RIL-backed HFCL rolls out indigenous 5G fixed wireless access for enterprise

Reliance Industries-backed HFCL launched India's first indigenous 5G FWA (fixed wireless access) customer premise equipment (CPE) solution on Friday. This launch aims to meet the growing demand for seamless high-speed internet connectivity in homes and enterprises.

The telecom gear company stated that the indoor and outdoor 5G FWA CPE products will accelerate broadband penetration in urban and rural areas, bridging the last-mile connectivity gap.

HFCL's range of 5G FWA CPE supports both 5G SA and NSA technologies across multiple Sub-6 GHz and mmWave frequency bands. This allows for cost-effective and fiber-like speeds, complementing wired broadband connections in areas where fiber rollout is limited. The company claims that their 5G FWA CPE portfolio of plug-and-play devices are lightweight, compact, and have minimal power consumption. They also feature customer-friendly features like Wi-Fi 6 technology, enabling high-speed connections for a large number of devices.

To facilitate installation, the solution includes an AI-integrated mobile app that assists users in identifying the best location for strong signal reception. HFCL believes that its 5G FWA CPE portfolio offers new business opportunities for telecom service providers (TSPs) by enabling them to offer fixed internet broadband services to consumers and enterprises using their 5G network infrastructure. 
 
HFCL, founded by Mahendra Nahata in 1987, specialises in creating digital networks for telcos, enterprises, and governments. In a recent stock exchange filing, the company announced an ₹83-crore order for supplying high-quality optical fiber cables to one of India's leading domestic telecom service providers. 
 
In its financial results for the second quarter of FY24, HFCL reported a decline in revenue by 5.28% and a decrease in profit by 15.2% compared to the same period last year. However, when compared to the previous quarter, the company witnessed a growth in revenue by 11.69% and an increase in profit by 1.94%. For FY23, HFCL achieved a net revenue of ₹4,743.31 crore, reflecting a marginal increase from ₹4,727.11 crore in FY22. The net profit for the fiscal year stood at ₹317.71 crore, compared to ₹325.86 crore in FY22.