5G FWA Extension

Share a single 5G mmWave FWA link across an MDU for high-performance broadband using the existing coaxial network

5G mmWave operates at very high frequencies that are easily weakened by typical building materials. Walls and floors reduce signal strength and limit indoor reach, which makes in-apartment wireless internet coverage unpredictable, even when outdoor capacity is strong.

The Broadband Forum standard, Multi-tenant 5G Fixed Wireless Access Extension, addresses this by receiving one high-capacity 5G mmWave link at the property (rooftop or façade) and distributing it over the existing coaxial cabling to every apartment using the MoCA Access™ 2.5 standard. This provides full-building coverage with multi-gigabit potential, short installation times, and minimal disturbance for residents and owners.

The InCoax 5G mmWave FWA Extension is the standards-based solution that extends high-performance broadband to all apartments in a fast, sustainable, and non-intrusive way. The InCoax MoCA Access multi-gigabit technology is a cost-effective way to accelerate deployments and deliver FTTHlike performance, with the option to feed the same in-building solution by fiber in the future without reworking the apartment side.

How it works

At the property, a rooftop or exterior 5G mmWave FWA modem terminates the wireless link from the 3GPP NG-RAN. The building’s extension point hosts the InCoax MoCA Access Control Unit, which connects to the existing in-building coax network and extends Ethernet service to apartments via InCoax NTEs. The in-building distribution is topologyagnostic, supporting point-to-multipoint and
point-to-point coax networks.

The architecture aligns with BBF TR-507 for multi-tenant FWA and wireline-wireless convergence. It interoperates with the 5G Core using a dedicated FWA slice and fixed-network control user plane elements (MAG/BNG, MAG-C/SMF) so operators can integrate service assurance and policy consistently across access types.

The same in-building solution can later be fed by fiber when available, keeping the in-building network unchanged.

How it is managed

InCoax Manage with Zero Touch Provisioning reduces deployment costs, enables remote configuration and monitoring, and supports long-term operations. Remote VLAN management limits truck rolls. Management options include NETCONF/YANG (via
operator PMAA) and SOAP-XML; for monitoring, SNMP is supported.

Per-home and aggregated service validation can follow BBF TR-143 testing initiated by a USP controller, which fits directly with the multi-tenant FWA architecture and the live demo setup.

Key advantages

Enables symmetrical Gigabit or MultiGigabit services with low latency.
Backhaul flexibility – start with 5G, switch to fiber later without reworking the in-building network.
Reuses the in-building coax network and can co-exist with existing TV distribution.
Fast deployment and non-intrusive for a fast ROI.
Extends internet reach throughout the premises by leveraging existing coax to every unit.
Carrier-grade manageability in a standards-based architecture defined within Broadband Forum.

System overview at a glance

3GPP side: NG-RAN to 5GC FWA slice with AMF, PCF, UDM, NRF, CHF; policy and AAA aligned with fixed domain.
Standards anchors: BBF TR-507 Multi-tenant FWA reference architecture; BBF TR-300 control/userplane mapping with MAG-C/SMF; converged wireline-wireless design.
Fixed domain: L2 aggregation to FN-RGs via DPU and NTE on existing coax.
Validation: TR-143 throughput tests per home and in aggregate via USP.