RF for Fixed Wireless Access 2023 – Focus RF Front End

Airgain, Airspan, Akash Systems, Altum RF, Amphenol, Ampleon, Analog Devices, Anokiwave, AT&T, Baicells, Beamwave, BLU wireless, Bowei, BridgeWave, Broadcom, Cambium Networks, CCS, CETC, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Comba, CommScope, Cree, DragonWave, E band communication, EE, Ericsson, Eta Devices, Etisalat, Dynax, Filtronic, Fujikura, Fujitsu, GCT, Guerilla RF, HiSilicon, Huawei, Iconic RF, IDT, IgniteNet, Infineon, Jio, JMA Wireless, Kathrein, KDDI, KT, Kumu Networks, LG U+, LightPointe, Linear Technology, MACOM, Marvell, Mathworks, Maxim Integrated, MCV microwave, Microchip, MicroSemi, MicroTik, Mitsubishi Electric, Mixcomm, Mobix Labs, Molex, Monaco Telecom, Movandi, MTI Wireless Edge Limited, Murata, NEC, Neditek, Nokia, NXP, Orange, Peraso, Pharrowtech, Phazr, Pivotal Commware, pSemi, Qorvo, Qualcomm, Radwin, Renesas, RFHIC, RFS, RFWin, Samsung, Satixfy, Sivers Semiconductor, Siklu, SK Telecom, Skyworks, Sofant Technologies, Sprint, ST Microelectronics, STC, Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, Sunrise, Swisscom, Tarana Wireless, Tmytek, T Mobile, TDK, Techplayon, Telstra, Texas Instrument, TIM, Verana, Verizon, Viva Mobile, Vodafone, Wave PIA, Wavice, Wolfspeed, Xilinx, ZTE, and more.

Key Features

• The system-level market forecast includes Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) and access points with technology and frequency splits.
• The component forecast focuses on cellular Radio-Frequency (RF) front-end components for CPE including power amplifiers (PAs) and diversity modules, Antennae-in-Packages (AiPs), and discrete components and goes down to wafer-level technologies.
• The report covers the main FWA market trends including drivers, spectrum and uses cases, as well as the different regional dynamics.
• The report gives an overview of the different players at system and component levels.

Product objectives

• Broadband access is becoming increasingly important. Internet access is viewed as a first necessity product and a driver for economic growth, but a lot a people doesn’t have access to broadband internet yet.
• With the increased capacity brought by 5G, FWA has become a reliable, low-cost, and easy solution to get fast home internet where fiber or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) cannot reach.
• For Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), FWA is an excellent opportunity to increase the profitability of their mobile network by allocating unused capacity to serve FWA subscribers.
• This report focuses on the development of FWA at system and RF component level, while analyzing the competitive landscape and the ongoing technology evolution. 

5G: A trigger for FWA technology

Fiber must be deployed to bring data to premises and neighborhoods, but several technologies can serve the last mile, either wired or wireless. These technologies have different advantages and constraints. Wireless technology such as Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) can provide good broadband speed and is a realistic and profitable alternative to fiber. With the 5G wireless communication protocol, FWA is gaining traction both at sub 6 GHz frequencies and in millimeter wavelengths (mmWave).

FWA offers an easy, rapid, and cost-effective solution for last mile connectivity compared to its wireline rivals. It suits suburban and rural areas where the cost of wired solutions is expensive. FWA use licensed spectrum using 4G LTE and 5G protocols or unlicensed spectrum on the 802.11 Wi-Fi standard at sub 7 GHz frequencies mmWave. FWA is entering a new dimension thanks to mmWave solutions offering fiber-like speed.

FWA adoption is pushed both by the industry and public policies. Governments want to reduce ‘digital divides’ since the access to internet drives economic growth. Government and public institutions see FWA as a way to narrow digital divides. For Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), FWA represents an additional revenue opportunity as FWA can reuse existing network infrastructure and optimize capacity consumption of the network.

mmWave will drive the FWA market to $2B in 2028

FWA reached 105 million subscriptions by in 2022 with the US market driving most of the Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) growth. 5G CPE will exceed 30 million units (Mu) in 2027 of which 50% will have mmWave capabilities.

The architecture of CPE devices is very close to smartphone designs, with both using common Radio Frequency Front End (RFFE) components. In 2022, the volume of FWA RFFE components reached 505 Mu for a total market of $414M. By 2028, we expect to see the FWA market driving about 1.35B RF components in total, with a vast majority being 5G devices. This will deliver more than $2B revenue for the RF component industry. 5G devices, with their increased complexity and costs, will drive the market for the next few years. In 2023, the 5G RFFE market should represent more than half of the overall FWA component market.

We expect Antennae-in-Packages (AiP) and beamformers to drive market growth in the next few years as 5G mmWave solution adoption increases. The AiP market will reach almost $1B in 2028.

Fixed Wireless Access Supply Chain - Qualcomm dominates the $400M RFFE market in 2022

Many operators offer FWA solutions, enabling competition in the CPE business. Major manufacturers such as Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung focus on 5G FWA and provide Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment for both access points and CPE. Smaller companies like Airspan, Casa Systems or Cambium Network are proposing end-to-end solutions in licensed and unlicensed spectrum regions. FWA is attracting other competitors coming from the Wi-Fi router business and startups.

At RFFE level, Qualcomm secured more than 50% of the CPE market thanks to its end-to-end RFFE solution, from modem to antenna. Qualcomm is also the leading player in mmWave. Murata, Qorvo and Skyworks are also capturing large market shares thanks to their expertise in filters and the compound semiconductor field. The use of cellular modules is very popular in CPE designs. Module makers such as Quectel, Telit or Sierra Wireless are very evident on the FWA CPE market. 

Companies expect FWA to thrive thanks to 5G mmWave spectrum. Many companies and startups are therefore developing mmWave beamformers to capture some share in this growing market.

Glossary

Table of Contents

Report objectives

Scope of the report

Methodology and definitions

About the authors

Companies Cited

3-Page Summary

Executive Summary

Context & Key Concepts

• Introduction
• Definitions

Market Forecasts

• System Level Forecast
• Board Level Forecast - RFFE Components
• Die Level and Wafer Starts Forecast

Market Trends

• General Market Dynamics
• FWA Market Trends
• Regional Dynamics

Market Shares and Supply Chain

• End-System Supply Chain
• RFFE Market Shares
• RFFE Supply Chain
• Cellular Module Supply Chain

Technology Trends

• CPE RFFE Architecture
• Technology Landscape
• Beamforming & Massive MIMO
• Antenna in Package and Beamformers

Outlook