T-Mobile US and AT&T have been less convinced of the attractiveness of the fixed wireless opportunity, though it is easier to see why Verizon and T-Mobile US have been interested.
T-Mobile US has no fixed network assets, whereas AT&T is the biggest fixed network provider, Verizon the second biggest. In essence, 5G fixed wireless allows Verizon to expand outside its relatively-small fixed network footprint.
For T-Mobile US, which has no fixed network footprint at all, the ability to offer fixed wireless services offers it a huge new growth opportunity.
AT&T arguably has less upside, although the ability to upgrade its fixed network base without the capital fiber-to-the-home would provide is the attraction.
One reason the move into fixed network services makes sense, beyond the ability to grow by taking market share away from cable companies and other telcos, is that T-Mobile US does not expect to charge a premium for 5G service, compared to 4G. That means incremental 5G revenues from subscriptions essentially will be zero.
“We don't have plans for the smartphone plans that you see today to charge differently for 5G enablement versus 4G LTE,” said Mike Sievert, T-Mobile US COO. “We have big aspirations for incremental revenues and growth from 5G, but not through pricing, through our current smartphone plans.”
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