Sunrise plugs FWA in Swiss 5G launch

Swiss telco Sunrise has jumped on the 5G bandwagon with the launch of a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) offering aiming to bridge the digital divide.

Like the UK, Switzerland is one of the more sluggish European nations when it comes to fibre penetration. According to the latest statistics from the Fibre to the Home Council, Switzerland currently has FTTH penetration rate of 7.8% across the country, potentially creating a digital divide. This offering from Sunrise is using such a chasm to promote its FWA offering.

“In the digital age, residential and business customers alike need fast Internet with speeds of up to 1 Gbps,” said Olaf Swantee, CEO of Sunrise. “But in many places, customers are waiting in vain due to a lack of fiber optic connections.

“With 5G for People we are filling this gap, e.g. in Unterkulm (AG), where the first Sunrise 5G pioneer switched on his Sunrise Internet Box 5G and can now use ‘fibre through the air’, which is ten times faster than fixed networks. 5G for People is closing the digital divide in Switzerland and making Switzerland Europe’s pioneer in digital infrastructures.”

The initial launch will focus on 150 cities, towns and villages across the country, with each location aiming for between 80% and 98% population coverage, the aim will be to provide an alternative to fixed broadband services, some of which will be considered sub-standards by the demanding consumer of today.

Interestingly enough, the claims themselves demonstrate the difference in attitude between advertising authorities in the UK and Switzerland.

Using a statement such as ‘fibre through the air’ and comparing the 5G service to copper fixed networks not fibre, might irk some advertising authorities. Although it is not a direct lie, it is not telling the entire truth of the situation. Some might suggest this is misleading the customer through omission of information. We suspect the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK would have an issue with some of these claims.

Sunrise is on the charge through the Swiss alps, with its latest acquisition of Liberty Global’s assets adding momentum. First to market does not necessarily mean much in the long-run, but it is good ammunition to add to the armoury.