5G-enabled FWA CPE shipments form majority in 4 out of 7 global regions

The fixed wireless access (FWA) market has become one of the most interesting and potentially lucrative sectors in the mobile industry and the annual study by the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) has confirmed the momentum and scale of 5G in the sector, with increased adoption and uptake of 5G FWA across all continents, enabling operators to unlock new broadband service opportunities.

The results revealed that FWA customer premises equipment (CPE) suppliers expect shipments to accelerate, growing 26% in 2025 to reach 35.3 million units. Reported 2024 total CPE shipments were 28 million, a 22% increase compared to 2023. Globally, 5G FWA is increasingly the norm with, for the first time, over half the world – four out of seven regions – reporting that over 50% of FWA CPE shipments in 2024 were 5G-enabled.

This marked a significant change since the similar survey in 2024 where only the US and India reported 5G-enabled FWA CPE shipments of over 50%. Currently, 5G is also in the majority in China and the rest of Asia-Pacific (RoAPAC), with North America and India now reporting share of 5G CPE shipments at 93% and 92% respectively. The Asia-Pacific region accounted for 35% of 5G CPE 2024 shipments, followed by the Middle East and Africa region at 30%. 

5G-enabled FWA shipments are now established as the mainstream globally, reaching 16.8 million in 2024. The study predicted that growth will continue, with consolidated shipments of the representative cross-section of FWA CPE suppliers surveyed expected to grow to 20.1 million in 2025, a 19% increase – accounting for 57% of 2025 shipments and compared with 60% in 2024. On top of the continuous wider adoption of 5G FWA by operators globally, the GSA expects several market developments will also contribute to this growth.

FWA supporting 5G standalone (SA) adoption stood at 95% of 5G CPE shipments in 2024. 5G SA-enabled CPE shipments are expected to grow 11% to 17.7 million in 2025, compared with 16 million in 2024.

In another key example, mmWave-capable 5G CPE shipments are expected to grow to over one million in the same period – representing 47% year-on-year growth – while the survey also reveals 41% of suppliers expect to introduce a 5G RedCap-capable FWA product in 2025.

The majority of FWA CPE shipments in 2024 were integrated indoor CPE (54%), followed by battery-operated hotspots (33%) and outdoor CPE (13%), while 58% of the outdoor CPE were flexible self-install indoor/outdoor CPEs.

Commenting on the study results, John Yazlle, vice-chairman of the GSA 4G-5G FWA Forum, said the trends displayed were not only encouraging news for the health of the FWA supplier ecosystem but, with more spectrum becoming available and the evolution of 5G networks to 5G-Advanced on the horizon, also clear evidence that the partnership between FWA CPE suppliers was working.

“Today, the majority of vendors believe that the main benefit of AI [artificial intelligence] capabilities for 5G FWA CPE lies in improved 5G connectivity performance and experience,” he said.

“Millimetre-wave is proving its value across a range of broadband use cases, from dense residential areas, targeted enterprise deployments to closing digital divide in rural areas, and 5G RedCap is emerging as a viable complementary option for FWA in markets transitioning away from LTE. Operators can continue to drive global growth through innovation.”

Data for the GSA 4G-5G Fixed Wireless Access Forum survey was collected between April and July 2025. Participants in the survey included: Asiatelco Technologies Co, Askey, AVM, BEC Technologies, Da Ta Technologies, Gemtek, GreenPacket, Huawei, Jaton Technology, MeiG Smart Technology, Nokia, Shenzhen Jointelli, SMAWave, Tozed Kangwei, Vantiva, WNC and YaoJin Technology.