Over the last 10-15 years, the fixed wireless market has changed dramatically. Noise floors rose, spectrum got consumed, competition came from fiber, fixed 5G, and LEO while ARPUs remained stubbornly flat across most regions.
For WISPs, this means that the margin for error is shrinking. Solutions that once worked such as adding capacity reactively, chasing peak speeds, or refreshing platforms every few years, are no longer sustainable. In 2026, success depends more than ever on whether your network can scale economically based on the fundamentals that have remained consistent.
That’s why many WISPs are going back to basics, and why ePMP™ continues to play a central role in long-term WISP networks, with a clear and practical path forward to Evo.
Back to Basics — With a Path Forward
While the landscape for WISPs continues to evolve, the physics and economics that govern network performance have not changed. Networks still succeed or fail based on a few core principles:
- How predictably they perform under load
- How well they tolerate interference as noise increases
- How economically they scale as subscriber density grows
- How easily they evolve without forcing disruptive upgrades
ePMP was designed around these fundamentals from the start, and the ePMP 4000 Series is fully Evo-ready, enabling WISPs to deploy high-performance connectivity now while maintaining a clear, deliberate path to the converged Evo architecture.
The journey to Evo begins today, but on your terms.
Predictability Matters More Than Peak Speed
Peak throughput makes for great marketing, but WISPs know that real networks are judged during peak hours, under load, and in imperfect RF conditions.
ePMP’s predictable airtime behavior allows operators to:
- Plan capacity with confidence
- Offer high-speed competitive service tiers
- Prevent a small number of subscribers from degrading performance for everyone else
These same predictable behaviors form the foundation for future Evo convergence, allowing performance improvements over time without abandoning what already works.
Interference Is No Longer an Edge Case
Noise floors are now the default operating condition. Co-location, spectrum reuse, and competitive deployments mean WISPs must assume interference will be present from Day One and it is not going away.
ePMP addresses this reality through deterministic scheduling, synchronization, uplink control, and interference-tolerant design. These capabilities enable reliable operation today while ensuring seamless migration to Evo when operators choose to take that step, without disruptive or expensive rebuilds.
Economics Must Scale with the Network
ARPUs are not going up any time soon.
Subscriber costs, truck rolls, recurring fees, and upgrade cycles compound quickly. Platforms that require frequent replacements or monthly service fees quickly erode margins. One-size-fits-all solutions that require a macro-cell mentality for every situation regardless of subscriber density won’t ever pay back their investment.
By keeping subscriber costs aligned with real-world ARPU, eliminating recurring license fees, and supporting incremental upgrades, ePMP allows WISPs to enhance performance today while avoiding large-scale equipment replacement tomorrow.
Evolution Without Disruption Is Now a Requirement
Few WISPs can afford forklift upgrades or forced transitions. Networks must evolve gradually, driven by business needs, not vendor timelines.
With backward compatibility and Evo-ready hardware, ePMP allows operators to:
- Upgrade performance now
- Migrate when and where it makes business sense
- Protect existing capital investments
- Avoid the cost and disruption of mass replacements
ePMP is the proven production platform for WISPs today and is your first step towards Evo, ensuring a smooth transition to what comes next. The result is a network strategy built for longevity, predictability, and control.
Join us for the Back to Basics Webinar
To explore how WISPs are applying these fundamentals, and how ePMP and Evo fit into a practical upgrade strategy, join one of our upcoming webinars:
In these sessions, we’ll cover:
- 5 examples of how real-world WISP deployments are navigating rising noise and flat ARPU
- The latest ePMP features and products focused on predictable performance and scalable economics
- How ePMP is your first step to Evo, enabling evolution without disruption
👉 Register for the Back to Basics Webinar (APAC timezones) https://go.cambiumnetworks.com/l/428442/2026-01-22/5ck631
👉 Register for the Back to Basics Webinar (ROW timezones) https://go.cambiumnetworks.com/l/428442/2026-01-22/5ck6b4