Fixed Wireless and Fiber Monthly Roundup October 2025

Welcome to Preseem’s comprehensive monthly roundup of the latest developments in the fixed wireless and fiber broadband industry.

October 2025 was dominated by the continued progress of federal funding, new reports confirming the rise of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), and updates on the ongoing challenge of the digital divide.

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BEAD and Policy News

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program continued to drive industry conversation, with early outcomes showing significant victories for Fixed Wireless and Starlink, and ongoing debate over technical standards.

• Fixed Wireless Access Snags More Than 11% of BEAD Awards: Initial reporting indicated that Fixed Wireless providers successfully secured over 11% of the total awarded funds in the BEAD program’s early phases, affirming its role in meeting deployment goals.
• SpaceX Wins Highest Number of BEAD Locations in Texas: LEO satellite providers demonstrated their competitive presence, with SpaceX winning the most BEAD-eligible locations in Texas.
• With Most BEAD Proposals In, States Leave Nearly $21B Unclaimed: Despite the aggressive bidding, a significant portion of the allocated BEAD funds—estimated at nearly $21 billion—remained unclaimed as states submitted their final proposals.
• WISPA Cites BEAD in Plea to FCC to Leave CBRS Alone: The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) urged the FCC to maintain current regulations around the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band, arguing that stability is crucial for WISPs leveraging the spectrum to fulfill BEAD commitments.
• Despite BEAD, Bad Internet May Persist in Rural Areas: Analysis suggests that while BEAD funding is a massive step forward, persistent challenges like affordability and geographic complexity mean that adequate internet access may still evade many rural communities.

Fixed Wireless Access Market

FWA continues its growth trajectory, driving service innovation and capturing subscriber share even in competitive markets.

• New Report Shows Growing Popularity of Wireless Providers: A key industry report highlighted the increasing market penetration and popularity of wireless providers, challenging traditional wireline dominance in many regions.
• FWA Subscriber Share Expands Even in Areas with Multiple Fixed Wireless Options: Data confirmed that FWA is not only gaining subscribers in underserved regions but is also proving competitive and growing its share in areas where customers have multiple fixed wireless options.
• Report: How Should Carriers Deploy FWA? New guidance was released offering best practices and strategic frameworks for carriers looking to optimize the deployment and performance of their FWA networks.
• The State of U.S. FWA: What Impact Has AT&T Internet Air’s Launch Had? A detailed analysis assessed the market effect of AT&T Internet Air’s introduction, examining how the Tier 1 carrier’s move influenced competition and customer choice in the FWA space.
• AT&T’s New FWA Strategy is Playing Out in Houston: Focusing on a major metropolitan area, a piece detailed how AT&T is executing its revised FWA strategy on the ground in Houston.
• Verizon Launches Lite Home Internet for People in Limited Coverage Areas: Verizon introduced a new, scaled-back FWA offering designed to serve customers located in fringe or limited coverage areas.

Broadband Industry Trends and Reports

From major capital investments to the challenges of digital equity, October saw critical discussions around the overall health and future of the broadband market.

• U.S. Broadband Speeds on the Uptick, Digital Divide Narrows: General market data showed that nationwide average broadband speeds are continuing to rise, contributing to a measurable, albeit slow, narrowing of the digital divide.
• Broadband Providers Invested $89.6B Last Year: Capex Report: A comprehensive capital expenditure report revealed that broadband providers invested nearly $90 billion in infrastructure development last year, showcasing massive ongoing commitment to network expansion.
• 19 Million Older Adults Lack Broadband: A study brought attention to a critical digital equity issue, revealing that 19 million older adults in the U.S. still lack access to broadband internet, highlighting a major area for targeted deployment and adoption efforts.
• End of ACP a Continued Drag on Cable, Broadband Market: Report: Industry analysts reported that the discontinuation of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) continues to put downward pressure on subscriber numbers, particularly impacting cable and lower-income broadband markets.
• Calix, Google Want to Make Agentic AI Easy for Broadband: Major technology companies like Calix and Google announced collaborations aimed at simplifying the use of advanced, “agentic” artificial intelligence tools for broadband providers to manage and optimize their networks.
• What You Need to Know About Verizon’s New Eaton Fiber Deal: Verizon’s recent acquisition/partnership with Eaton regarding fiber infrastructure was analyzed, detailing the strategic implications for their network buildout and competitive posture.

Regional ISP Wins

Local and regional providers continue to make major progress in closing the connectivity gaps in their service territories.

• Visionary Broadband Delivers High-Speed Internet to Over 1,000 New Homes and Businesses: A prominent news story detailed the success of Visionary Broadband in expanding its coverage, bringing reliable high-speed service to a significant number of new homes and businesses.
• Utah Broadband Working to Bridge the Digital Divide: Local news profiled Utah Broadband’s ongoing efforts and strategies to deploy infrastructure and tackle the digital divide within its state.

Preseem Updates

• Preseem Quarterly Product Update Q3 2025: Catch up on all the new features, performance enhancements, and platform updates released during the third quarter in our detailed product update.
• How Preseem Supports Tarana Networks Webinar Recap: Read the recap and watch the recording of our recent webinar detailing how Preseem supports Tarana Networks deployments, including our new RF Score for Tarana.
• AfricaCom 2025 Preview: Find out where Preseem will be exhibiting and speaking at the upcoming AfricaCom 2025 event, and what major product themes we’ll be showcasing.