Accelerating 5G FWA Monetization in Europe: Opportunities and Challenges

Why 5G Fixed Wireless Access is critical for Europe's digital transformation

According to Ericsson, in North America and EMEA, 83%+ of service providers are offering some form of fixed wireless access (FWA), and globally 54% of service providers are now offering FWA over 5G.

More surprising still, Ericsson reports that Western Europe accounted for 73% of all new 5G FWA launches globally in the last year and now has the second-highest service provider adoption rate – which rose from 32% to 52%.

Europe leads the way in 5G FWA adoption

GSMA Intelligence – perhaps somewhat optimistically – argues that a much higher proportion of broadband will use FWA in high income countries, with even Western European countries having 10-20% FWA market share by 2030.

But 5G FWA is growing alongside the rollout of 5G across the continent, driven by the demand for faster, lower latency connectivity – particularly in France, Germany and the UK. Increased digitization and the adoption of AI and IoT is also boosting the demand for higher speed access by business customers, but both businesses and consumers are still often plagued by slow and unreliable broadband connections. Some in remote, rural areas may not even be able to get broadband due to the lack of infrastructure.

• Global adoption rate: 54% of providers offer FWA over 5G.

• EMEA and North America: Over 83% provide some form of FWA.

• Market potential: GSMA predicts 10–20% FWA broadband share in high-income European countries by 2030.

Bridging the digital divide with Fixed Wireless Access

5G FWA’s ability to offer multi-gigabit speeds has seen it emerge as a viable alternative to fixed broadband infrastructure to bridge the digital divide – whether as an interim measure until operators can extend their infrastructure, a back-up or adjunct, or a permanent solution.

EOLO and Nokia Connect Italy connecting underserved communities

In Italy, for example, EOLO collaborated with Nokia to deliver Europe’s first 5G standalone mmWave network in late 2024, which was specifically designed to meet EOLO’s goal of connecting underserved communities and bridging the digital divide where fixed broadband infrastructure is too expensive to roll out.

Supporting the shift to remote and flexible work

Another key driver has been the shift to remote working and telecommuting in Europe. While the number of fully remote roles has dropped in Europe post-COVID, in many Northern European countries (such as the Netherlands, Ireland, Finland and Germany) more flexible working arrangements are permitted for all jobs that will allow it. This is not yet the case in Southern European countries such as Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Portugal and Italy, which are often far less flexible in terms of letting staff work from home.

5G FWA supports the move to flexible working by meeting the demand for reliable, fast broadband services outside traditional business districts. It also acts as a vital back-up – just in case there’s a problem with the fibre connection when you’re working at home, or to provide a dedicated business connection when the kids are home from school and streaming A Minecraft Movie.

Unlocking strategic business value with 5G FWA

Beyond its use in B2C scenarios, 5G FWA is also being used strategically in B2B applications – to support the ‘smartification’ of key industries that are more suited to a mobile solution (such as agriculture and logistics), and in the provision of private 5G networks tailored to the specific needs of particular businesses.

Key Benefits of 5G FWA in Europe

Consumer benefits:

• High-speed connectivity (multi-gigabit speeds).

• Rapid deployment compared to traditional broadband.

• Reliable alternative for underserved or rural communities.

Business benefits:

• Supports remote and hybrid work models.

• Reliable backup connectivity solution.

• Enables private, dedicated 5G networks for enterprise-specific use cases such as smart farming, IoT devices, logistics and industrial needs.

Quality of Support is key to 5G FWA monetization

If you're considering launching or expanding your 5G FWA offerings, exceptional customer support is vital. Subtonomy provides telecom-specialized solutions designed to streamline onboarding, rapidly resolve technical issues, and ensure your customers enjoy reliable, high-quality connectivity.