T-Mobile sees 2 categories of fixed wireless opportunity

Both T-Mobile and Verizon appear to have excellent timing in regard to their fixed wireless access (FWA) initiatives. They’re advancing FWA right when the US government is poised to spend billions to close the digital divide in America following the pandemic. In terms of the types of communities that are ripe for FWA, T-Mobile is targeting underserved areas of rural America, remote areas with challenging geographies, and lower-income neighborhoods in urban and suburban areas. “Really, this opportunity is kind of both on the access side as well as the affordability side,” said Kaley Gagnon, VP of emerging products at T-Mobile. She noted that fixed wireless deployments are relatively quick and inexpensive compared to wired broadband deployments. Verizon announced on August 5 that its 5G Business Internet, which is an FWA offering, is now available in parts of 47 cities across the US. They stated that the upcoming deployment of Verizon’s new C-band spectrum will be a major catalyst for 5G fixed-wireless growth.