Telecoms operators should continue offering 4G FWA alongside 5G FWA until three conditions are met

In 2026, most operators offering both 4G and 5G fixed-wireless access (FWA) propositions in their portfolios are not retiring the older generation technology. 4G FWA continues to serve customer-segment roles that 5G cannot yet absorb. However, operators face a non-trivial choice in how to articulate 4G FWA alongside 5G in the retail portfolio – as a separately marketed product, as the silent fallback underneath a 5G-headline proposition, or as the price-led or coverage-gated entry tier.

Operators have taken seven distinct retail positioning approaches. These suggest that retaining 4G FWA retail propositions remains lower risk than retiring these tariffs in most markets until three specific conditions, discussed in the article, are met.