As Penetration of 5G Home Internet Service Grows Among U.S. Households, New Horowitz Study Shows High Satisfaction

Penetration of 5G home internet has now reached 12%, and satisfaction with the service is just as high as traditional home internet services

IRVING, TX, UNITED STATES, April 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Mobile providers like T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon have been aggressively rolling out 5G home internet (also known as FWA, or fixed wireless access) in more U.S. markets over the past year. Penetration of the service has now reached 12%, and more than half (56%) of non-FWA subscribers are likely to consider the service when it becomes available in their area, according to Horowitz’s latest annual report, State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Subscriptions 2025.

While traditional home internet services continue to dominate the market, penetration of 5G home internet has enjoyed a threefold increase since Horowitz first started tracking the service in the 2023 Subscriptions study. Subscription to 5G home internet is higher among 18-34 year-old consumers (18%), compared to their older counterparts (35-49 and 50+ year-olds, 11% and 9% respectively). A common misconception is that the service would have higher appeal for lower-income consumers given its relatively lower cost compared to cable or fiber. In fact, the Horowitz study finds that 5G home internet is growing similarly across income segments, including higher-income homes.

Satisfaction with 5G home internet is just as high as traditional home internet services, with 76% of 5G customers giving high satisfaction ratings to the speed and 83% giving high ratings to the service for reliability. Similarly, most traditional home internet subscribers report fast (80%) and reliable (76%) service.

“When 5G was first introduced, we predicted the service would give traditional cable and fiber internet providers a run for their money, especially given the high satisfaction and loyalty many consumers feel towards their mobile providers,” notes Adriana Waterston, Executive Vice President and Insights & Strategy Lead for Horowitz Research, a division of M/A/R/C Research. “What we are seeing in the marketplace is that indeed, consumers are bullish about 5G, and those who have it are very satisfied with the service. The fact that it is wireless within the home allows consumers to situate the gateway where they get the strongest signal in the home, which helps with reliability, and even though ‘on paper’ the speeds might not be as fast as some of the other options out there, for most households - even heavy streaming homes - the service does the job.”

The State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Subscriptions 2025 study tracks the evolution of the market for entertainment, data, mobile, and smart home technologies, services, and subscriptions. It provides current and tracking data on the market for pay and free TV, streaming, internet, and mobile, including MVPDs, vMVPDs, SVODs, AVOD, FAST, OTA, and 5G/FWA. This year, the study features a new focus on smart home adoption, usage, and attitudes, examining which services consumers pay for and use, how they are bundling traditional and new services, satisfaction with the services they have, and plans for the future. The survey was conducted in January-February 2025 among 2,200 consumers 18+ who are decision makers about subscription services in their home. Data have been weighted to ensure results are representative of the overall U.S. population. The report is available in total market, FOCUS Latinx, FOCUS Black, and FOCUS Asian editions.

CONTACT

For more information about the State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Subscriptions 2025 report, visit: https://www.horowitzresearch.com/syndicated-research/state-of-media-subscriptions/. To purchase the report, schedule an interview with an analyst, or to request specific data, please contact Adriana Waterston: adrianaw@horowitzresearch.com, 914-325-4516.

ABOUT HOROWITZ RESEARCH, A DIVISION OF M/A/R/C RESEARCH

Horowitz Research is a leading provider of consumer market research specializing in consumers and their relationships to media, content, and technology with a particular expertise in cultural insights among America’s Black, Latinx, Asian, international, LGBTQIA+, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha audiences. The company offers a full suite of à la carte syndicated reports as well as custom quantitative and qualitative consumer research for companies ranging from small start-ups to the Fortune 500. In 2023, Horowitz Research was acquired by M/A/R/C Research, a Texas-based research and insights firm. For more information, visit www.horowitzresearch.com.

Tasha Mitchell
Horowitz Research, A Division of M/A/R/C Research
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