EMR June 2025 highlights growing monetization appeal of 5G fixed wireless access

Core Insights - Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is increasingly appealing to communications service providers (CSPs) globally, particularly with the introduction of 5G capabilities enhancing speed-based tariff plans [1][2] - Over 80% of global CSPs currently offer FWA services, with the fastest growth seen in those providing 5G-enabled speed-based plans [2][3] - The June 2025 Ericsson Mobility Report indicates that 51% of CSPs with FWA offerings now include speed-based options, up from 40% in June 2024, driven by high adoption in North America and growth in Europe and the Middle East [3] FWA Market Projections - FWA is expected to account for over 35% of new fixed broadband connections, with projections of reaching 350 million connections by the end of 2030 [4] - The report forecasts that global 5G subscriptions will exceed 2.9 billion by the end of 2025, representing about one-third of all mobile subscriptions, with a long-term forecast of 6.3 billion by 2030 [5] Mobile Data Traffic Trends - Mobile network data traffic increased by 19% from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025, with expectations that mobile data traffic will more than double by the end of 2030 [6] - By the end of 2024, 5G networks handled 35% of global mobile traffic, with forecasts suggesting this will rise to over 80% by 2030 [6] Regional Coverage Insights - By the end of 2024, 5G mid-band coverage in Europe reached over 50%, while North America and India led with over 90% and 95% coverage, respectively [7] Monetization Opportunities - The report highlights CSPs pursuing new commercial opportunities through differentiated connectivity services, including use cases in various sectors such as gaming, virtual private networks, and fixed wireless access [9] - 5G Standalone (5G SA) and 5G Advanced are seen as key enablers for CSPs to create monetization opportunities based on value delivery rather than data volume [8][11]