- Inseego introduced its Wavemaker FX4200 router, targeting both carriers and indirect channels
- The FX4200 is designed to bridge the gap between low-end FWA routers and high-end systems
- According to Inseego, it’s the first router with dual-SIM dual-standby (DSDS) support that lets users test and switch between major carrier networks
Inseego is taking a new approach in its go-to-market strategy with the launch of its Inseego Wavemaker FX4200 router.
Unlike Inseego’s previous emphasis on direct carrier sales, the company is expanding its reach to include the indirect channel – value added resellers, systems integrators and service providers that are not Tier 1s. That includes ISPs, WISPs, cable companies and more.
This direction is part of Inseego’s efforts to grow its business under new CEO Juho Sarvikas, who took over in January. One of his stated objectives is to seize new business opportunities for fixed wireless access (FWA). Sarvikas previously ran Qualcomm North America.
“It's really important for us to focus beyond just the carrier route to market,” Inseego Chief Marketing Officer Donna Johnson told Fierce.
That’s why the company has been busy developing its indirect channel.
Basically, the FX4200 router, unveiled today, is for companies that need a cellular-capable FWA device to go along with whatever else they’re offering, according to Inseego’s SVP of Business Development Zach Kowalski.
Oftentimes, enterprises are offered bare bones, low-end white label devices that are designed with a specific carrier in mind. From there, the offerings jump to the high end, where the device footprint is large, the installation is complex and the price is high.
Inseego is aiming for the middle of those two extremes. “It’s really trying to bridge that gap,” Kowalski said.
Built on the Qualcomm Dragonwing FWA Gen 3 platform, the FX4200 includes Wi-Fi 7 for up to 256 connections; 5G functionality with dual-SIM failover and network slicing; 5G standalone and 5G non-standalone support; integrated battery backup; and cloud management via Inseego Connect. The MSRP is $899 and it’s certified to work on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon networks.
The multi-carrier support is key. According to Inseego, the FX4200 is the first FWA router on the market with dual SIM and dual standby capabilities, or DSDS. That’s existed in many smartphone models for years now, but this is the first time DSDS is being launched on a FWA router, Kowalski said.
Without doing extensive site surveys, most people don’t know which carrier is better in a given location until they use it. “Some might have a loyalty to one carrier or the other, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the best carrier,” he said. “So we’ve automated a lot of that in the initial installation.”
That means if a business is connected to Verizon and they want to check the coverage on AT&T without dropping their Verizon connection, DSDS technology enables them to do that and then they can go with whichever carrier provides the best connection.
That becomes very helpful in situations where, for example, the location of the router is temporary, like construction trailers that move around a lot. If it’s a big facility – say a restaurant or office – that wants to test the available networks, the FX4200’s integrated battery allows a customer to walk around and do speed tests as they’re moving.
These details may sound minor, but they add up to sizable differences in the field.
“Having a battery on the device means that if I want to test it in multiple locations within a building, I don’t have to unplug it and plug it back in. As silly as that sounds, the unplugging and plugging back in takes a good five, six minutes for these types of devices to boot up,” he said. “If I have to plug in a device three or four times, I’m talking 20 to 30 minutes of time just waiting. With the FX4200 integrated battery, I can test where I want it.”