, and the TR-369 management integration for fleet provisioning. Deliverables span reference design, board bring-up, RF and OTA characterisation, and production support.
We can start from your chosen modem and band plan, or advise on the sub-6 versus mmWave and indoor versus outdoor split against your coverage and install-cost targets.
The customer-premises equipment that terminates a 5G fixed-wireless-access link at a building and hands it to the home or office as Wi-Fi and Ethernet. It is how an operator delivers broadband over the 5G air interface instead of fibre or cable.
An outdoor unit mounts on a wall or roof with a high-gain directional antenna aimed at the cell, which gives the reach needed for cell-edge and rural links but needs a professional install. An indoor unit sits on a windowsill or desk and self-installs in minutes, trading antenna gain for convenience, which suits locations close to the cell.
Both. Sub-6 (FR1) is the workhorse because it penetrates buildings and tolerates non-line-of-sight. mmWave (FR2) offers much higher capacity but needs near line-of-sight, so mmWave FWA is usually an outdoor unit aimed at the cell.
Through remote device management, typically TR-069 or the newer TR-369 (USP), which gives zero-touch provisioning, configuration, monitoring and firmware updates across the whole fleet without touching each unit.
Yes. The same CPE terminates a private-network cell to extend coverage into a nearby building without new cabling, with the core on site for local breakout. It fits alongside the small cells and radio units in the same portfolio.
The cell the CPE attaches to.
PRODUCTThe FR2 radio for mmWave FWA.
KNOWLEDGEThe bands FWA can use.
KNOWLEDGEWhen FWA beats the alternatives.
PRODUCTThe core behind a private FWA cell.
KNOWLEDGEThe gain that makes FWA reach.
Outdoor gain versus indoor self-install, sub-6 versus mmWave, and TR-369 fleet management are the decisions that make an FWA rollout work. Tell us the coverage and the subscriber mix.