“FWA connections are forecast to grow threefold … by the end of 2025, accounting for 25% of global mobile network data traffic.” – Ericsson mobility report June 2020 The oxymoron “Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) on a mobile network” drew my attention in the recent Ericsson mobility report. It highlighted the limited need for mobility in many future high bandwidth applications. Ericsson predicted that data demand, driven by video, will continue to grow exponentially. However, much of this will increasingly be consumed in a stationary setting, in the home or in the office. Covid19 not necessarily driving increased mobile usage The mobility report highlighted the effect of Covid19 on mobile traffic in the last three months. Ericsson noted that where there was strong fixed connectivity, there had been no change, or even declines, in mobile network traffic. The increases in phone calls, messaging and video calls, during lockdown, had not driven increased mobile traffic, apart from where there was no adequate fixed alternative. By 2025, 5G will account for an estimated 45 percent of total mobile data.- Ericsson mobility report June 2020 Clearly, a substantial segment of growth in “mobile” networks will be fixed, whether in the form of FWA or using mobile as an alternative […]