nanog mailing list archives

Re: 5G roadblock: labor


From: Shane Ronan <shane () ronan-online com>
Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2020 16:05:09 -0500

This may be the case for single family homes, but bringing ftth into MDUs
can be very ezpensive, as building want to charge entry fees, etc.

Same goes for commercial buildings.

5G fixed wireless allows wireless to be used for the last mile, with the
user still taking advantage of WiFi indoors. And it's the same
infrastructure that supports the mobile use cases.



On Sun, Jan 5, 2020, 3:57 PM Michael Thomas <mike () mtcc com> wrote:


On 1/5/20 3:21 AM, Mark Tinka wrote:

I think we can all agree that the future is wireless access for
everything (phones, tablets, laptops, domestic appliances, e.t.c.).

The question isn't about whether the kids will be using wire or
wireless... we know they will be using wireless. The question is what
that wireless will be. Something has to drive the wireless, so the wire
(mostly high-bandwidth fibre) is not going anywhere. It is the
distribution, particularly in consumer applications, that will be
wireless.

I just think that it will be more wi-fi than GSM data, simply because of
the cost of scaling out GSM data vs. the cost of running fibre to a site
and distributing connectivity via wi-fi.

Because you can pack wi-fi AP's a lot more densely for cheaper compared
to GSM radios, I think allocating newer frequencies toward wi-fi in
addition to the existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz makes a lot more sense to me,
and partially resolves the never-ending issues MNO's have of a lack of
spectrum.


It occurs to me that what we're really quibbling about here is where
fiber ends. Is it at every street corner, or is it directly into my
house? It seems to me ftth is the long term win economically because not
everybody cares about each upgrade to wifi and are happy to wait until
they do care -- if ever. Carriers, on the other hand, have to forklift
in the new equipment at every G+1. That costs a lot of money which they
have to recoup through higher fees. And they have to buy spectrum which
is expensive. And they have to buy/rent real estate which is expensive.
But people say ftth is expensive. But expensive to all of the stuff that
wireless carriers need to deploy? Color me extremely dubious. It's not
like rent seeking is exactly a secret with carriers, and that's what
this smells like to me. The only advantage they have is that they can do
handoffs which while useful, is not a deal breaker in a *lot* of
situations. Other than that, I really don't want to use their air bits.

Mike



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