Verizon Broadband Business is Now Very Much a Fixed Wireless Story

Verizon was a pioneer in fiber broadband with its Fios product, having launched it well over 15 years ahead of the fiber frenzy we now find ourselves in. Fios was very much the heart of Verizon broadband, but that appears to be changing. Today, and from all indications, the future of Verizon broadband is very much centered on its emerging fixed wireless business. Out of the 229,000 net broadband adds Verizon gained in Q1 2022, roughly 85 percent came from fixed wireless. In 2021, fixed wireless only accounted for 20 percent of the company’s net broadband adds. Verizon added 3 times as many fixed wireless subscribers compared to Fios subscribers in Q1 2022. Verizon executives are quite bullish on fixed wireless (FWA) prospects. “Consumers continue to see the benefit of the speed, reliability, and simplicity of installation of the FWA product and businesses continue to recognize that FWA can be a primary broadband access solution for all of their needs,” said Verizon CFO Matt Ellis. Between business and consumer subscribers, Verizon broadband now counts 433,000 fixed wireless subscribers as of March 31, 2022. That’s still a far cry from total Fios subs of just shy of 7 million, but it’s now clear where the momentum is.