Fixed on sustainability: broadband providers adopt a diverse approach

For the last three years, GSMA Intelligence has run a benchmarking study to analyse progress on the ESG Metrics for Mobile. With 23 mobile operators participating in the latest assessment, the report highlights industry-wide progress and offers data-driven insights into the evolving landscape of ESG reporting in the mobile sector. The 2025 study highlights improvements in reporting and performance across several areas, including GHG emissions and energy consumption. But there remains work to be done elsewhere as gaps persists in metrics related to circularity, digital skills and supply chain assessments.

While telecoms networks, data centres and devices have their own carbon footprints, their systemic value lies in the ability to make energy-intensive sectors more efficient, more electrified and better optimised. This report looks beyond headline efficiency gains to capture the net impact of ICT. It assesses the net ICT enablement effect across five major emitting sectors: manufacturing, transportation, energy & power, buildings and agriculture.

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: operators starting to bundle AI with fixed broadband services; a new wave of services and innovation emerging in 5G FWA; mobile evolving from an add-on service to a strategic priority among major US cable operators; and new contract schemes emerging in some developed markets, offering customers long-term fixed pricing.