Breaking the broadband duopoly
In the early days of broadband, cable companies and DSL-peddling telecom firms enjoyed a comfortable duopoly, notes Jeff Moore, Principal, Wave7 Research.While cable companies still command 59% of the pie and telecom companies have a 27% share, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is changing the game. 5G internet currently claims a 14% share, and that number is climbing fast.
The Big Three are fueling the fire
T-Mobile is leading the charge with over nine million FWA customers, scooping up an average of 30,000 subscribers every quarter. In addition to selling the service to its postpaid base, it also offers it to prepaid customers via subsidiaries such as Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile.
Verizon had 5.7 million customers at the end of 2025. It’s also expanding the service to its prepaid brands. AT&T boasted 2.3 million FWA subscribers at the end of the last quarter and has a similar prepaid strategy to its rivals.
Starlink and rural wildcards
Starlink is sold through retailers. | Image by Wave7 Research
Then there’s Starlink, which has emerged as a genuinely compelling alternative. The company has more than nine million subscribers globally, with an estimated three million in the US. Unlike other players, the satellite internet company’s growth isn’t bound by geographical limitations. Another notable contender is the army of 2,000 wireless internet service providers (WISPs), which collectively serve nearly nine million mostly rural customers.
More broadband technologies are available, but there’s a catch
Customers no longer have cable and fiber as the only high-speed broadband options. This means more choices, broader availability, and competitive rates. Plus, many of these new options are plug-and-play, so there is no mandatory waiting around for installation teams. However, with the Big Three driving this revolution, it’s natural to wonder whether the power is simply shifting from cable companies to carriers, making them more formidable in the process.
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