The rise of 5G home internet service was evident in the second quarter, with the combined new subscribers from Verizon and T-Mobile outpacing the rest of the broadband industry.
The two combined for 890,000 net new subscribers, or the fifth consecutive quarter in which fixed wireless services exceeded 800,000, according to the Leichtman Research Group. The entire industry actually only added 840,000 subscribers, a lower figure that accounts for big losses on the DSL side.
The stark figures illustrate the amount of growth and interest in 5G home internet services, which draw in consumers with their simple pricing and ease of installation. AT&T on Tuesday launched its own 5G Internet Air service as it seeks to play catch-up.
AT&T and Verizon, in particular, are eager to push 5G home internet services because its the other parts of their businesses that are bleeding. The top wireline phone companies lost a combined 510,000 DSL customers, offset by 450,000 net new fiber customers. In total, they lost a net 60,000 customers in the second quarter, Leichtman said.
The cable providers added 10,000 subscribers in the period, a reversal from a year ago, when they lost a combined 60,000 customers.
Unlike the telecom companies, the cable providers don’t have a 5G home internet option to lean on. Instead, they’ve been upgrading their networks and pushing fiber closer to their customers to boost the speeds. But with cable giants like Comcast losing customers, the industry faces an uphill climb to keep their existing base.