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ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., November 18, 2020 – Cambium Networks (NASDAQ: CMBM), a leading global provider of wireless networking solutions, reported today that Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) it surveyed are more optimistic than ever about their business prospects, as well as their ability to acquire and retain satisfied business and residential customers by offering reliable service at reasonable prices.

These insights were released as part of the results of Cambium’s fourth annual global survey, which was conducted among providers of high-speed connectivity in 58 countries between July and August 2020. The detailed survey explored a range of specific topics to assess the WISPs’ ability to meet increased customer demand for video, data, voice, and IT services to remain competitive.

When Cambium published its first WISP sentiment survey in 2017, 66% of the respondents expressed optimism about their capacity to serve their business and residential customers. In this year’s study, that percentage climbed to 77 %. That unflagging bullishness comes despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, business shutdowns and spreading economic uncertainty.

“This is an industry that is a living demonstration of how to thrive – even in the face of the most trying circumstances,” said Scott Imhoff, senior vice president of product management at Cambium Networks. “WISPs are again showing their resourcefulness to serve their customer with the best possible technical solutions, and their work is being rewarded in the coin of customer loyalty. In 2021, we anticipate seeing the average number of both business and residential subscribers grow, as WISPs continue to provide reliable connectivity at affordable prices.”

Among other findings, WISPs noted fewer constraints to growth thanks to recent technology advances, such as the advent of wireless multi-gigabit networking at the edge using 60 GHz spectrum, to meet changing customer needs. Indeed, WISPs in the United States rapidly took advantage when the FCC opened the innovative CBRS shared access spectrum to expand their networks and enhance service plans. In addition, WISPs around the world are at the leading edge of deploying 60 GHz mutli-gigabit wireless solutions.

Despite competition, 30% of WISPs said their top growth concern revolves around funding and financing, with RF spectrum availability following close behind (28%). RF spectrum, a limited resource, is essential to operating a wireless network. But opening new spectrum and improved management will enable all service providers to better meet the needs of increasing demand for connectivity. For example, the global initiative to open 6 GHz spectrum to unlicensed use will provide more channel availability than the 5 GHz spectrum, currently the most popular sprectrum among the WISPs.

“This past year WISPs have reallystepped up their game to meet the increased needs for advanced connectivity that business and consumers alike demand,” said Claude Aiken, President and CEO, Wireless Internet Service Provider Association. “By being able to use the latest wireless technologies to deliver reliable connectivity at reasonable prices, WISPs are in an even betterposition for growth through service excellence fortheir customers.”

Looking forward to 2021, 33% of WISP respondents stated that they intend to push more into small and medium businesses, and then leverage their skills and services to pursue smart city (19%) and smart home applications (18%), managed services (18%), and industrial internet applications (13%).

At the same time, WISPs intend to continue evolving to include fiber in the network backbone and Wi-Fi in the access network. While fixed wireless broadband is commonly the first technology that WISPs use to launch their businesses, many have found success as broadband service providers serving business, industrial and government end customers in addition to their legacy residential services.

You can find the full results of the study here.