Cable Mobile Wireless MVNOs: 8.4 Million Subscribers and Counting

A September article by Jeff Baumgartner at LightReading spotlights the continued growth in wireless services offered by cable mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) offered by Comcast's Xfinity Mobile, Charter Communications' Spectrum Mobile, and Altice USA's Optimum Mobile. According to the article, at the end of the second quarter of 2022, those three cable MVNOs added a combined 703,000 mobile lines for a total of 8.4 million. Although that figure reportedly amounts to less than 3% of the U.S. mobile wireless market, the article cited a MoffettNathanson estimate that cable MVNOs gained almost 44% of net mobile adds for that quarter. And the 8.4 million figure for cable MVNO subscriber lines is up from the 6.5 million total from a year prior that was noticed in my August 2021 blog post.  

The LightReading article is particularly interesting because it highlights an analysis of mobile postpaid plans by categories by Navi. According to the article, "Navi's Q2 2022 Wireless Plan Scoring Report" apparently ranks Spectrum Mobile the highest among competing mobile providers in the entry-level and value categories, with Xfinity Mobile also performing strongly in the value category. As the article observes, cable MVNO services are offered in discount bundles with residential cable broadband Internet access services. 

My blog post on May 2 of this year noted that Comcast and Charter are looking to expand their Wi-Fi and cable network offloading capabilities to more cost-effectively provide cable MVNO services. Added to that intriguing development is Cox Communications' August 29 announcement of its launch of a three-city pilot for its Cox Mobile MVNO service. Suffice to day, the continued growth of cable MVNO networks will likely remain interesting to watch in 2022 and beyond.