Technology Equity: Choosing the Right Broadband Solution for an Equitable Online Experience

In the pursuit of closing the digital divide, it is essential to shift the conversation from technology neutrality to technology equity. While any technology can potentially provide broadband service, not all technologies are equal. Ensuring every individual has an equitable online experience requires a focus on technology equity, which aims to achieve the goal of digital equity by considering the best means to accomplish it.

Broadband Technologies

Broadband encompasses various technologies, including fibre, fixed wireless, cable, and DSL. Each technology offers unique characteristics and implications for deployment, installation, cost, and customer experience.

Next-Generation Fixed Wireless (ngFWA)

ngFWA utilises radio connections between the home and a tower located miles away, with traffic typically backhauled via fibre or wireless. It excels in challenging terrains, such as mountains or valleys, offering near- and non-line-of-sight capabilities. Interference cancellation ensures a reliable connection, and its deployment can be completed in months without the need for extensive digging or cable laying. ngFWA provides speeds ranging from hundreds of megabits to gigabit speeds, rivalling fibre-based networks.

Legacy Fixed Wireless

Similar to ngFWA, legacy fixed wireless requires radio connections between the home and a tower. However, it is typically restricted to line of sight and lacks interference immunity. While it is easy to install and does not require digging or cable laying, it offers speeds typically below 100 Mbps.

Fibre

Fibre-based broadband requires inexpensive Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) at homes, connected to an aggregation point and backhaul. It necessitates extensive digging for burying fibre cables, resulting in high deployment costs. Deploying fibre can be time-consuming, involving years of permits and specialised tools. However, fibre offers high-speed connectivity ranging from hundreds of megabits to gigabit speeds.

Cable (Coax)

Cable broadband relies on a CPE at the home, connecting to an aggregation point via fibre backhaul. Extensive digging is required for burying cables, and expensive equipment in the provider's operations centre is necessary for deployment. Cable offers speeds in the range of a few hundred Mbps, although upload speeds may be slower. Newer versions utilising DOCSIS 4.0 support higher speeds. 

DSL

DSL utilises copper wires to transfer data from homes to an aggregation point. Similar to cable, it requires extensive digging for cable burial and expensive equipment in the provider's operations centre. DSL provides speeds typically in the range of a few Mbps, with slower upload speeds.

Choosing the Right Technology

Service providers often prefer fibre and wireless technologies to ensure high-quality broadband service. Cable operators may enhance their existing infrastructure, but they too incorporate fibre and wireless technologies. It is crucial to select technologies that deliver an equitable broadband experience. While wireless technologies, like fixed wireless access (FWA), were previously seen as inferior to fibre, next-generation fixed wireless (ngFWA) now offers fibre-class speeds and quality, bridging the gap.

Optimal Approach

In many cases, service providers opt for a combination of next-generation wireless and fibre technologies to maximise flexibility, affordability, and performance. This approach ensures technology equitable access for all, delivering high-quality broadband experiences more rapidly.

Conclusion

Shifting the focus from technology neutrality to technology equity is crucial for achieving digital equity. Understanding the characteristics and implications of different broadband technologies allows for informed decisions in selecting the most suitable options. By embracing next-generation wireless and fibre technologies, service providers can offer equitable online experiences to all individuals, addressing the digital divide more effectively.

Disclosure: In this blog post, we have made reference to another blog from Tarana Wireless. The referenced blog provides additional insights and information on the topic discussed. We encourage readers to visit the mentioned blog for further reading and a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.