The GSA 4G/5G Fixed Wireless Access Forum released the findings of its annual Fixed Wireless Access CPE market survey, revealing that shipments of FWA CPE are expected to grow 23 percent to reach 37.5 million units in 2024. Growth of 5G-enabled FWA CPE shipments means they are expected to account for 42 percent of shipments in 2024 compared with 34 percent in 2023. By comparison, 4G FWA CPE shipments fell 5 percent between 2022 and 2023. Fewer than half of respondents will introduce a new 4G CPE product this year.

“This year’s Fixed Wireless Access CPE market survey proves beyond doubt that 5G FWA has hit the mainstream,” said John Yazlle, vice-chairman of the GSA 4G/5G FWA Forum. “Not only has the growth in vendor shipments swung firmly behind 5G-enabled CPE devices, but operators are turning to FWA as the key driver for monetizing their 5G network investments. , We see operators and vendors continue to work hand-in-hand on new innovations such as 5G standalone, Redcap, mmWave and flexible self-install outdoor CPEs that will support the growth acceleration of 5G fixed wireless access services globally.”

Key findings of the 2024 GSA Fixed Wireless Access CPE Market Survey include:

  • In 2024, shipments of FWA CPE are expected to grow 23 percent to reach 37.5 million units. Reported total CPE shipments in 2023 amounted to 30.4 million from 30 respondents, a 2 percent increase from 2022.
  • 5G-enabled FWA shipments became mainstream, reaching 10.2 million in 2023. The growth of 5G FWA CPE shipments is expected to accelerate further, accounting for 42 percent of shipments in 2024 compared with 34 percent in 2023. By comparison, 4G FWA CPE shipments fell 5 percent between 2022 and 2023. Less than half of respondents will introduce a new 4G CPE product this year.
  • Various regions drove growth of 5G FWA shipments in 2023, in contrast with 2022, when most shipments were concentrated in North America. India is now contributing to this upward trend in shipments, with 86 percent of those reported being 5G-enabled, followed by North America (65 percent) and the rest of Asia–Pacific (39 percent).
  • Shipments are still dominated by indoor CPE (60 percent), followed by battery-operated hot spots (25 percent) and outdoor CPE (15 percent). Within outdoor CPE, flexible self-install devices are expected to grow from 1.6 million to 1.9 million despite their share declining slightly from 36 percent to 34 percent of shipments between 2023 and 2024.
  • Shipments of 5G devices with mmWave capability rose 63 percent between 2022 and 2023 and are forecast to grow 22 percent by 2024 but remaining at under 10 percent of all 5G shipments.
  • When it comes 5G standalone, 60 percent of shipments in 2023 supported the technology. These are expected to grow in 2024, reaching 8.9 million units, up from 6 million in 2023.
  • There is strong interest in RedCap, with 63 percent of respondents stating they will be introducing a 5G RedCap CPE in 2024.
  • According to 40 percent of respondents, 5G CPE will reach price parity with its 4G counterpart by 2026, a year later than in last year’s survey.
  • Most respondents claim that window-mounted CPE and self-installation apps are growing; flexible indoor and outdoor CPE are set to remain flat; and hybrid fibre/DSL CPE will decline.
  • More than half of respondents do not expect component shortages but do anticipate inflationary pressures in 2024.

 “The purpose of the GSA 4G/5G FWA Forum is to bring together the FWA ecosystem and educate the industry about the FWA market as currently there is a lack of market definition and consensus on the volume of FWA device shipments and installed base. This unique survey plays an important role in providing facts and insights into the true state of the fixed wireless access market and how it is evolving and growing globally,” said Julien Grivolas, chairman of the GSA 4G/5G FWA Forum. “The Forum has quickly established itself as the voice of the 4G-5G FWA ecosystem and we continue to welcome new members.”

The survey results present the aggregate answers of 30 CPE vendors that together form a significant representation of the 3GPP-based 4G/5G FWA device market. All companies are members of the GSA 4G/5G FWA Forum and were surveyed on a range of topics including shipments, market trends, form factors and device features, current and future.