In just five short years, the volume of mobile traffic attributed to Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) connections is expected to outstrip the volume of mobile network traffic across the entire globe today. Already, more than 80% of Communications Services Providers (CSPs) are offering FWA in some form, and more than 50% are leveraging 5G as part of their FWA offerings.
As demand for high-speed connectivity increases in every corner of the globe, those numbers are expected to grow — pushing CSPs, hardware manufacturers, and end users to adopt 5G FWA as a go-to solution.
In this blog, we’ll explore the key factors underlying the surge in 5G FWA adoption, examine the regions and scenarios where this technology is being deployed, and showcase the cutting-edge solutions being used in 5G ecosystems worldwide.
5G FWA Demand Across the Globe
There are several reasons why fixed wireless access, and particularly 5G FWA, are gaining traction so quickly. Possibly the most important is the fact that 5G FWA allows both private users and businesses to rapidly access fast, reliable broadband connectivity without the costs and delay of installing fiber infrastructure.
That makes it easy to scale and deploy 5G FWA solutions, and allows users in remote, underserved, and rural areas to access the same connectivity as individuals and businesses in fiber-rich areas.
The highest rate of 5G FWA adoption is seen in North America, with 80% of service providers offering the tech. There’s also growing demand in regions like Africa and India, where FWA is the perfect solution for providing access and connectivity to millions of end users. As of 2024, that demand means that more than 80% of service providers are offering FWA in the MEA region (with 43% offering 5G FWA). Meanwhile in India, more than 36 million new 5G FWA connections are expected to roll out by 2028.
Streamlining the 5G experience
To meet this rising demand for connectivity, a variety of new technologies are enhancing and expanding the 5G FWA experience. For instance, the boost in performance and capacity brought by 5G Advanced, combined with the cost efficiency of solutions like 5G RedCap (Reduced Capability), are making high-speed FWA a viable option in nearly any setting.
A growing selection of FWA 5G-enabled devices, including Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) and Outdoor Units (ODU) like antennas and routers, also contributes to the ease of delivering 5G FWA services to end users. Others, such as mobile hotspot devices and USB dongles, provide “plug and play” connectivity to users in any context, keeping them connected with high-speed, reliable internet access during remote work and travel.
Meanwhile at the more advanced end of the spectrum, newer technologies like AI-enhanced FWA solutions, mmWave, Wi-Fi 6 and 7, and interoperability protocols like Matter, are adding to the value proposition and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for wireless access points and networks. The result is a robust and dynamic ecosystem — one that is already driving advancements in smart city infrastructure, immersive augmented and virtual reality experiences, and ultra-reliable connectivity across a wide range of commercial, private, and public settings.
From Smarter Homes to Smarter Factories
The diverse ecosystem of technologies and capabilities discussed above makes it possible to meet almost any need with a 5G FWA deployment. This is why the technology is quickly becoming a go-to solution across a wide range of contexts and applications.
For example, 5G FWA is rapidly becoming a staple in the smart home market. Using this tech, homeowners can manage everything from their climate control settings to lighting, access control cameras, appliances, and entertainment systems. The introduction of Matter has accelerated this trend, making it easy to ensure devices and systems from different manufacturers are completely interoperable.
The benefits of this tech haven’t escaped business users either. As part of enterprise-level systems, 5G FWA supports companies in their adoption of cloud-based applications, virtual workspaces, and IoT systems. In these contexts, 5G FWA ensures high-speed, low-latency connectivity, regardless of where companies are based. So, whether it’s a single corporate office or an entire campus, solutions like ODU systems combined with Wi-Fi 6 or 7 devices ensure uninterrupted high-capacity wireless for all users, making real-time collaboration a reality for even the most distributed teams.
In large-scale industrial settings, 5G FWA tackles even more challenging tasks. On the factory floor, wireless systems need to be able to support ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) between sensors, robotics, and automated systems. Because industrial systems work with reaction times in the order of milliseconds, data transmission must be near-instantaneous —empowering management systems and supervisors to respond to real-time changes in efficiency, cut maintenance and error costs, and prevent downtime on the production line.
Similar gains are being seen in logistics operations and at temporary worksites, where mobile5G FWA devices offer new possibilities for coordinating efforts and improving efficiency, even in the most remote or dispersed locations.
The Fibocom 5G FWA Future
As a leading global provider of wireless solutions and module products provider, Fibocom is proud to be a part of the 5G FWA future. Our extensive range of 5G Sub-6GHz, mmWave, RedCap, and 5G advanced modules includes options that can be used in any scenario — from the high bandwidth, low latency demands of the high-tech factory floor to the seamless in-home communications needed in smart devices and CPE.
Our dedicated 5G FWA solutions include:
· 5G + Wi-Fi 7: Offering ultra-high bandwidth, low latency and boosted data capacity, this solution is ideal for smart homes, businesses, and industrial monitoring. With the added benefit of Multi-Link Operation (MLO), it ensures simultaneous data transmission across multiple frequency bands to support seamless, high-speed connectivity for all users, even in demanding environments.
· Matter solution: Inpartnership with STMicroelectronics, Fibocom has developed an industry-leading smart home Matter solution — for simpler, centralized management of smart home devices ranging from speakers and lightbulbs to switches, tablets, and entertainment systems.
· 5G AI FWA Solution: Meanwhile, our dedicatedAI FWA solution moves AI to the edge, allowing CPE devices to respond to user requests made either by text or voice command. This allows users to effortlessly control linked CPE systems while simultaneously leveraging the power of AI to optimize network efficiency.
· 5G RedCap FWA: Finally, Fibocom’s 5G RedCap FWA solution provides affordable and reliable connectivity while simultaneously prioritizing power efficiency — making this module perfectly suited to the migration from 4G to 5G.
These examples, however, are just the beginning. As 5G FWA continues to bridge the gap between cutting-edge connectivity and everyday use, Fibocom will continue to work towards a future where seamless, intelligent communication is the norm. And where users in any context, and any part of the world, can be assured of a flawless wireless experience with 5G fixed wireless access.
