Rural broadband: getting up to speed

Amazon has agreed to acquire Globalstar in a deal valued at approximately $11.6 billion. It has indicated that it expects the deal to close in 2027, subject to regulatory clearance. This would pave the way for Amazon’s own direct-to-device satellite service launching in 2028. The deal will firmly place Amazon as the main competitor of Starlink in the burgeoning D2D space. But it also has ramifications for other satellite companies and telecoms operators.

Fixed markets continue to evolve around the world, with technology investments, competition, M&A and shifting consumer behaviour being major drivers. This quarterly series outlines the latest market developments and the key trends to watch, charting the period to 2030. The report also provides comprehensive cross-country comparisons at your fingertips, allowing you to identify which markets or technologies will grow the most.

This report examines the major shifts reshaping fixed broadband, combining market analysis with a detailed review of operator propositions across eight countries. Growth dynamics are evolving, with mature markets approaching saturation and customer loyalty becoming harder to secure. Fibre continues to consolidate its position as the most important access technology, driven by ongoing migration from legacy networks and widening coverage through greenfield deployments. 5G FWA is also gaining traction, particularly where fixed deployment is constrained or too costly, and is increasingly being used for temporary, secondary or back-up connectivity.