Global Fixed Wireless Access CPE shipments are forecast to grow 16 percent to 23 million units in 2026, driven by rising 5G adoption, 5G Standalone networks and demand for wireless alternatives to fibre broadband.
The GSA 2026 Fixed Wireless Access CPE Market Survey expects 5G FWA CPE shipments to rise from 12 million units in 2025 to 16 million in 2026, increasing 5G’s share of the overall FWA device market from 60 percent to 69 percent.
The transition to 5G Standalone is even faster. Shipments of 5G SA-capable FWA equipment are forecast to grow 34 percent from 11.5 million to 15.4 million units, representing approximately 97 percent of 5G FWA shipments in 2026.
For telecom operators, the expanding CPE ecosystem strengthens FWA as a way to monetize 5G spectrum and network investment while competing with fibre and cable broadband providers.
Global FWA CPE Shipments Reach 23 Million
Vendors participating in the GSA survey reported approximately 20 million FWA CPE shipments in 2025, up 16 percent from 2024. Shipments are expected to increase another 16 percent to 23 million units in 2026.
GSA’s broader research shows the scale of operator adoption. As of June 2026, 542 operators across 180 countries and territories offered LTE or 5G FWA services.
Among them, 295 operators were investing in 5G FWA, including 274 with commercially launched services.
The GSA global FWA market research describes FWA as a mainstream broadband option that complements fixed networks, particularly where homes and businesses are poorly served by copper, coaxial or fibre infrastructure.
5G Captures 69% of FWA Device Shipments
The technology mix is changing rapidly.
Approximately 12 million 5G-enabled FWA devices were shipped in 2025. GSA expects another 4 million units in 2026, taking shipments to 16 million.
That means almost seven out of every ten FWA CPE devices shipped globally in 2026 will support 5G.
GSA had identified at least 329 commercially available indoor and outdoor 5G FWA CPE devices by June 2026, compared with 253 in November 2025. Its wider database tracks more than 1,300 LTE and 5G CPE models.
The shift toward 5G SA is particularly important because operators can combine FWA with advanced network capabilities and differentiated broadband services.
Around 96 percent of 5G FWA shipments in 2025 already supported Standalone technology. With shipments forecast to reach 15.4 million in 2026, that proportion is expected to rise to around 97 percent.
Nokia, ZTE and Huawei Lead FWA CPE Vendor Competition
Competition among FWA equipment vendors is intensifying as operators expand 5G home broadband.
Major suppliers across the market include Nokia, ZTE, Huawei, Inseego, Vantiva, Zyxel, Askey, WNC, Casa Systems and Tozed Kangwei, alongside other specialist CPE manufacturers. GSA’s FWA Forum includes a broad ecosystem of device, infrastructure, chipset and component suppliers.
An ABI Research competitive assessment ranked ZTE, Nokia and Huawei as leading 5G FWA CPE vendors, with Inseego, Zyxel, Ericsson, Tozed Kangwei and Vantiva among other significant suppliers. ZTE ranked first in that assessment based on factors including commercial success, portfolio strength, technology, network management and security.
The competitive landscape is now changing significantly. In April 2026, Inseego agreed to acquire Nokia’s FWA CPE business. The companies said the transaction is expected to approximately double Inseego’s revenue, while Nokia is set to become an approximately 11 percent shareholder in Inseego.
The deal gives Inseego greater exposure to carrier, consumer and enterprise FWA markets while Nokia focuses more heavily on network infrastructure.
North America Takes 45% of 5G FWA Shipments
North America accounted for 28 percent of overall 3GPP-based FWA CPE shipments in 2025, followed by Africa with 21 percent.
However, North America’s lead is considerably larger in 5G.
The region represented approximately 45 percent of 5G FWA CPE shipments, compared with 14 percent for Africa.
India is also rapidly transitioning to 5G FWA. Approximately 99 percent of FWA CPE shipments in India were 5G-capable, compared with 97 percent in North America.
Africa’s high share of overall FWA but lower share of 5G equipment indicates substantial potential for future migration from LTE to 5G.
Indoor FWA CPE to Capture 64% of Market
Integrated indoor CPE accounted for 57 percent of shipments in 2025, compared with 25 percent for outdoor CPE and 18 percent for battery-operated hotspots.
Indoor equipment is expected to increase to 64 percent of total shipments in 2026.
Self-installation is also becoming more important because it reduces the need for technician visits and lowers operator installation costs. Approximately 46 percent of outdoor CPE shipments in 2025 were flexible self-install indoor/outdoor devices.
Ericsson has highlighted how operators including Verizon, VodafoneThree UK, Telia Norway and Telenor Norway are using self-installable outdoor or window-mounted FWA equipment to improve signal quality while simplifying deployment.
5G RedCap FWA Shipments Approach 821,000
5G Reduced Capability, or RedCap, represents another emerging segment.
GSA expects 5G RedCap FWA shipments to nearly quadruple to around 821,000 units in 2026, equivalent to approximately 5 percent of 5G FWA shipments.
Vendor investment is increasing, with 53 percent of surveyed suppliers already offering or planning to introduce RedCap FWA devices during 2026.
More than half of respondents also have or plan to launch 5G FWA equipment supporting 8RX, reflecting efforts to improve radio performance and coverage.
By contrast, mmWave remains relatively small. Shipments of mmWave-capable FWA equipment are expected to rise from approximately 350,000 units in 2025 to 400,000 in 2026, representing only around 3 percent of 5G shipments.
AI Memory Demand Pushes FWA Equipment Prices Higher
The biggest near-term challenge for FWA vendors could be component costs.
Around 93 percent of surveyed vendors reported being affected by inflation or memory-chip price increases. More importantly, 67 percent expect component and inflationary pressures to increase final CPE prices by more than 10 percent during 2026.
Strong AI infrastructure demand is contributing to pressure on memory supply and pricing, indirectly increasing costs for telecom equipment manufacturers.
Vendors expect the situation eventually to improve. Around 47 percent expect these pressures to ease during 2027, while 27 percent believe they could continue into 2028 or beyond.
Expectations for 4G-5G CPE price parity have consequently weakened. Only 53 percent of vendors now expect parity within three years, compared with 82 percent in the previous survey.
AI Also Creates an Opportunity for FWA Routers
AI represents both a cost challenge and a potential product opportunity.
Most surveyed vendors believe AI capabilities can improve Wi-Fi performance, in-home connectivity and the overall 5G experience.
AI-enabled CPE could potentially optimize Wi-Fi channels, identify interference, manage connected devices and dynamically improve home-network performance.
These capabilities could become increasingly important as operators use FWA to compete directly with fibre broadband on speed and customer experience.
5G FWA Enters Standalone Era in 2026
The 2026 numbers show FWA moving firmly toward 5G.
Total CPE shipments are forecast to reach 23 million units, with 16 million 5G devices accounting for 69 percent of the market. Within 5G, Standalone-capable equipment is expected to reach 15.4 million units, up 34 percent.
RedCap shipments could nearly quadruple to 821,000 units, while integrated indoor equipment is expected to capture 64 percent of total FWA CPE shipments.
For Nokia, ZTE, Huawei, Inseego and other CPE vendors, the opportunity is tied directly to operators’ need to turn 5G network capacity into broadband revenue.
The main risk is cost: 93 percent of vendors are experiencing inflation or memory-price pressure, and 67 percent expect an impact of more than 10 percent on final prices.
Despite that challenge, the combination of 5G SA, RedCap, self-install CPE and AI-enabled Wi-Fi is strengthening the technology case for FWA. For mobile operators, that creates a growing opportunity to use existing spectrum and radio networks to challenge fixed broadband providers without building fibre to every customer.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
