Options in broadband abound right now, but research from comms services and digital transformation company Amdocs has revealed that no one single internet technology, such as cable, fibre, mobile, fixed wireless access (FWA) or satellite, is meeting all of broadband consumers’ needs.
The broadband battle research, conducted by Dynata, surveyed the opinions of 1,000 US broadband consumers to understand their connectivity experiences. Its findings are said to reveal a clear trend: while consumers prioritise reliability, affordability and uninterrupted access, many still struggle to get all three. And this, warned Amdocs, was no small issue – 40% said losing internet for just a few hours would significantly impact daily life, with millennials (47%) and Gen Z (43%) feeling it the most.
The report noted that the future of connectivity wasn’t about choosing one technology over another, it was instead about integrating fibre, 5G, FWA and satellite into what it called a “seamless, intelligent experience” that adapts to consumer needs.
The reason for this, Amdocs suggested, was that because broadband users don’t think in terms of fibre vs satellite vs 5G – they simply expect fast, seamless, and reliable connectivity everywhere. And as consumers expect fast and reliable internet, affordability was regarded as just as critical in their broadband decisions.
Other findings were that cable leads current internet access (39%), followed by fibre (31%) and FWA (9%). Notably, 3% of consumers do not have a dedicated internet connection at home. Three-fifths of consumers said their home internet is very reliable, yet the same percentage cite cost as the biggest issue – showing the need to balance performance with affordability. Some 38% of consumers prioritised both speed and reliability when choosing an internet service provider, proving, said Amdocs, that consistency matters just as much as fast connections.
Satellite broadband was shown as being a valuable addition to hybrid connectivity, gaining momentum, especially as partnerships with industry leaders such as Starlink make headlines.
Expectations around performance remain high. Two-thirds of consumers would consider switching to satellite if it provided a comparable experience, yet concerns about cost, reliability and speed persist. Just over a third of consumers were unfamiliar with satellite internet, highlighting an education gap despite increased investments in low earth orbit (LEO) constellations.
Already, satellite was found as becoming a premium backup option for high-income households and also gaining traction for mobility, particularly among travellers and remote workers.
The survey highlighted that FWA, one of the key 5G use cases, holds potential, but its awareness was limited. That is, while FWA was emerging as a strong broadband offering, particularly in areas where fibre and cable aren’t available, consumer awareness still remains low, which may be slowing adoption. Indeed 47% of those sampled in the survey have never heard of it.
At the same time, the survey noted that operators were refining their FWA strategies to ensure increased adoption doesn’t strain network performance. It stated that as more people continue working from home – at least part of the time – supporting voice and video calling, along with other real-time communications, at a consistently high quality becomes a top priority.
Most households now rely on multiple connected devices, and Amdocs warned that scaling FWA to support these demands may not always be feasible, especially in areas with limited spectrum or higher population density. In high-traffic areas, some communications service providers (CSPs) are turning to network slicing to manage broadband demand while maintaining service quality.
“FWA works best where operators have excess spectrum capacity,” said Joe Hogan, chief technology officer at Amdocs Networks. “In Tier 1 markets, heavy broadband traffic has led some operators to rethink how much they allow on their networks. Many are using slicing to manage demand and maintain performance.”
Contemplating calls to action, Amdocs said that for CSPs, the inability of a silver bullet technology to meet needs wasn’t actually a challenge – it was an opportunity.
Indeed, it argued that for CSPs, raising awareness of FWA’s role in broadband services is just as critical as expanding network availability. Educating consumers on how FWA fits into the larger connectivity landscape will help drive adoption and ensure they understand its benefits. In addition, it stressed that as expectations for seamless, uninterrupted connectivity grow, CSPs have an opportunity to deliver services that eliminate trade-offs – ensuring consumers get speed, reliability and affordability in one package.
