Main challenge
In the push to get 5G broadband capabilities to rural areas, service providers often rely on 4G solutions enhanced by non-standalone hardware – failing to truly unlock the power of new-generation technology.
As part of a £6 million project to boost rural connectivity in North Yorkshire, U.K.-based broadband provider Quickline announced it would deploy the country’s first 5G standalone open radio access network. However, it needed a range of trusted suppliers that could bring the plan to life – including a hardware manufacturer it could rely on for solutions to amplify the network.
Solutions
Quickline opted for Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology, a cost-effective solution that enables providers to enhance the economics and technical feasibility of network deployments.
The broadband provider selected Zyxel as its key 5G FWA provider because of the manufacturer’s unrivaled experience and reliability in high-capacity premium broadband, high-speed connectivity, enhanced network security and deployment flexibility. By adopting Zyxel’s MediaTek 5G solutions, Quickline was able to diversify its hardware offerings and become less reliant on Qualcomm’s supply chain and availability.
Main story
The partnership between Quickline and Zyxel was a U.K. first, firmly supporting the Government’s ambitions to provide gigabit capable connectivity to rural communities and to diversify the telecoms supply chain.
As a result of being involved in the UK 5G testbed programme, Zyxel has developed and commercialised a 5G standalone, cloud-native OpenRAN network, utilizing the N77 [3.7GHz] spectrum band as part of Ofcom’s Shared Access Spectrum license.
Results
Results
After two years of testing and refining, Quickline switched on its first mast and brought a pure, 5G end-to-end solution to the rural communities across Northern England – bridging the gap between cities and rural villages, and breaking down the digital divide.
In the first year after launching the project, Quickline saw rapid growth following a £500m investment by new owners Northleaf Capital Partners. The investment allowed the company to accelerate its impressive plans to bring lightning-fast broadband speeds to more than 500,000 homes and businesses in rural communities, where a significant digital divide remains.
Quote
Customers in rural communities can’t truly benefit from the possibilities of 5G if they’re accessing a network on technology built for 4G. Zyxel gave us the infrastructure we needed to power a truly innovative network, ensuring no one loses out on the full power of connectivity just because of where they live.
Our customer
Quickline is one of the UK’s fastest-growing broadband providers, serving more than half a million homes and dedicated to delivering rapid, reliable connectivity to rural communities across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Product Solution
- NR7101 5G NR Outdoor Router: Designed to help service providers accelerate 5G FWA development with added flexibility and minimal capital investment, the NR7101/NR7102/NR7103 Series is SA/NSA dual-mode compliant, easy to install, and provides remote management. The Series enables high-capacity, ultra-fast, yet low latency broadband services deployed across a wide range of geographic environments.
- 5G NR Indoor Router: Engineered to meet the demands of 5G connectivity, the Zyxel’s 5G NR indoor routers deliver seamless high-speed connectivity across customers’ homes or workplaces. Its user-friendly refurbishment design streamlines deployment across diverse customer locations, accelerating 5G FWA service rollouts.
- Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 Router: Zyxel’s Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 routers support the latest dual-band wireless Wi-Fi 6 (11ax) technology and Zyxel MPro Mesh® Solutions. This Series can be deployed in the existing copper or fiber network to upgrade your customers with premium Wi-Fi service on all their devices - anywhere in their home.
