Page 18 - SAMENA ELITE - January-May 2025

ARTICLE
18

OBSERVATIONS BY SAMENA COUNCIL

Cross-Regional Perspectives

on FWA Growth & Challenges

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is showing interest in the enterprise to reach over 50 million locations by
gaining steady ground in the side of the market. Still, the company the end of the decade.
broadband market, driven by sees FWA mostly as a temporary fix,
ongoing improvements in technology especially for customers waiting on Policy and regulation are playing
and growing global demand. Major fiber. In places where laying fiber is a major role in shaping how FWA
telecom operators are treating difficult or expensive, AT&T uses FWA is rolling out. In early 2025, the FCC
it as a serious part of their long- to fill the gap, particularly for users proposed new rules to reauction
term strategies, each approaching still on its old DSL lines. The plan is to parts of the AWS-3 spectrum, with the
it in different ways. T-Mobile, for phase out its copper network by the goal of funding a national security
example, has taken a clear lead in end of 2029 and move those users effort to remove untrusted telecom
the U.S., now serving nearly 60% of either to fiber or to FWA, depending equipment from U.S. networks. This
the country's FWA subscribers. The on what's available in each area. move underscores the ongoing
company added over 428,000 new While FWA is clearly a tool in AT&T’s importance of spectrum allocation
customers in the last quarter of 2024 kit, the company remains focused on for expanding services like FWA.
alone and has raised its long-term expanding its fiber footprint, aiming At the same time, there’s growing
goal to 12 million subscribers by pressure to shift government
2028. That’s a jump from its earlier broadband funding priorities. The
target of 7.5 million by 2025. Despite BEAD program, which has so far
T-Mobile, for example, has
its rapid growth, T-Mobile has hit a leaned heavily toward fiber, is under
taken a clear lead in the
bottleneck—over a million people are review. Lawmakers have introduced
on a waiting list, unable to sign up U.S., now serving nearly the SPEED for BEAD Act, which would
due to network capacity limits. At the 60% of the country's FWA remove that preference and give
same time, its FWA download speeds subscribers. The company more room for alternatives like FWA
have improved by more than 50% and satellite broadband. This could
added over 428,000 new
in just one year, placing it ahead of make a real difference in how and
customers in the last
competition. where operators invest, especially in
quarter of 2024 alone
areas where fiber isn't practical.
AT&T, one of key members of SAMENA and has raised its long-
Council, is taking a more measured term goal to 12 million As an observation, in some markets,
approach. It’s offering FWA through subscribers by 2028. FWA is facing regulatory challenges.
services like Internet Air for Business, In New York, a new law requiring

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