If you are wondering about ditching your broadband connection for the fifth generation Fixed Wireless Access broadband, then there might be some good news for you. As per a study done by Ericsson ConsumerLab which equates to 19 countries across 317 million households, the 5G FWA could be a better alternative to fiber broadband in many regards.

Convenience is the major factor

Households have reported in the study that while speeds and reliability were at par with the wired fiber services, what stood out for them was the convenience factor in regards to delivery time, contract conditions, equipment quality and cost level.

“The report explores the high potential growth of the FWA market given that 1 in 2 households have stated their interest in 5G FWA and highlights that even beyond the US, households choosing 5G FWA are abandoning their previous home broadband connections.” Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Head of ConsumerLab says

The report also says that customers liked the easy installation in case of 5G FWA as compared to the fiber from the existing wired sources coming from the electric poles or from the underground. The FWA can also be provided on the 6G spectrum which makes it an appealing choice for the long run in order to meet the futuristic higher data consumption.

Speed the only barrier

The study which was conducted between August to September 2023 on 23,700 respondents aged between 15 and 65 found that one in three households liked the speed of Wired Fiber broadband than that of the 5G FWA. This indicates of the primary challenge that 5G FWA will always have to deal with i.e. clear weather conditions, zero obstruction in the line of sight or interference from other signals.

Key Advantage of FWA

One of the key reasons why FWA has come into existence is because of penetration problem in difficult terrains or places where fiber either cannot reach or is extremely expensive. FWA Broadband is also an excellent alternative in apartments or complex where ISP do not have to sought approvals from the owners.