Page 5 - SAMENA ELITE - June-September 2025

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designed around shared digital goals can fast-track accountability must be built into the user experience.
deployments and lower costs, particularly in remote or Regulators have a role to play in monitoring service
high-need communities. quality and ensuring providers meet reasonable
expectations for speed and reliability. Publishing
Another lever to accelerate FWA lies in promoting local benchmark data and enabling public reporting
participation in the value chain. Governments can facil- mechanisms can help maintain performance standards
itate domestic assembly and distribution of FWA equip- while supporting informed consumer choice. This type of
ment by simplifying customs and certification procedures, regulatory transparency strengthens the market, protects
creating conditions for local industry involvement. Such users, and helps ensure that expanding connectivity does
steps can bring down the cost of devices, enhance supply not come at the cost of quality or credibility.
chain resilience, and generate employment in adjacent
sectors. In parallel, urban planning frameworks should With GITEX 2025 now on the horizon, the region is
evolve to reflect the importance of connectivity infrastruc- presented with a powerful moment to put these priorities
ture. Making new buildings FWA-ready, providing rooftop at the forefront of digital policy conversations. As the
access for antennas, and integrating FWA requirements region’s flagship technology event convenes innovators,
into housing and commercial codes can make network regulators, and industry leaders from across the globe,
expansion more efficient over time, especially as cities it provides the ideal platform to align around actionable
continue to grow. policy shifts, showcase scalable FWA solutions, and
commit to cross-sector collaboration. The momentum
Awareness and adoption are also critical components of building toward GITEX must translate into real policy
any acceleration strategy. In many cases, FWA networks outcomes that remove friction and unlock speed in
have been deployed, but uptake remains limited because deployment.
potential users are unaware of their availability or benefits.
Governments, in collaboration with operators and civil FWA’s potential is real, but unlocking it at scale requires a
society, can help close this gap by running outreach deliberate and coordinated policy and regulatory
programs that target low-income households, micro- approach. It is not enough for the technology to be ready;
enterprises, and first-time internet users. Offering low-cost the ecosystem around it must be ready too. The
starter packages, bundled service options, or community- SA-ME-NA region can position FWA not as a backup plan,
based demonstrations can introduce more people to but as a first-line tool for achieving universal access,
the practical advantages of FWA, which include simple digital inclusion, and infrastructure resilience. In doing so,
installation, competitive pricing, and increasingly reliable it can turn the promise of broadband for all into a reality
performance. in a faster and fairer way, and at a scale that matches the
goals set forth in national transformation agendas around
Finally, for FWA to succeed in the long term, trust and the region and beyond.

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