5G FWA Extension

Share a single 5G FWA link across an MDU for Gigabit or MultiGigabit broadband over existing coaxial network

5G New Radio (5G NR) delivers higher bit rates, lower latency and higher data rates than earlier mobile generations. In Frequency Range 1 (FR1, roughly 3-6 GHz), operators typically offer FWA data services in the 100-700 Mbps range, while Frequency Range 2 (FR2, mmWave around 24-71 GHz) with very wide channels enables FWA services above 1 Gbps and up to multi-gigabits per second.

These higher frequencies also mean higher path loss and poor penetration through façades, coated windows, internal walls and floor slabs. In multi-dwelling units (MDUs) this makes it difficult to guarantee coverage and data rates in every apartment. At the same time, rewiring MDUs with new fiber or Ethernet to each unit is slow and expensive, requiring access to common areas and apartments and often cosmetic restoration.

Instead of installing a separate FWA modem in every apartment, the BBF TR-507 solution terminates the 5G FWA link sub-6 GHz or mmWave link, typically at building wall or roof-top with Line of Sight (LoS), and uses an InCoax DPU to redistribute the broadband connectivity over the existing coaxial network.

The InCoax DPU that uses MoCA Access 2.5 technology over coax to reach each apartment, where an InCoax NTE modem provides Ethernet to the residential gateway. This replaces many single-apartment FWA installations with one engineered building-level link and reuses the coax infrastructure already in the MDU building.

KEY ADVANTAGES

Gigabit or MultiGigabit services with low latency over MoCA Access 2.5 using a shared 5G FWA link.
Uses existing in-building coax and co-exists with TV services, avoiding disruptive re-cabling.
Fast, non-intrusive installation in technical spaces for short time-to-revenue and solid ROI.
Standards-based, TR-507-aligned architecture that integrates with existing 5G core through Access Gateway Function (AGF) or Broadband Network Gateway (BNG).
Flexible backhaul – start with 5G FWA and later switch to fiber using the same in-building coax.
Extends reach to every unit over existing coax drops and can host multiple FWA operators on one coax plant.

How it works

An exterior wall or roof-top 5G FWA modem (sub-6 or mmWave) terminates the 3GPP wireless link and connects to an InCoax DPU at the building extension point. The DPU injects traffic into the in-building coax network using MoCA Access 2.5 and serves InCoax NTE modems, typically one per apartment, over existing point-to-multipoint or point-to-point coax topology from basement, electrical risers, floor closets or attics.

The solution follows Broadband Forum TR-507 for multitenant FWA and integrates with the 5G system using AGF in direct mode with a 5G-RG, AGF in adaptive mode for an FN-RG, or a BNG for an FN-RG. In all options, the in-building coax segment with the InCoax DPU and NTEs acts as an access extension that transparently forwards subscriber traffic between the FWA modem and the AGF or BNG while preserving separation between subscribers, services and operators.

Soft-GRE integration
The DPU or FWA modem uses Soft-GRE tunnels towards the AGF or BNG, encapsulating Ethernet frames over the MoCA Access 2.5 network and decapsulating them on return. It only performs encapsulation and decapsulation, while policy control and subscriber handling remain in the AGF or BNG. This allows the InCoax extension to be integrated cleanly into existing fixed broadband control planes and OSS/BSS.

How it is managed

InCoax Manage provides centralized management of DPUs and NTEs. Service profiles define how the DPU adds, removes or rewrites VLAN tags on subscriber traffic before Soft-GRE encapsulation so that the AGF or BNG receives the correct Layer 2 service and subscriber information. Soft-GRE parameters such as IP addresses and tunnel identifiers are either con-figured by the InCoax Manage for the DPU or by the 5G network when Soft-GRE is terminated in the FWA modem.

InCoax Manage supports NETCONF/YANG, SOAP-XML and CLI, enabling automation, OSS integration and operation of the FWA extension as part of the existing fixed access domain.

System overview at a glance

Based on BBF TR-507 multi-tenant FWA architecture with AGF direct, AGF adaptive and BNG options.
MoCA Access 2.5 in-building distribution over existing coax, with indoor and outdoor DPU variants.
Uses available spectrum in the coax network and co-exists with existing services.
Supports multiple FWA operators on the same coax plant using logical separation such as VLANs and tunnels.
Can be combined with fiber deployments, using the same in-building coax platform for 5G FWA.