Cable MVNOs and FWA Continue to Gain Subscribers in 2023

One of the most intriguing facets of today's communications marketplace is the intermodal competition enabled by cable wireless mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) and fixed wireless access (FWA) residential broadband services offered by mobile wireless providers. In late July, both cable MVNOs and FWA providers released positive quarterly reports for the second quarter of 2023, providing an updated picture of these increasingly popular services.

During the second quarter of this year, the gains continued for cable MVNO Charter's Spectrum Mobile. According to its quarterly report that was released on July 31, Spectrum Mobile added 648,000 lines during the end of the quarter. That brought Spectrum Mobile's total to more than 6.6 million mobile lines. And Comcast's Xfinity, which released its quarterly report on July 27, had 316,000 net wireless line additions during the quarter. Xfinity now has just under 6 million wireless lines. 

 

Meanwhile, T-Mobile released its quarterly report on July 27. T-Mobile had 509,000 net subscriber additions for FWA high-speed Internet service, and it ended the quarter with 3.7 million FWA subscribers. Also, Verizon released its quarterly report on July 25. Verizon had 384,000 net additions for its FWA service, bringing its FWA subscriber total up to almost 2.3 million. Notably, U.S. Cellular reported on August 1 that it has surpassed 100,000 subscribers to its FWA service. 

 

Both cable wireless MVNO and FWA services depend on spectrum – both unlicensed and licensed. Right now, the most pressing need is more licensed spectrum to support 5G wireless services, including FWA. The best thing that Congress can do to fill this need is to pass H.R. 3565, the Spectrum Reauthorization Act of 2023. For more on this legislation, see FSF Senior Fellow Andrew Long's July 21 blog post, "Congress Should Reinstate the FCC's Spectrum Auction Authority."