5G FWA: assessing trends, rollout and adoption

This report is available to those subscribed to the Fixed, TV and Convergence module.
FWA networks have been around for more than a decade, with the majority of commercial services using 4G networks. FWA market adoption has so far been slow, but 5G is making it a more competitive solution – by, for example, providing much higher speeds versus 4G FWA.
As of Q1 2022, 74 fixed broadband service providers had launched commercial 5G FWA services across 38 countries. This report looks at the current state of 5G FWA service availability and examines launch trends. It also discusses in-depth the requirements for successful 5G FWA rollout and adoption, and presents cost-saving estimates for using 5G FWA versus FTTP/B in the three most common 5G FWA deployment scenarios for operators.
The analysis provides GSMA Intelligence forecasts for 5G FWA household penetration across a number of markets around the world between 2021 and 2025, and presents a selection of case studies of operator rollouts of 5G FWA.
Related research
Industry Checkpoint: fixed broadband and FWA, Q3 2025
This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on fixed broadband and FWA, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications. The report considers four major developments: increased corporate development activity, such as M&A and strategic investments; more widespread launches of Wi-Fi 7–certified CPE; growing interest in satellite home broadband services; and the increasing availability of AI-powered fibre network deployment solutions from vendors.
Connectivity trends in robotics: 5G and cellular IoT are only just emerging
From a telecoms perspective, robotics was recognised early on as a key future use case during the planning and rollout of 5G around seven years ago. With 5G-Advanced now commercially deployed in early-adopter countries, it is timely to evaluate 5G’s real-world impact on robotics. We also explore how complementary technologies such as edge computing, IoT and eSIM are shaping the connectivity landscape.
The 5G-Advanced era revs up: Asia Pacific and MENA show the highest interest in commercialisation
GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. This edition looks at announced launches and plans for 5G-Advanced networks.
Authors
How to access this report
Annual subscription: Subscribe to our research modules for comprehensive access to more than 200 reports per year.
Enquire about subscriptionContact our research team
Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.
Contact our research teamMedia
To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.
Learn moreRelated research
Industry Checkpoint: fixed broadband and FWA, Q3 2025
This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on fixed broadband and FWA, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications. The report considers four major developments: increased corporate development activity, such as M&A and strategic investments; more widespread launches of Wi-Fi 7–certified CPE; growing interest in satellite home broadband services; and the increasing availability of AI-powered fibre network deployment solutions from vendors.
Connectivity trends in robotics: 5G and cellular IoT are only just emerging
From a telecoms perspective, robotics was recognised early on as a key future use case during the planning and rollout of 5G around seven years ago. With 5G-Advanced now commercially deployed in early-adopter countries, it is timely to evaluate 5G’s real-world impact on robotics. We also explore how complementary technologies such as edge computing, IoT and eSIM are shaping the connectivity landscape.
The 5G-Advanced era revs up: Asia Pacific and MENA show the highest interest in commercialisation
GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. This edition looks at announced launches and plans for 5G-Advanced networks.
- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics