FWA Infrastructure and CPE Spending to Stay Above $10 Billion Annually Through 2029
Key Highlights
- Mobile operators are aggressively scaling FWA services to capture customers migrating away from legacy DSL and cable broadband.
- Rising competition from LEO satellite providers such as Starlink, Amazon, and OneWeb is accelerating operator investment in FWA.
- 5G Sub-6GHz and mmWave technologies will dominate residential CPE shipments, reinforcing 5G’s role in next-generation broadband access.
According to a newly released report from Dell’Oro Group, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) continues its strong momentum as a viable connectivity solution for both residential and enterprise users. Growth is being fueled by rapid deployment capabilities and the expanding availability of 4G LTE and 5G Sub-6GHz networks worldwide.
Preliminary findings indicate that total FWA revenues—including RAN infrastructure, residential customer premises equipment (CPE), and enterprise routers and gateways—remain on pace to grow by 10% in 2025. This growth reflects mobile operators’ ongoing efforts to broaden FWA service availability across additional markets, targeting customers dissatisfied with traditional DSL and cable broadband offerings.
"In the U.S., we continue to see the largest mobile operators expand their availability of FWA services in both existing and new markets, especially as FWA service revenue has boosted overall earnings," said Jeff Heynen, VP, Dell'Oro Group.
"Mobile operators in India, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East are taking a page from the U.S. operators' book and are quickly expanding their own FWA offerings, especially with the imminent threat of Starlink, Amazon, OneWeb, and other LEO satellite broadband providers," added Heynen.
Additional highlights from the Fixed Wireless Access Infrastructure and CPE Advanced Research Report include:
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Total FWA subscriptions across residential, SMB, and large enterprise segments are expected to grow steadily, surpassing 191 million by 2029.
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5G Sub-6GHz and mmWave technologies will account for the majority of global residential CPE shipments.
About the Report
The Dell’Oro Group Fixed Wireless Access Infrastructure and CPE Report provides five-year market forecasts for FWA CPE—both residential and enterprise—as well as RAN infrastructure. Forecasts are segmented by technology, including 802.11/Other, 4G LTE, CBRS, 5G Sub-6GHz, 5G mmWave, and 60GHz technologies. The report also includes regional forecasts for FWA subscriptions, including for both residential and enterprise markets, with the enterprise subscriptions segmented by SMB and Large Enterprise.
Source: Dell'Oro Group
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