Fixed Wireless Access in the US: Getting ready for Phase 2

Millions of new fixed wireless access (FWA) customers at Verizon and T-Mobile haven't affected the performance of the operators' respective 5G networks, according to new findings from network-monitoring company Opensignal. "Despite adding more than eight million 5G FWA subs using 400+ GB per month of data since Q1 2021, the overall mobile network experience on T-Mobile and Verizon's mobile networks has not been compromised," wrote Opensignal analyst Robert Wyrzykowski. Opensignal monitors wireless network performance through apps running on users' phones, which can collect measurements via both user-initiated tests and automated tests. In its new report, Opensignal found that areas in the US with a larger number of FWA customers actually showed better networking performance than areas with fewer FWA customers. Meaning, Verizon and T-Mobile offered increasingly speedy connections even in geographic locations with higher concentrations of FWA users.