As mobile providers such as T-Mobile and Verizon make 5G wireless home Internet available in more US markets, awareness of the service is growing among multicultural households, according to a recent Horowitz Research study, State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: Disruptions.
About two in three multicultural consumers who do not already subscribe to 5G wireless home Internet (62 per cent of Black and 68 per cent 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.
According to Horowitz, it goes without saying that service quality is an important consideration for choosing a home Internet service. Compared to the ISP they had before, the study finds that nearly six in 10 (59 per cent) Black and more than half (55 per cent) of Latinx and Asian 5G wireless home Internet subscribers say that their 5G service does a better job; 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.
As 5G coverage spreads to include more areas across the country, retaining multicultural subscribers will be an imperative for broadband providers. The study finds that more than half of Black (56 per cent), Latinx (55 per cent), and Asian (60 per cent) 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.
“To say that 5G wireless home Internet is a real competitive threat to broadband and fibre 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.”
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
