Is 5G FWA really disrupting the fixed broadband market?

Author: Cesar Bachelet, Lead Analyst - Fixed, TV & Convergence

More than 150 operators in 76 countries had launched commercial 5G FWA services as of March 2025, up from 124 operators in 62 countries two years previously (March 2023). That’s good progress, but is 5G FWA really disrupting the fixed broadband market? 

The answer is: “yes” in some countries, “less so” in others. There are many factors to consider such as market penetration, competition, availability of fibre infrastructure, and the status of 5G rollouts. Also, operators are taking different approaches in terms of commercial strategies for 5G FWA. 

Here I wanted to highlight five interesting findings from our research. 

1. Nearly half of the operators that have launched mobile 5G services have also launched 5G FWA services. That seems a reasonable strategy, as 5G FWA provides an additional revenue stream for operators seeking to monetise their investments in 5G spectrum and infrastructure.
2. 5G FWA gives “mobile-only” or “mobile-mostly” operators a foothold in the fixed broadband market. A primary example is T-Mobile, which grew its market share from 0.53% to 5.01% in the three years to December 2024 thanks to 5G FWA, becoming the fifth largest provider of fixed broadband in the USA.
3. 5G FWA adoption will be significant in various markets by 2030. We forecast that 6 markets will achieve a 5G FWA household penetration higher than 15% by 2030: Austria, Bahrain, Czechia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the USA.
4. Some of this 5G FWA customer growth can be attributed to ‘poaching’ existing subscribers from other providers. With speeds more comparable to traditional ‘wired’ broadband technologies (e.g. cable and fibre), 5G FWA can be positioned as a substitute for these connections, gaining subscribers through attractive pricing (e. g. value for money propositions), more flexible contract terms, and simplicity of installation. In the USA in particular, there are early signs of the emergence of ‘cord-cutting 2.0’. Following on from abandoning traditional pay TV (cord-cutting 1.0), in this second wave of cord-cutting some consumers are also reassessing their fixed broadband, with some migrating to 5G FWA from ‘wired’ alternatives in a quest for better value for money and/or better customer service (or for other reasons).
5. But 5G FWA is also growing the fixed broadband market. 5G FWA is not just cannibalising ‘wired’ broadband, it is also attracting first-time fixed broadband subscribers, whilst also driving demand for additional fixed broadband connections. It is therefore growing the overall fixed broadband market by catering for use cases poorly served by traditional fixed broadband networks, such as:

• Unserved or underserved areas where deploying wired broadband infrastructure is not commercially viable (or less viable than deploying 5G FWA).

• Provision of temporary or short-term connectivity, including:

  • For construction sites, festivals, or pop-up shops.

  • For second / holiday homes, or student accommodations.

  • As a back-up connectivity to boost the primary connection or replace it in case of failure.

What next?  Find out more about the latest trends for 5G FWA and future developments in our upcoming webinar, which will take place on Thursday 10th July at 10:30 AM UK time. My colleague Sahil Itkan and I will cover the following:

• 5G FWA rollouts across key regions
• How operators are using 5G FWA to enter the fixed broadband market or to protect their market shares
• Commercial models, pricing strategies, and bundling tactics
• Outlook on 5G FWA’s long-term adoption in both emerging and mature fixed broadband markets
• Implications for ecosystem players: how to capture the opportunity.

Please register here before it is too late!

For an in-depth look at 5G FWA, you can also read our recently published report (which includes operator case studies) as well as the accompanying forecasts.