Technology Companies Target the Cord Cutters

Facebook is getting deeper into the wireless business. It isn’t buying a cellular provider or even licenses to use federally controlled airwaves. Instead, it has built networking technology that equipment makers and internet providers can license free of charge that helps provide home internet connections through wireless service instead of running fiber to each home. The move is part of a growing effort by some tech giants and a host of small, upstart internet providers to win more customers by creating home wireless connections at speeds comparable to what traditional fiber can deliver, at a cheaper price than the big cable companies charge. These new services often come with fewer restrictions on data usage than traditional providers. Combined, these internet providers control just a small slice of American households but aim to take more as consumers cut the cord and seek cheaper alternatives to traditional broadband providers. In some cases, the upstarts will compete with the faster 5G home broadband service that carriers like Verizon are racing to roll out.