This involves securing roof rights and installing antennas, radios and interface equipment. The carriers usually target buildings that do not have fiber available. The carrier can then market high-speed connections to tenants of the building. To the customer, the service is indistinguishable from a wireline service. All he or she sees is a jack in the wall.
Different carriers emphasize different services.
One approach is to offer basic telephony services to end users, bypassing the local exchange carrier. Another approach is to offer Internet access and associated services, such as Web hosting and mailboxes. Another approach is to sell connectivity to existing LECs, CLECs, IXCs, long distance service providers and ISPs, essentially being a carrier's carrier. Although service is available on a limited basis in dozens of cities in the United States, this market area is so new that no dominant business model has emerged. LMDS, another type of wireless-broadband system, has recently received tremendous press attention, and for good reason.