The new 5G router available from Vodacom – Nokia FastMile 5G

Vodacom recently launched its 5G mobile network in South Africa, offering fixed-wireless 5G packages which include a 5G Wi-Fi router from Nokia.
This router is called the Nokia FastMile 5G Gateway and offers high-speed 5G connectivity paired with low-latency, high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity for end-user devices.
Vodacom’s 24-month 5G packages that include the Nokia FastMile 5G Gateway are R300 cheaper than the same packages paired with a Huawei 5G CPE Pro.
This price difference may be due to the Huawei router supporting newer technologies such as Wi-Fi 6, as well as the inclusion of Huawei’s Balong 5000 5G chipset.
The Nokia FastMile 5G Gateway is an indoor 5G router which uses an array of 5G antennas to deliver gigabit-speed home Wi-Fi connections through dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
This means that customers can connect their devices to the FastMile 5G Gateway using 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi bands.
Nokia states that its FastMile 5G Gateway uses the industry’s highest-gain (11 dBi) antenna to deliver improved indoor coverage, downlink capacity, and uplink capacity compared to traditional designs.
The router is also compatible with other Nokia products, such as Nokia Wi-Fi Beacons, which can be added to set up a Wi-Fi mesh network in your home.
In terms of mobile connectivity, includes support for the 3.5GHz 5G NR interface band, as well as the FDD 2.1GHz, 1.8GHz, 2.6GHz, 700MHz, and 800MHz bands with extensive carrier aggregation.
The router’s cellular component features a 4×4 multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) setup for downlink and 1×1 single-input, single-output (SISO) configuration for uplink.
When it comes to connecting Wi-Fi devices, Nokia said that it has leveraged its extensive antenna design experience to deliver the highest possible speed to users.
“Nokia FastMile Gateways use a unique indoor antenna configuration that connects your home at the highest possible speed for lag-free gaming and video streaming,” Nokia said.
Hardware and setup
The Nokia FastMile 5G Gateway includes a standard nano-SIM slot for connecting to a mobile network.
In addition to dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, the Nokia FastMile 5G Gateway sports three RJ45 GigE LAN ports, which support speeds of up to 1Gbps.
There is also a single USB 3.0 Type-A USB port on the router, which allows you to connect storage devices for network access.
Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) is also supported, with Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), including WPA Pre-Shared Key (PSK) and WPA2.
Specifications for the Nokia FastMile 5G Gateway are shown below.
Nokia 5G FastMile Gateway
Nokia Fastmile 5G Gateway | |
---|---|
Cellular | 5G NR, 4G LTE |
Wi-Fi | Dual-band 802.11ac – 3×3 2.4GHz, 4×4 5GHz |
Radio | 4×4 MIMO Downlink, 1×1 SISO Uplink, FDD Bands: 2,100MHz, 1,800MHz, 2,600MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz TDD Bands: 2,300MHz, 2,600MHz, 2,500MHz |
Ports | 1x GigE WAN, 3x RJ45 GigE LAN, 1x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x nano-SIM slot |
Security | WPA with PSK and WPA2 support |
Buttons | Power on/off, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), Reset |
Dimensions | 240 x 140 mm (2.2kg) |