Wireless to the x (WTTx) is an advanced wireless broadband (WBB) access solution proposed by Huawei. This solution utilizes 4G/4.5G technology and customer-premises equipment (CPE) to tackle the last-mile problem and provide a quasi-fiber home broadband (HBB) experience. Mobile operators can leverage existing wireless network resources to rapidly develop HBB services at low cost as well as provide value-added services such as games and videos.

Industry-first installation-free outdoor CPE

Huawei demonstrated an industry-first, installation-free outdoor CPE at the Mobile World Congress 2017. This CPE is predicted to significantly lower outdoor CPE deployment costs for operators and accelerate the process of connecting hundreds of millions of households with WTTx.

With the rapid development of ICT, more and more households have Internet access. However, Internet access is still unavailable to many in the less developed countries and regions of the world. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reports that the global household Internet penetration rate was lower than 50% in 2016. Approximately 1 billion households do not have Internet access. ITU hopes that more than 300 million households will have Internet access by 2020. More convenient, efficient, and superior communications solutions must be developed to achieve this goal.

WTTx provides a quasi-fiber HBB experience. It allows operators to leverage existing wireless network resources to rapidly develop HBB services at low cost as well as provide value-added services. Currently, many WTTx operators face outdoor CPE installation challenges, such as high costs due to onsite installation. Compared with indoor CPE, outdoor CPE features high gains, zero penetration loss, and provides superior coverage in remote areas.

Outdoor and indoor CPE are different in form. Outdoor CPE consists of an outdoor unit (ODU) and an indoor unit (IDU). The ODU receives LTE signals and transmits data to the IDU via network cables. The IDU in turn transmits data to mobile or fixed terminals via Wi-Fi. Indoor CPE consists of only an IDU, which receives LTE signals and transmits data to terminals via Wi-Fi.

Huawei's installation-free outdoor CPE features the following highlights:

• Highlight 1: cylindrical design, elegant and neat

Huawei innovatively adopts a sleek and refreshing cylindrical design for this CPE, appearing more like a landscape light than a communications device.

• Highlight 2: decoupling of ODU from IDU for rapid service integration

The ODU focuses on pipe capabilities, while the IDU integrates services, including Smart Home, IPTV, and VoLTE services. The IDU can be continually updated for rapid deployment of new services at households, while the ODU can be installed once for life.

• Highlight 3: installation-free ODU supporting rapid deployment

Huawei provides an industry-first, installation-free ODU, which can be mounted on a wall with ease and without worry as to the optimal location for signal quality. This type of ODU enjoys equivalent signal quality wherever it is installed. The installation-free design eliminates onsite installation costs, accelerating large-scale WTTx deployment.

Huawei has helped nearly 200 operators worldwide deploy WTTx networks and recoup investment within approximately two years. Huawei's WTTx solution provides broadband access to an increasing number of users and connects hundreds of millions of households, particularly in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Nigeria.