In the wake of data showing that cable operators lost broadband subs for the first time ever in 2023, a recent survey from Horowitz Research highlights the competitive threat that fixed broadband services pose to cable broadband offerings.
The survey found that multicultural homes were both aware of the service and preferred it over traditional cable internet access.
The recent Horowitz Research study, State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: Disruptions, found that as mobile providers like T-Mobile and Verizon make 5G wireless home internet available in more U.S. markets, awareness of the service is growing among multicultural households.
About two in three multicultural consumers who do not already subscribe to 5G wireless home internet (62% of Black and 68% of Latinx and Asian) have at least some knowledge about the service, underscoring the success of recent marketing and advertising pushes by mobile providers about their 5G home internet, the report noted.
The survey also found that compared to the ISP they had before, nearly 6 in 10 (59%) Black and more than half (55%) of Latinx and Asian 5G wireless home internet subscribers say that their 5G service does a better job. In addition the study found that roughly a third of each segment feels that 5G service is about the same as broadband when it comes to quality. Asian and Latinx subscribers are slightly more likely than Black subscribers to feel that traditional broadband is better than 5G.
“To say that 5G wireless home internet is a real competitive threat to broadband and fiber services is an understatement,” notes Adriana Waterston, EVP and Insights and Strategy Lead for Horowitz Research. “Our data show that there is an appetite for more competition in the home internet space, and the wireless providers are being very aggressive with marketing to appeal to multicultural audiences, such as through both Verizon and T-Mobile’s wildly successful Super Bowl ads. Retention efforts that focus on delivering value for the money will be key, given that 5G wireless is being promoted as highest-quality internet for a much more affordable price.”
As 5G coverage spreads to include more areas across the country, retaining multicultural subscribers will be an imperative for broadband providers, the researchers noted.
The study finds that more than half of Black (56%), Latinx (55%), and Asian (60%) consumers who are not currently 5G wireless home internet subscribers say that they are likely or very likely to consider 5G home internet from a mobile provider when it becomes available in their area.
The full State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: Disruptions 2023 report tracks the evolving market for new and potentially disruptive technologies that could be game-changers, including over-the-air (OTA) antennas, wireless 5G home internet services, and piracy and password sharing. The report is based on a survey fielded in Q3 2023 among 1531 adults 18+ who have a role in decisions regarding TV and internet services in the 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.
