India has witnessed one of many quickest 5G rollouts globally. Nevertheless, Indian operators are but to meaningfully monetise their 5G community investments. In keeping with Jio’s Q4FY25 webinar, the corporate has not but begun monetising its 5G companies. We imagine the scenario is analogous for Bharti Airtel. Earlier reviews indicated that Reliance Jio plans to monetise its 5G funding by its Mounted Wi-fi Entry (FWA) companies, as they provide increased ARPU (Common Income Per Person). Common readers of TelecomTalk would already be acquainted with this evolving state of affairs.
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With that context, let’s discover the broader 5G FWA panorama, drawing insights from telecom operators, ISPs, and community gear distributors.
What’s 5G FWA?
For these unfamiliar, here is a fast refresher:
Mounted Wi-fi Entry (FWA) is a high-speed wi-fi broadband service delivered over 5G networks utilizing Buyer Premises Gear (CPE). This setup could embrace an exterior antenna, relying on the mannequin supplied to the shopper. Customers expertise 5G speeds by Wi-Fi related to the CPE. Nevertheless, the precise expertise could differ based mostly on the community and sign high quality. We cannot delve into the spectrum-related facets of FWA right here, as that is past the scope of this dialogue.
AirFiber Resolution
On the launch of 5G FWA companies in India, operators launched “AirFiber” as an answer to ship high-speed wi-fi web to “fiber-dark” areas—locations the place laying fiber for last-mile connectivity is just not possible attributable to value, practicality, or native approval points.
Now that the context of FWA is about, let’s take a look at what the business — Telcos, Broadband Supplier (ISP), and Community Gear Vendor — mentioned about FWA, with a contact of TelecomTalk’s perspective.
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Trade Views on 5G FWA
Telco: Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel was the primary to launch FWA companies in India over its 5G community. Nevertheless, in the course of the Q4FY23 earnings name, CEO Gopal Vittal emphasised the superior consistency and reliability of fiber connections, delivering a devoted broadband expertise to houses.
He cited a real-world instance from the US, explaining that whereas FWA can supply a passable expertise when networks are uncongested, it faces important challenges over time. Vittal highlighted that FWA is used to initially serve areas missing fiber, with the last word objective of transitioning to fiber connections for a sustainable community expertise.
Coming to monetisation, based on a report citing a senior Airtel govt, operators do not deploy 5G for FWA because the economics do not work. Telcos primarily use it for cell companies and add FWA as an extra income supply. Furthermore, because it’s the identical community infrastructure, telcos are providing 5G FWA utilizing Buyer Premises Gear (CPE). The chief additionally acknowledged that 5G has not but created new income streams for any telecom operator worldwide—5G is essentially nearly pace and a few FWA use instances.
Airtel presents fiber-based connections wherever doable for the most effective expertise and AirFiber (5G FWA) as the subsequent possibility in case fiber is just not accessible. In keeping with TRAI’s telecom subscription report as of February 2025, Airtel reported 1.03 million FWA customers and a ten.07 million wireline subscriber base.
TelecomTalk: This means that Airtel is of the view that fiber broadband is the last word answer for delivering a constant and dependable web expertise. The corporate continues to broaden its residence passes and fiber footprint each quarter.
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Telco: Reliance Jio
Reliance Jio set a goal of connecting 100 million houses in India. It claims the quickest FWA development globally, with over 2.8 million AirFiber connections reported in October final 12 months. Following a latest rebranding, JioHome now integrates each AirFiber (FWA) and JioFiber companies, just like Airtel’s “Wi-Fi” branding.
In keeping with a earlier report, Jio is focusing on speedy AirFiber development and 5G monetisation forward of a possible 2025 IPO. “Sturdy AirFiber person additions may help break the 5G monetisation logjam because the month-to-month common income per person (ARPU) from 5G-based FWA enterprise is greater than thrice increased (at Rs 650-700) than cell ARPU (Rs 195 in Q2FY25),” an individual acquainted with Jio’s AirFiber subscriber growth plans was quoted as saying in a report earlier.
Jio’s management, in the course of the latest Q4FY25 webinar, highlighted that the operator has but to start out monetising its 5G and is anticipating to monetise 5G contemplating the OTT content material utilization. That mentioned, as per the TRAI report, which was launched simply forward of the outcomes, Jio reported 5.23 million 5G FWA subscribers and a wireline subscriber base of 12.71 million as of February 2025. In its presentation, Jio highlighted that AirFiber subscribers crossed 5.6 million as of March 2025, which is round 85 % share in 5G-based FWA companies. Total, JioHome subscribers crossed 18 million, including 1.5 million within the quarter, and Jio says it’s on monitor to attach 100 million houses.
TelecomTalk: With this, we will perceive that Jio is aiming to uplift its ARPU, which it reportedly phrases a misnomer, utilizing its 5G AirFiber companies within the coming days. Now that AirFiber is the quickest solution to get some ARPU increase, we have to see how operators report their ARPU — with or with out AirFiber companies — within the days to come back.
So, it appears to be like like Jio is focusing extra on AirFiber for 5G monetisation and ARPU upliftment.
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Telco – Vodafone Concept
Everyone seems to be ready for Vodafone Concept’s (Vi) subsequent 5G rollout announcement. Perhaps we will anticipate it within the coming days or it will need to have already gone dwell silently; we’re not certain. Nevertheless, as per earlier reviews, Bihar, Delhi, Bangalore, Chandigarh, and Patna are among the many areas through which Vi had deliberate a 5G rollout by the top of April 2025. Because the telco is but to totally roll out 5G on a pan-India foundation, there’s not a lot from the third-largest operator about 5G FWA presently.
Nevertheless, in accordance to a couple latest reviews, Vi’s CTO acknowledged that the telco is conducting trials for mounted wi-fi entry (FWA) companies, that are the one preliminary 5G monetisation alternative for telecom operators in India and worldwide. He additional mentioned that since Vi is not very massive within the fixed-line enterprise — like Jio and Airtel are — and in addition does not have plans to develop in that house, its technique might be extra mobile-focused, and FWA “wherever there is a chance to do it.”
TelecomTalk: So, from the above, we will infer that Vi may also be counting on 5G-based FWA wherever there is a chance, and the telco has no plans to develop within the fixed-line enterprise.
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ISP – Excitel
Now that we’ve got learnt the views of pure telecom operators who’re into wired and wi-fi segments, let’s now verify the views of a pure web service supplier (ISP), Excitel, which is attempting to aggressively bundle broadband plans and leisure right into a seamless client providing.
Talking in an interview earlier, the CEO of Excitel, Vivek Raina refuses to name the 5G-based FWA companies broadband. He believes that broadband web means a great wired web connection.
In keeping with Raina, whereas 5G and AirFiber are producing buzz within the nation, these companies can not overcome the physics of wi-fi sign degradation and community congestion that plague all mobile-based applied sciences.
“5G FWA might need its personal functions, nevertheless it’s not a alternative for fiber. The legal guidelines of physics do not change. The wi-fi spectrum is proscribed, and as extra customers get added, pace drops. No nation on this planet has constructed a high-speed broadband community purely on wi-fi,” he mentioned, based on a latest report.
“It is (AirFiber) simply repackaged 5G. Cell networks use shared spectrum — extra customers, slower speeds. And high-frequency waves (5G) can’t penetrate partitions. AirFiber wants line-of-sight, which is unattainable in unplanned areas. Telcos are determined to monetise their unused 5G spectrum. Nevertheless it’s not a fiber alternative. You will at all times want wired broadband for TVs, gaming — something that wants steady speeds,” he mentioned, based on one other report.
In keeping with Raina, fiber-optic cables are at present the one solution to ship constant gigabit-speed web to houses and companies. “Fiber is irreplaceable for residence broadband. You possibly can’t match its value or capability,” he reportedly mentioned.
TelecomTalk: So, as per one of many broadband suppliers, we will infer that ISPs are usually not apprehensive or involved about 5G-based FWA companies, and they’re on their very own growth plans to ship a seamless expertise they name ‘Broadband.’
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Gear Vendor – Ericsson
Sweden’s Ericsson is likely one of the gear distributors which has its give attention to India with 5G, 6G, APIs, and R&D. Ericsson’s CEO, in a latest interview, reportedly mentioned that FWA is already gaining traction in India and, based on him, FWA is one killer app for 5G.
“One instance is mounted wi-fi entry (FWA), which is starting to achieve traction in India. It is presumably the primary ‘killer app’ for 5G, and buyer response has typically been optimistic,” Borje Ekholm was quoted as saying in a latest report.
TelecomTalk: So, as per one of many telecom gear distributors, FWA is presumably the primary killer app for 5G.
ISP Affiliation – ISPAI
Let’s take yet another viewpoint into consideration to grasp the native ISP state of affairs.
Native ISPs, which lease bandwidth from telcos, are scuffling with value pressures and dear over-the-top (OTT) tie-ups to compete. “ISPs are price-takers and never price-makers as a result of they lease bandwidth from the telcos,” Rajesh Chharia, president of the Web Service Suppliers Affiliation of India (ISPAI), was quoted as saying in a latest report.
In keeping with the report, ISP executives stay largely unconcerned concerning the rising adoption of FWA companies from Jio and Airtel. Chharia reportedly mentioned that buyers are rejecting telcos’ FWA and turning to favor fiber connections.
“FWA places load on a single BTS… it’s nearly as good as a 5G cell connection and doesn’t supply good speeds for prime consumption. That’s the place native ISPs are successful,” Chharia reportedly added.
TelecomTalk: Inferring from the above, just a few factors we have to emphasise are that native ISPs, from whom you could be getting low-cost web with some XYZ Mbps speeds, lease bandwidth from telcos who personal subsea cables and finally management the capability. The ISP affiliation holds the view that fiber broadband is the long-term broadband answer, and that FWA doesn’t supply the capability for prime consumption.
As TelecomTalk beforehand reported, within the US, telcos with the aptitude to deploy FWA — regardless of scaling its deployment — are buying fiber broadband corporations. We have now witnessed main American telecom gamers buying fiber broadband gamers. T-Cell acquired Metronet and Lumos, Verizon acquired Frontier, and a number of mergers are occurring, creating nationwide broadband platforms to serve customers.
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Conclusion
In case you observe from the viewpoints mentioned above, it’s evident that every social gathering is pushing a story that serves their very own pursuits. Web infrastructure and its investments are a long-term play. We imagine that any severe telecom operator with a long-term imaginative and prescient will undoubtedly give attention to fiber-based broadband options to supply clients a seamless web expertise. As soon as deployed, fiber can serve reliably for years; nevertheless, the standard of deployment is vital, and the advantages rely on how lengthy the infrastructure maintains optimum efficiency. No wi-fi expertise can match the web expertise delivered by a devoted fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connection.
At present, you may expertise speeds like 100 Mbps and even as much as Gbps on a 5G FWA (Mounted Wi-fi Entry) connection at a location. Nevertheless, because the variety of customers grows and the load on the bottom station (BTS) will increase, there isn’t any assure that the identical speeds or efficiency might be sustained.
Moreover, modifications within the native actual property panorama — reminiscent of the development of recent buildings or structural modifications — could impede FWA alerts, resulting in substandard web efficiency. In distinction, a fiber-based web connection ensures devoted speeds, largely unaffected by the variety of customers or bodily modifications within the locality.
Moreover, native ISPs that provide low-cost web companies by laying fiber cables on poles with out correct self-discipline could face important infrastructure challenges sooner or later attributable to poor planning. These ISPs usually lease bandwidth from main gamers, and when the scenario calls for, telecom operators can revise pricing constructions to make sure the general well being of the business. Subsequently, for those who think about these ISPs as a everlasting low-cost different, you could be in for disagreeable surprises.
As mentioned earlier, we additionally imagine that ISPs bundling OTT (Over-The-Prime) companies with web packages are merely delivering cached leisure content material, which consumes nil or minimal bandwidth. This similar technique could possibly be utilized over 5G FWA connections, elevating the query of whether or not such companies really qualify as “web” or merely as connections delivering cached movies with claims of file excessive knowledge utilization. Perhaps that is why, if we glance intently, FWA companies are promoted as leisure choices.
Moreover, there’s the purpose that buyers are rejecting telcos’ FWA companies and choosing fiber connections as an alternative. If that’s the case, then the place are the so-called record-breaking FWA subscriber numbers coming from?
Based mostly on the factors above and contemplating the telcos’ methods, Airtel seems dedicated to fiber because the long-term answer and plans to transition accordingly. Reliance Jio, then again, appears targeted on shortly boosting ARPU (Common Income Per Person) by 5G-based FWA companies, though it additionally presents fiber broadband. Vodafone Concept too presents broadband companies by way of YOU Broadband. Nevertheless, missing any important fixed-line broadband plans, Vodafone Concept may focus extra on FWA for its 5G monetisation efforts.
Is 5G FWA merely a fast monetisation possibility, or can it’s thought-about a everlasting answer for patrons? Having introduced viewpoints from throughout the business, we go away it to the readers to evaluate and determine. It stays to be seen whether or not gamers will spend money on constructing redundancy in broadband companies or will as an alternative outline clear use instances for every expertise and deploy accordingly.
Solely time will inform how telcos can really monetise their 5G FWA companies.
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