Fixed Wireless Access Tested in Major Markets – Why ‘Middle of the Pack’ Looks Good Enough to Us

Fixed wireless access services from T-Mobile and Verizon added 920,000 customers in the third quarter alone, a period in which the once-fast-growing cable industry remained largely stable in terms of network expansion. broadband.

Prices for these insurgent 5G wireless services for home-based cable are significantly lower, with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet priced at just $50 per month. The cable industry – which continues to drive up prices (opens in a new tab) on home Internet service – countered this revolt by telling consumers that they will get what they pay for – wireless networks do not have the density required to provide the type of performance that broadband users seek when look The crown on Netflix in 4K, they say.

Read also : T-Mobile’s 578,000 new fixed wireless customers in third quarter come amid weak broadband gains for Comcast and Charter

But FWA might just be enough, according to a new report, the first of its kind (opens in a new tab) from Opensignal.

The highly respected wireless research firm compared the performance of T-Mobile and Verizon FWA services in 25 US markets to high-speed cable and fiber-to-the-home Internet services.

In general, FWA ranked in Opensignal’s words, “in the middle of the pack”. In fact, in some markets like New York/New Jersey, FWA ranks well below cable and fiber in basic benchmarks like download speeds.

However, at a time of abject scarcity for many cash-strapped consumers, is the performance difference enough to negate the huge price reduction offered by 5G FWA, especially when bundled wireless services are taken? into account ? ■