Operators saw increasing demand for their fixed wireless access (FWA) deployments in the last year, becoming a bright spot in their efforts to begin monetizing their 5G spectrum. The number of FWA service providers offering speed-based tariff plans rose from 30 percent to 43 percent, from 2023 to 2024, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report. In four out of six regions globally, 83 percent or more service providers are now offering some form of FWA. And more than half (131) of FWA providers provide the service over 5G.
The total global market is estimated to grow from more than $30 billion to hundreds of billions in the next decade, according to multiple analysts.
The advanced capabilities of 5G have become the foundation for the success of FWA, according to Ericsson’s Mobility Report, complementing fixed broadband with diverse use cases, expanding the options for homes and enterprises.
“The introduction of 5G standalone (SA) further transforms the FWA scenario, emphasizing efficiency, performance and differentiation,” Ericsson wrote. “Network slicing, quality of service and intelligent traffic management capabilities will enable next-generation monetization and business opportunities such as speed-based and premium tiered offerings.”
Standalone 5G Networks also on the Upside
The number of SA 5G networks also accelerated during the year, saying goodbye to their 4G LTE cores. As of September, 57 operators had launched 5G SA networks while 88 had announced plans to launch, according to GSMA. Currently, a total of 145 5G network operators have gone standalone across 63 countries. The deployment of 5G SA is essential for the provision of industrial IoT, network slicing, gaming, AR/VR and enhanced mobile broadband, according to Cradlepoint. There are still challenges in terms of deployment cost, available devices and spectrum, however.
