NBN Co has begun to test the feasibility of mmWave for future fixed wireless systems.

The company is investigating the delivery of broadband services in millimetre-wave spectrum as a potential long-term upgrade path for its current fixed wireless footprint.

NBN Co has issued a heavily-redacted regulatory filing (available here in PDF form) saying it is “undertaking trials to validate the feasibility of using the 26GHz and 28GHz band spectrum over very long ranges (approximately 10km)” for the delivery of fixed wireless broadband services.

“Our studies, and those of our technology partners provide high levels of confidence that the long-range use would allow NBN Co to have significant flexibility to maximise our deployment and upgrade options,” it said.

“This long-range approach is enabled by our unique network topology with 100 percent external CPEs [customer premises equipment], and largely line of sight deployment in regional and rural areas.”

The company argued that “any allocation” of mmWave spectrum would improve services for customers and “facilitate competition between all NBN Co’s fixed wireless retail service providers in downstream markets”.