Connectivity is the core of a wide-area network (WAN), bringing an organization’s services, applications, and data to life
What happens when primary and/or secondary wired connections fail? Organizations that move beyond wires to a Wireless WAN — connecting fixed and temporary locations, vehicles, and IoT devices through highly reliable cellular broadband — don’t have to worry about finding out.
A wide-area network, or WAN, is a telecommunications network that connects various local area networks to each other and to headquarters, cloud servers, and elsewhere. Enterprise WANs allow users to share access to applications, services, and other centrally located resources.
Traditionally, WANs usually have consisted of wired lines connecting fixed locations. However, Wireless WANs have become a staple of enterprise networking.
Explore the benefits of cellular broadband for Wireless WAN in our WANs Beyond Wires white paper.
What is a Wireless WAN?
Simply put, a Wireless WAN deploys cellular broadband — including 4G, Gigabit-Class LTE, and 5G technology — as an essential part of WAN infrastructure, connecting stores, offices, vehicles, and/or IoT devices at the network’s edge.
Why use wireless broadband in your wide-area network?
A Wireless WAN offers some key advantages:
Highly reliable. Wireless broadband is an over-the-air connection that’s protected from terrestrial challenges, such as a backhoe accidentally cutting a fiber line.
Flexible. LTE and 5G can be deployed immediately, instead of waiting weeks or even months for a vendor to install a wired line. Wireless is also easy to relocate to another room, site, vehicle, or spot.
Scalable. Cellular networks are designed to support millions of endpoints across a nationwide footprint. Setting up a link at a new branch office or in-vehicle is a matter of hours instead of weeks. Also, the ability to deal with just one or two nationwide cellular operators, instead of many regionally-based wired ISPs, increases predictability and simplifies administration.
Cost-effective. Often organizations spend less time on network management and troubleshooting.
A Wireless WAN solves multiple problems for business networks, creates new opportunities, and lays the foundation for further transformation and innovation. Take our connected enterprise assessment to learn how organizations will utilize the future of wireless connections.