- A
DSL
Why wrong: DSL requires a phone line, which may not be available or reliable in rural areas.
- B
Cable broadband
Why wrong: Cable requires coaxial infrastructure, often unavailable in rural areas.
- C
Fixed wireless
Fixed wireless uses a dedicated antenna for a stable connection, better than a mobile hotspot.
- D
Satellite
Why wrong: Satellite has high latency and can be affected by weather, less stable than fixed wireless.
Question 878 of 1,020
Fixed Wireless Access: Stable Internet for Rural Areas
This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of internet connection types. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A client in a rural area has a cellular hotspot for internet but experiences frequent slowdowns. They want a more stable option that does not rely on wired infrastructure. Which technology should a technician recommend?
Quick Answer
The answer is fixed wireless access (FWA), as it provides a stable internet alternative for rural areas without relying on wired infrastructure. Unlike a cellular hotspot, which shares bandwidth with mobile users and suffers from congestion, FWA uses a dedicated directional antenna aimed at a nearby tower, delivering consistent throughput and lower latency. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this scenario tests your ability to differentiate last-mile technologies: satellite introduces high latency, DSL requires phone lines, and cable needs coaxial—all of which are often unavailable or impractical in remote locations. A common trap is choosing satellite due to its wireless nature, but remember that FWA’s line-of-sight connection offers the stability the client needs. Memory tip: “Fixed is focused” — a fixed antenna locks onto one tower, while a mobile hotspot wanders and wobbles.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Fixed wireless
Fixed wireless (C) is the correct recommendation because it provides a stable, high-speed internet connection using radio waves between a fixed antenna on the client's premises and a nearby tower, without requiring any wired infrastructure. This technology is ideal for rural areas where DSL and cable are unavailable, and it offers lower latency and more consistent performance than satellite, which suffers from high latency due to geostationary orbit distances (approximately 600 ms round-trip time).
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DSL
Why it's wrong here
DSL requires a phone line, which may not be available or reliable in rural areas.
- ✗
Cable broadband
Why it's wrong here
Cable requires coaxial infrastructure, often unavailable in rural areas.
- ✓
Fixed wireless
Why this is correct
Fixed wireless uses a dedicated antenna for a stable connection, better than a mobile hotspot.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Satellite
Why it's wrong here
Satellite has high latency and can be affected by weather, less stable than fixed wireless.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse satellite with fixed wireless because both are 'wireless' and suitable for rural areas, but they overlook the critical difference in latency and stability—satellite's high latency makes it unsuitable for real-time applications like video conferencing or online gaming, which the client's 'frequent slowdowns' hint at.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Fixed wireless typically operates in licensed or unlicensed frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 3.5 GHz CBRS) using point-to-point or point-to-multipoint links with directional antennas. The technology can achieve speeds comparable to wired broadband (e.g., 25–100 Mbps) with latency under 30 ms, as long as there is a clear line of sight to the base station. In real-world rural deployments, fixed wireless providers often use technologies like LTE or 5G NR in fixed-wireless-access (FWA) mode, which can dynamically allocate bandwidth and prioritize traffic to maintain stability.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 220-1201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1201 question test?
Internet Connection Types — This question tests Internet Connection Types — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Fixed wireless — Fixed wireless (C) is the correct recommendation because it provides a stable, high-speed internet connection using radio waves between a fixed antenna on the client's premises and a nearby tower, without requiring any wired infrastructure. This technology is ideal for rural areas where DSL and cable are unavailable, and it offers lower latency and more consistent performance than satellite, which suffers from high latency due to geostationary orbit distances (approximately 600 ms round-trip time).
What should I do if I get this 220-1201 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on 220-1201
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is deploying a new branch office in a location where no wired internet is available. They need a reliable connection with moderate speed and low latency for VoIP and video conferencing. Which technology should they consider?
hard- A.Satellite internet
- ✓ B.Fixed wireless (e.g., point-to-point microwave)
- C.Cellular 4G/5G hotspot
- D.Dial-up
Why B: Fixed wireless (point-to-point microwave) provides a dedicated, low-latency link ideal for real-time applications like VoIP and video conferencing. Unlike satellite, it avoids the high latency (500-800 ms) caused by geostationary orbits, and unlike cellular, it offers consistent bandwidth without contention from other users in the area.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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