Unlock the power of Gigabit Fixed Wireless Access and ultra-broadband transmission to elevate your BEAD application, delivering seamless high-speed connectivity to unserved and underserved communities
BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment) is a federal grant program with the objective to offer fixed broadband service to all Americans. The BEAD implementation phase started in 2024 and is planned to last for 4 years. The program includes $ 42.5B to build network infrastructure and increase adoption of high-speed internet.
The main objective is to close the digital divide, prioritizing unserved and underserved locations only having access to speeds below 100/20 Mbps, as well as focusing on expanding high-speed internet access to key public locations.
BEAD aims to build networks offering Broadband Service to meet both present as well as foreseeable-future needs.
Under the latest BEAD guidelines, based on NTIA’s June 6, 2025 Policy Notice, a technology-neutral approach is followed. Priority Broadband Project is now defined strictly by performance standards (speeds, latency, and scalability) and not by technology itself. Any technology is eligible for Priority Broadband status if it:
The solution selection process within the BEAD program is challenging. Every single unserved or under-served location should be served with broadband service of at least 100/20 Mbps speed. Technical solutions offering superior network performance to the above minimum thresholds will be treated favorably, receiving high scoring and thus maximizing the chances to be finally selected for implementation.
It is estimated that an “all” fiber solution nationwide would require the quadruple of available BEAD funds. In this context, FWA solutions in licensed bands are of key importance to meet BEAD objectives with the available resources. More specifically, FWA solutions in millimeter Wave (mmWave) bands offer not only reliable broadband service, but also very high capacity taking advantage of the ample spectrum resources in these bands.
Intracom Telecom offers a leading WiBAS™ G5 FWA solution operating in the UMFUS / LMDS mmWave bands. WiBAS™ G5 smart-BS employs cutting-edge MU-Massive Beamforming MIMO technology expanding connectivity over long distances with optimum utilization of available spectrum resources. Together with the WiBAS™ G5 GigaConnect terminal radios at the customer premises, blazing-fast and reliable Gbps services are delivered quickly and cost-effectively. The WiBAS™ G5 FWA solution is BEAD-qualified for Priority Broadband Projects, satisfying all BEAD technical requirements.
BEAD framework includes also Community Anchor Institutions (CAI), and defined to be entities like schools, libraries, and healthcare facilities, which are crucial for community well-being and broadband adoption. The CAI application process requires detailed information about these institutions, including their broadband needs, current availability, and how they facilitate greater broadband use. The CAI performance requirements are 1 Gbps symmetrical service with less than 100 ms latency. OmniBAS™ Licensed Microwave solutions can provide symmetrical capacities up to 2 Gbps and latency of 0.5 ms at very high availability, fully meeting the BEAD requirements for CAI.
In addition, our value proposition is further strengthened with our UltraLink™ product family, the market's leading system gain E-Band radio, which can be used as a low-cost optical fiber alternative for Gigabit and multi-Gigabit middle-mile applications. UltraLink™-FX80 delivers 3 Gbps symmetrical service with 0.1 ms latency using a 500 MHz channel. UltraLink™-GX80 delivers 10 Gbps full-duplex Ethernet throughput farther than any other E-Band radio in the market today in a 1+0 PtP link configuration. It has low-transport latency, well below 0.1 ms, in a 2000 MHz channel size. The UltraLink™-XR80 Advanced dual radio will provide a stunning 40 Gbps symmetrical service, using a single 2000 MHz channel in XPIC configuration. The UltraLink™ product family is the ideal optical fiber alternative for BEAD-compliant network deployments.
To manage and provision all, our advanced life-cycle management platform (NMS), uni|MS™, provides a powerful tool to the operator for managing the entire network lifecycle from planning to operation and optimization. In addition, the uni|MS™ platform can be further extended to control and monitor all remote site assets from the same desktop.
Intracom Telecom's proposal, including the WiBAS™ G5 mmWave FWA solution, the OmniBAS™ Licensed Microwave product line, the UltraLink™ E-Band product family and the uni|MS™ lifecycle-management platform helps you to achieve your BEAD goals with maximum performance and cost efficiency.
Spectrum is a valuable asset. For a spectrum license owner money can be made by deploying networks immediately and/or by subleasing some of the acquired spectrum to other operators (e.g. WISPs, private network). The motive fueling the growing increase of interest in mmW spectrum is due to recent technology advances which permits the high capacity and ultra-fast speed operation of reliable Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) networks. This is generating high ARPU for the operators.
Due to the exponential growth of demand for spectrum resources the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has taken a firm stance on spectrum management in the United States, particularly with millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum holdings, under the policy of "use it or lose it." The FCC's goal is to ensure that spectrum is actively utilized by its owners to foster technological advancement and avoid stagnation.
The licensees have the obligation to show that they provide Point-to-Point or Point-to-Multipoint signal coverage to at least 25% of the geographic area of the license. Licensees relying on fixed point-to-point links or other, low-power point-to-point connections must show that they have deployed at least one transmitter or receiver in at least 25% of the districts (census tracts) within the license area. Failure to satisfy these requirements will result in automatic cancellation of the license.
In this context the availability of mmW spectrum becomes a potential game changer for any WISP.
Intracom Telecom can aid the operators save their spectrum assets with the WiBAS™ G5 new Point-to-MultiPoint Fixed Wireless Access platform operating in the UMFUS mmWave-licensed spectrum of 24 / 28 /37 /39 GHz as well as the LMDS A2/A3/B1/B2 bands at 29 and 31 GHz. WiBAS™ G5 system can deliver Gigabit speeds to residential and business subscribers thus enabling operators to deploy ultra-fast Fixed Wireless Networks in s quick and cost-efficient manner.
The UMFUS spectrum is one of the "Flexible Service" bands, where multiple technologies can operate, side by side. One of the great advantages of WiBAS™ G5 smart Base Station is that it can coexist with 5G systems in adjacent channels due to its intelligent software and compliance with established regulations for spectrum use.
If an operator selects the option of deploying PtP links for license save, then the WiBAS™ G5 product line has this option covered too. Deploying a WiBAS™ G5 evo-BS (Base Station) and WiBAS™ G5 Connect+ (Terminal Station), to form a PtP link, is satisfying FCC's high-power requirements for "fixed point-to-point link" radio transmission between point-to-point stations in the UMFUS (Upper Microwave Flexible Use Service).
Licensed Microwave (6GHz – 38GHz) and E-Band (71-76 GHz & 81-86 GHz) radios are being used by many types of Communication Service Providers (CSPs), such as Mobile Operators, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) service providers and ISPs, as a cost-effective optical fiber alternative for reliable multi-gigabit transport applications.
Intracom Telecom's OmniBAS™ and UltraLink™ leading RF performance Point to Point radios can be used to backhaul the 5G-era, ultra-high capacity FWA Base Stations, such as Intracom Telecom’s broadband access WiBAS™ G5 system that can connect homes wat Gigabit speed.
Intracom Telecom currently offers a complete range of Licensed Microwave and E-Band products satisfying various wireless transport and access market use cases. Since 2016, more than 140,000 OmniBAS™ & 40,000 UltraLink™ radio units have been deployed by service providers around the world, providing backhaul connectivity in 4G and 5G Mobile Radio Access Networks (RAN), FWA networks as well as private network high-end transport and access services.
OmniBAS™-BX full-outdoor radios provide symmetrical service of 1 Gbps in 1+0 configuration, and 2 Gbps in 2+0 XPIC configuration, with latency of 0.5 ms. The OmniBAS™ radio performance using Licensed Microwave spectrum, allows setting up links of high availability, providing Carrier-grade service to Community Anchor Institutions (CAI), including schools, libraries, healthcare providers, and public safety entities.
UltraLink™, the market’s leading system gain radio family, can deliver 3/10/40 Gbit/s full duplex of Ethernet throughput farther than any other E-Band radio in the market. Its low transport latency, well below a hundred micro-seconds (0.1 ms), makes UltraLink™ product family the ideal optical fiber alternative for BEAD-compliant network deployments in combination with next-generation licensed FWA systems for Reliable Broadband Service (RBS) delivery.UltraLink™-GX80 PtP links are ideal for providing multi-gigabit/s transport service, as they can be deployed faster and much more cost-effectively than optical fiber cables.
