The FWA Business Case

For those unfamiliar with the FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) business case, here are the key points:

• MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) can generate more revenue from FWA by using outdoor antennas.
• This is true even after considering the costs of the antennas and installation.
• You can also find a short PDF version of what I presented at the plenary session here (5 slides that matter). My recorded presentation here (6 minutes)

Industry Confirmation

The recent discussions confirmed the viability of the FWA business model:

• Ericsson Whitepaper: A recent whitepaper from Ericsson supports the profitability of FWA for MNOs. Read more in this detailed report by Ericsson HERE.
• Industry Leader Talks: Presentations by Brandon Leigh from rain (South Africa) and Akhmad Madces from Telkomsel (Indonesia) highlighted how MNOs are becoming aware of these advantages.

Overcoming Historical Bias

One of the key points discussed was why it took MNOs many years to embrace FWA:

• Historically, MNOs focused on mobile handset customers.
• Their business models favored easy contract offerings with free equipment provided by service providers.
• Including antennas and installation in these contracts made them expensive.
• The customer division of MNOs often didn't see the financial benefits, even though it made sense for the infrastructure division.
• These divisions within MNOs operated in silos, which hindered the adoption of FWA.