The benefits of fixed wireless business internet for the retail industry

Retailers rely on seamless connectivity to help them keep up with changing customer demands, boost the shopping experience, manage inventory, connect with suppliers and run their operations. By leveraging fixed wireless access, retailers can enjoy high-speed, reliable internet where the service is available without waiting for cables to be installed. The result: Retailers can now connect with customers in more places and in new ways.

What is fixed wireless business internet?

Many brick-and-mortar retail locations rely on a physical internet connection that is hardwired into the building. With fixed wireless business internet, businesses can get high-speed connectivity through fixed wireless access (FWA) radio waves instead of wired infrastructure.

Here's how it works: Retailers with a location needing fixed wireless access service would connect a LTE/5G router in their store wirelessly to a 4G LTE or 5G transmitter on a tower.  This "fixed network" router provides connectivity to a number of devices over a given area at the retail location.

The benefits of fixed wireless retail internet

Here's how fixed wireless business internet helps retailers connect and sell:

• Fast connectivity. Retailers need fast connectivity and large amounts of bandwidth to access credit card networks, look up inventory and leverage exciting new technologies like augmented reality. Fixed wireless business internet, powered by  4G LTE or 5G networks can provide the bandwidth required to power the applications retailers rely on to operate.
• Fast, simple deployment. A physical cable can take time to install and could be expensive, especially if wired connectivity is not already available and the site requires trenching over significant distances. Fixed Wireless Access can enable retailers to link to a nearby Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) base station which acts as the connection point to the fixed network and then communicates with the retailer’s LTE/5G receiver making it possible for the retailer to access high-speed LTE or 5G connectivity. This can allow retailers to get new locations connected quickly so they can connect without waiting for wired cable installations that can take weeks or months to deploy.
• Temporary wireless internet. Whether it's a pop-up store or a special event, retailers often need temporary wireless internet access. With Fixed wireless business internet,  retailers can get connected quickly without long-term service contracts. Some retailers also use fixed wireless internet as a reliable backup solution, ensuring they can stay online and still process sales even if their wired solution experiences an outage.

Wireless Internet retail use cases

Retailers of all sizes can access fixed wireless business internet for versatile, reliable connectivity for a wide variety of use cases. FWA can provide the connectivity required to power in-store digital touchpoints such as mobile checkouts, cashierless checkouts, customer mobile apps, employee inventory management platforms, and digital price labels.

Beyond processing sales and running operations, retailers could leverage fixed wireless internet connectivity to boost the customer experience by streaming music and videos and offering guest Wi-Fi for shoppers. In addition, retailers are beginning to experiment with innovative technologies like augmented reality-enabled retail displays to help make the in-store shopping experience more engaging.

To help improve end-to-end supply chain visibility, fixed wireless internet connectivity can power real-time inventory tracking leveraging radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and sensors, which can enable retailers to know exactly where products are in the supply chain. With this data, retailers can monitor product availability, track product shipments, manage inventory and leverage sales data to help optimize orders based on changes in customer demand.

Connecting retail

Verizon’s Fixed Wireless Access solutions can give retailers quick access to fast, reliable connectivity powered by its 4G LTE or 5G Ultra Wideband networks, which retailers can leverage to set up new locations quickly, get temporary wireless internet access for special events,  provide a backup connection for business continuity and more. Learn more about Verizon’s fixed wireless internet solutions.

The author of this content is a paid contributor for Verizon.