Ericsson also said that FWA is projected to contribute over 35% of new fixed broadband connections by 2030
In sum – what to know:
5G FWA drives new pricing models – 51% of carriers with FWA now offer speed-based plans, up from 40% in 2024, driven by growth in North America, Europe and the Middle East.
FWA to hit 350M by 2030 – Fixed Wireless Access is projected to make up over 35% of new fixed broadband connections globally, as 5G expands access in underserved and infrastructure-poor regions.
5G traffic and coverage surge – 5G carried 35% of global mobile data by end-2024; expected to surpass 80% by 2030. Europe lags behind North America and India in mid-band 5G coverage.
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology continues to grow in appeal to communications service providers (CSPs) at a global scale, with the ability to offer speed-based tariff plans— enhanced by 5G capabilities — proving particularly attractive, according to the June update of Ericsson’s Mobility Report.
Approximately 80% of CSPs surveyed by Ericsson now offer FWA services, with the most dynamic growth among those leveraging 5G to introduce speed-tiered plans. These plans enable flexible packaging and improved monetization, offering subscribers various speed and entertainment bundles, the Nordic vendor explained.
As of June 2025, 51% of global operators offering FWA technology now include speed-based tariffs — up from 40% a year earlier — driven by strong adoption in North America and expanding uptake in other regions such as Europe and the Middle East.
The Ericsson report also highlighted that FWA is projected to contribute over 35% of new fixed broadband connections by 2030, with global connections expected to reach a total of 350 million. Also, 5G FWA remains a key enabler in extending broadband to areas where wired infrastructure is limited or cost-prohibitive, the report stated.
Globally, 5G subscriptions are forecast to surpass 2.9 billion by the end of 2025 —representing around a third of all mobile subscriptions — and to reach 6.3 billion by 2030. Mobile data traffic rose 19% year-over-year, with forecasts predicting it will more than double by the end of the decade. The report also highlighted that 5G networks carried 35% of global traffic by the end of 2024, a share expected to exceed 80% by 2030.
“At the end of 2024, the number of 5G subscriptions reached 2.3 billion globally, equaling a penetration of around 27%. The highest 5G subscriptions penetration was in North America at 71%, followed by North East Asia at 52%, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries at 45% and Western Europe at 41%. 5G is anticipated to overtake 4G as the dominant mobile access technology by subscription in 2027, nine years after launch,” Ericsson said.
It is projected that Western Europe will have the highest 5G subscription penetration in 2030 at 93%, followed closely by North America at 91% and the GCC at 90%, the Ericsson report added.
The report also highlighted that more than 340 service providers have now launched commercial 5G services, and around 70 have deployed or launched 5G standalone (SA).
In Europe, 5G mid-band coverage topped 50% population coverage by the end of 2024. While the figure puts the region in line with the global average, it lags far behind North America where 5G mid-band deployment has topped 90% population coverage, and India where 5G mid-band population coverage reached 95% by the end of 2024.
The Ericsson report also highlights how CSPs are pursuing new commercial opportunities by offering differentiated connectivity services to consumers, enterprises and public authorities. Use cases include broadcast/video production, point of sale systems, events/arenas, gaming, fixed wireless access, virtual private networks and enterprise productivity.
