Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)

What It Means

Fixed wireless access has been the fastest-growing residential broadband technology of the 2020s, thanks largely to aggressive deployment by T-Mobile Home Internet (launched nationwide in April 2021) and Verizon 5G Home Internet. T-Mobile reported 5.4 million FWA subscribers at the end of 2024, and Verizon reported 4.6 million combined fixed wireless customers, making the two carriers the largest net broadband subscriber adders in the country for three consecutive years. Typical FWA speeds range from 50 to 300 Mbps download and 10 to 30 Mbps upload, with 5G mmWave capable of gigabit speeds at short range. Pricing is simple and flat: T-Mobile charges $50 per month with no contract, no data cap, and no equipment fees. Performance depends heavily on distance from the tower, line of sight, building construction materials, and network congestion, a customer 2 miles from a tower with clear line of sight may see 300 Mbps, while a customer at the same distance behind a hill may see 40 Mbps. Because FWA uses licensed spectrum, capacity is inherently limited, carriers close signups in heavily subscribed census blocks to protect mobile customer performance. Starry Internet, a pure-play fixed wireless provider using millimeter wave, filed for bankruptcy in 2023 after failing to scale. In the Broadband Grade, FWA counts as a legitimate broadband competitor and adds to the provider competition score (30% of grade), meaningfully improving grades in areas previously served only by a cable monopoly.

Frequently Asked Questions