Broadband Solutions for Electric / Power Utility

Reliable, high-performance wireless broadband connectivity for rural community access in APAC, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam and other countries & regions.

Access to high-speed broadband has become an essential service for modern households, comparable to electricity and water. Yet, millions of Americans in rural and underserved areas continue to lack adequate connectivity. According to the NRECA Broadband Report (2018), approximately 6.3 million rural electric cooperative (REC) households, representing 13.4 million people, remained without access to broadband services offering at least 25/3 Mbps speeds — the FCC’s previous minimum standard.

Today, while national broadband coverage has improved, a significant disparity persists: approximately 28% of Electric Cooperative members lack broadband access, compared to 10% of the overall U.S. population. This connectivity gap extends to territories served by both Electric Cooperatives and Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs), affecting millions of rural residents and businesses.

The consequences of limited broadband availability are serious. Economic stagnation, workforce outmigration, educational disadvantages, and constrained healthcare services are direct outcomes of inadequate digital infrastructure. As younger generations relocate to metropolitan areas in search of opportunity, rural economies weaken further.

For electric and power utilities — both cooperatives and investor-owned — addressing this digital divide is no longer optional. Fast, reliable broadband is a critical enabler for modern Smart Grid infrastructure, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), distributed energy resources management, and future grid resiliency initiatives. At the same time, offering broadband services or facilitating its deployment can stabilize rural communities, enhance economic growth, and position utilities as comprehensive infrastructure providers.

Utilities are uniquely positioned to help solve this problem by leveraging their existing infrastructure — poles, rights-of-way, and operational fiber networks — to accelerate broadband expansion in hard-to-reach areas.

Why Electric Utilities Are Well Positioned to Deliver Broadband Internet Access

Electric utilities, particularly Rural Electric Cooperatives (RECs), possess inherent advantages when it comes to deploying broadband services in rural and underserved areas. Their existing operational footprint — including electrical infrastructure, facilities, and workforce — provides a solid foundation for broadband network development and ongoing service delivery.

Utilities already maintain extensive pole networks, substations, rights-of-way, and communication infrastructure that can be leveraged to reduce the cost and complexity of broadband deployment. Their established relationships with community members and local authorities further streamline permitting, access, and customer engagement processes.

Additionally, utilities have operational expertise in managing mission-critical infrastructure, maintaining high service reliability, and responding to outages and emergencies — all essential capabilities for broadband service provision.

For utilities opting to establish a separate subsidiary or affiliate company to deliver broadband services, the parent utility remains a valuable asset throughout the process. It can provide:

• Infrastructure sharing

• Engineering and operations support

• Customer service and billing systems

• Community trust and brand recognition

This unique position allows electric utilities, especially RECs, to act as catalysts for rural broadband expansion, promoting economic development, improving quality of life, and supporting grid modernization initiatives simultaneously.

No other sector is as structurally and operationally equipped as electric utilities to close the rural broadband gap efficiently and sustainably.

Cost-Effective Alternative: FWA

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) offers a scalable, lower-cost alternative. Utilities can mount base stations on existing poles, covering 5–10 mile radii with minimal infrastructure. Only the poles need backhaul via fiber or microwave; customer homes connect via rooftop receivers, installed only upon subscription.

FWA advantages:

• Up to 10x lower cost than fiber

• Faster deployment (months, not years)

• Works in challenging terrain

• Faster ROI with demand-driven installs

FWA allows electric and power utilities to expand broadband quickly, efficiently, and sustainably — especially in underserved rural region

RADWIN FWA — The Proven Choice for Electric Utilities

In recent years, numerous Electric Cooperatives and Power Utilities have successfully deployed RADWIN’s Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solution to deliver high-speed broadband services to residential and business customers. These deployments have achieved speeds up to 100 Mbps, within aggressive timelines and workable budgets.

RADWIN FWA has been implemented in two primary scenarios:

• As a standalone broadband infrastructure, serving all utility members.

• As a complementary solution to fiber, extending coverage in areas where fiber deployment is cost-prohibitive due to difficult terrain or long distances.

The solution delivers carrier-grade, highly reliable equipment built for rural environments, with fast, simplified deployment supported by RADWIN’s Operational Support System (OSS) tools for network planning, rollout, and optimization.

For electric and power utilities seeking a scalable, proven, and cost-effective broadband solution — RADWIN FWA has become a trusted choice.

Radwin Product Line distributed by Amboya:

About RADWIN

RADWIN is a leading provider of wireless broadband solutions that incorporate advanced technologies to deliver optimal performance in the toughest conditions. Deployed in over 170 countries, RADWIN’s solutions power a range of applications from last-mile connectivity to backhaul.

About Amboya

Amboya is a value-added re-seller of Radwin in APAC, including distribution of  Radwin products in Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam.

Complete portfolio of sub 6GHz Point-to-Point and Point-to-Multipoint solutions and a multi-service Small Cell solution, as well as wireless broadband-in-motion for vehicles, trains and vessels.

If you are interested to learn more, get a quote or schedule a demo,
please call us at:
+44 7467 218033​
+972 52 2467108
or email us:  [email protected]