The fibre rush: altnets make a push for further growth

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.

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.