How does weather affect wireless internet?

You’re laid on the couch with that new series playing and can hear the wind and rain blowing against the window. For a brief second the image pauses and that loading symbol pops up and the thoughts start rolling, does weather affect wifi? Will this rain come between me and the end of this episode?

Of course, your Wi-Fi is not just about watching the latest shows. A reliable internet connection is crucial for everything from running a business to online shopping. Luckily, wireless broadband is not just a fair-weather piece of technology. In general, it will keep you connected to the World Wide Web regardless of what the elements throw your way. But, like with everything, there are a few factors at play.

FIRST, THE BASICS

To answer the question, “Is fixed wireless internet reliable?”, we first need to talk about what it actually is. Today, there are many different forms of internet connectivity out there, from fiber through satellite to today’s topic, fixed wireless internet.

The internet connection you receive at home is a result of a network of towers and antennas spread around your area. This means your internet is coming to you from a tower just a few miles away. Rather than sending data up to satellites and then all the way back down, these towers work through a direct line of sight, allowing them to connect with each other and transmit radio waves near-instantaneously.

This gives improved speed but also means that it is only ever local weather that could have an influence, as the signal has a simple journey from the tower to you. Keeping internet local and connections simple is how you ensure smooth, reliable service.

DOES RAIN AFFECT WIFI?

The short answer is, not particularly. Fixed wireless internet infrastructure has been fine-tuned and designed for reliability and resilience. The towers we use

are low enough to avoid the worst of the weather high up in the storm clouds but high enough to give that crucial line of sight that means the radio waves can travel unimpeded.

There is a phenomenon known as ‘rain fade’ when rain can interfere with the strength of your connection, but this is all down to the specific frequencies of the signal that are being sent out. Contemporary wireless infrastructure, the antenna, and towers are now designed to be effectively impermeable to this.

A WELL-BUILT, RELIABLE CONNECTION

In truth, if the infrastructure that supports your fixed wireless connection has been well-thought-out, installed properly, and is routinely maintained, it will handle anything but the most extreme of weather. A well-designed system means looking at weather patterns in a region, the specific geography of the area, and mapping out how best to distribute the towers, all to deliver a resilient

network of interconnected antennae that keeps that smooth internet connection flowing to you.

This is one of the chief differences in the debate of satellite vs wireless internet: how the physical infrastructure that keeps wi-fi working is solid, logical, and local, without the complications and variables of transmitting data up into the atmosphere and back.

If the different pieces of the puzzle have not been put together correctly, then weather could be an issue. But in the right hands, you’ll receive a high-speed, reliable connection that can deal with whatever the weather pushes its way.