Fixed Wireless Access Growth Not Enough to Offset Broadband Access Revenue Drop in Q3 2025
Key Highlights
- Global Broadband Access Equipment revenue fell to $4.5 billion.
- Residential Wi-Fi 7 router and WLAN-enabled CPE spending surged 124% Y/Y, reaching a new all-time high in unit shipments.
- DOCSIS infrastructure spending dropped 31% Y/Y, driven by continued weakness in Remote PHY Device (RPD) investments and reduced demand for new Remote OLT (R-OLT) modules and nodes
According to a new report from Dell’Oro Group, global Broadband Access Equipment revenue declined to $4.5 billion in 3Q 2025, falling 3% quarter-over-quarter and 5% year-over-year. Sustained growth in Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) CPE shipments was not enough to offset revenue declines in DOCSIS infrastructure and PON OLT equipment.
"FWA continues to be a major bright spot in the overall Broadband Access Equipment market, with providers continuing to siphon away cable customers in the U.S. and, in India, expanding broadband availability across densely populated urban areas," said Jeff Heynen, Vice President, Dell'Oro Group. "Though 5G Sub-6 GHz units lead today, we are seeing increasing shipments of mmWave units in select markets," explained Heynen.
Key findings from the 3Q 2025 Broadband Access and Home Networking report include:
- Residential Wi-Fi 7 Routers and Broadband CPE: Spending on residential Wi-Fi 7 routers and broadband CPE with WLAN increased 124% year-over-year, with unit shipments hitting a new record high. Dual-band Wi-Fi 7 devices—particularly in China and other lower-ARPU regions—continue to drive the majority of demand.
- DOCSIS Infrastructure: Spending on DOCSIS infrastructure dropped 31% year-over-year, driven by ongoing weakness in Remote PHY Device (RPD) investments and a slowdown in purchases of new Remote OLT (R-OLT) modules and nodes.
Source: Dell'Oro Group
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