Report: European FMC takes root
January 5, 2023
By Colin Mann
A report from wireless market analyst firm Mobile Experts breaking down the details of Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) in Europe has found that telcos are forging ahead with converging their wireline and wireless network services, with more than 37 per cent of broadband households subscribing through a converged service currently in Europe.
This new forecast details the complicated architecture of aligning standards in order to converge the core network and pieces of the access network — an ongoing process that will be increasingly informed by 3GPP technology.
“Fixed mobile convergence appears to have taken root,” commented Mobile Experts analyst, Kyung Mun. “European telecommunications providers have realised that convergence is a way to save on key costs, reduce churn, and to enable new converged services. In last year’s report, we covered the American market. This year, we outline solid and steady trends in the European sphere, which may be a precursor to the evolving US telecommunications landscape.”
According to the report, Fixed Mobile Convergence 2022, the effect of FMC on European operators is complicated to parse. Heavy hitters in Europe recognise the importance of FMC, and high-ARPU markets would benefit from its ready availability — the challenge is negotiating service bundling to value-conscious, low-ARPU markets. This report provides a detailed explanation of how operators will use the 5G core network to bolster their competitiveness.