wireless
Matt Larsen passionately defended fixed wireless at the WISPAMERICA 2024 conference in Oklahoma City.
OKLAHOMA CITY, March 15, 2024 – During the “Giants of Industry” panel discussion. matt larsenThe CEO of fixed wireless company Vistabeam discussed how the rise in popularity of fiber broadband will impact fixed wireless broadband on the final day of WISPAMERICA here.
Larsen bristled at the idea that fiber broadband would completely replace fixed wireless.he claimed there was still demand fixed wireless Consumers believe they need services to achieve their connectivity goals.
“Right now, we're constantly seeing claims that fiber is the answer. We need fiber everywhere,” Larsen said.
“Enough! Real-world empirical data shows that customers want fixed wireless,” Larsen continued.
Larsen recently told Broadband Breakfast: the study Researchers at Leichtman Research Group have shown that fixed wireless growth has outpaced fiber over the past few quarters.
“My interpretation of that data is that consumers are choosing fixed wireless because it meets the needs of 99% of households and has a lower monthly cost than fiber or cable.” said Larsen.
“We also have data from our own networks that have overbuilt their fixed wireless areas with fiber optics, but customer usage patterns have remained largely unchanged post-conversion,” Larsen said.
Larsen said fiber proponents are overhyping the value of the technology.
“Fiber proponents continue to push to “educate” users about the value of gigabit connectivity, but what customers really want is low-cost connectivity from companies that respect them. are not listening,” Larsen added.
The CEO claimed that technological advances in fixed wireless technology have presented “enormous opportunities” to unlock the full potential of services. He lamented that so many internet service providers perceive fiber optics as a threat to their customer base.
Larsen compared fixed wireless and cable favorably, saying the latter is an outdated technology that companies are starting to bail out. He said many companies simply build fiber-based cables because it's popular.
“For the past 20 years, the dominant forum for broadband access has been essentially cable, which is now essentially obsolete,” Larsen said.
“And companies like us, and companies like Verizon and T-Mobile, sell fixed wireless and give the public what they want: low-cost broadband that isn't set up in a proprietary way. ,” said Larsen. He said.
Larsen urged fixed wireless providers to be more persistent in their efforts to gain market share. Fixed wireless “can survive and thrive” in the current market, he said.
steve colana lawyer at the Larman Center and a speaker on the panel, echoed Larsen's sentiments.
He said he was most surprised by the “resilience” of the fixed wireless industry. Collan praised its “ability to adapt, its ability to change, its ability to find new markets, its ability to find new niches, its ability to survive natural disasters, its ability to restore service faster than other technologies.”
fixed wireless Providers are drawing attention to fiber's supposed drawbacks. Another panel of WISPAMERICA 2024 meeting It warned of potential higher costs and inflation from the introduction of universal fiber, citing labor shortages and rising material costs.
Plus, Yahoo Finance October 2023 Poll I found the fiber It lags behind fixed wireless in terms of customer satisfaction.
