Dell’Oro Group reports declining broadband access revenue amid rising fixed wireless and Wi-Fi 7 shipments

Total global revenue for the Broadband Access Equipment market declined to $4.5 billion in the third quarter of 2025, decreasing 3% quarter-over-quarter and 5% year-over-year, according to Dell’Oro Group. This report notes growth in Fixed Wireless Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) shipments Decentralized Identity (DID) not offset revenue declines in Data over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) infrastructure and Passive Optical Network (PON) Optical Line Terminal (OLT) segments, which may impact enterprise and technical decision-makers monitoring broadband access investments.

Market Overview

The Broadband Access market experienced a revenue contraction driven by reductions in DOCSIS infrastructure spending and PON OLT revenues. Conversely, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) segment showed sustained growth with expanding broadband availability in dense urban areas in India and customer migration from cable services in the US.

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) devices, particularly residential 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) routers and broadband CPE, registered a 124% year-over-year increase in spending, with unit shipments reaching a record high. This growth is predominantly attributed to dual-band Wi-Fi 7 devices in China and other markets with lower average revenue per user (ARPU).

Key Findings

Spending on DOCSIS infrastructure fell 31% year-over-year due to softness in Remote PHY Device (RPD) expenditures and a slowdown in new Remote OLT module and node investments. Fixed Wireless Access units, mainly 5G Sub-6 GHz, continue to lead shipment volumes, though Millimeter Wave (mmWave) unit shipments are increasing in select markets.

Jeff Heynen, Vice President at Dell’Oro Group, stated, “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 US and, in India, expanding broadband availability across densely populated urban areas.”

Forecast or Analyst Outlook

While specific forecast data is not detailed, the report suggests ongoing shifts in broadband access equipment investments, with Fixed-Wireless Access (FWA) and residential WLAN devices experiencing growth in unit shipments and spending, despite declines in traditional cable and optical infrastructure market segments.

Conclusion

The Dell’Oro Group's analysis emphasizes the divergent trends within the broadband access equipment market: decreasing revenue in cable and optical infrastructure contrasts with growth in Fixed Wireless Access and residential Wi-Fi 7 equipment. These trends may inform decision-making for stakeholders evaluating broadband technology investments and deployment strategies. This Analyst Signals brief reflects a neutral, fact-based summary of the original research note.