I’m still flying high from last week’s Internet Freedom Un-carrier announcement. Today we launched some
incredible offers for T-Mobile's next big step toward fixing the broken broadband industry. We're making it easier than ever for consumers to switch to T-Mobile Home Internet with fixed wireless, lock in massive savings for life, and feel a little love every week with free perks through the T-Mobile Tuesdays app.
So, what exactly is fixed wireless? It's a fast, reliable, and simple-to-set-up high-speed internet solution for homes and businesses using radio waves, not trenches lined with fiber connections the cable companies have used for decades. By utilizing our nationwide 5G network, we can reach new communities across the country with unbelievable internet service, without being limited by the length of the cord buried underground.
With T-Mobile’s incredible network capacity, we’re ready for this moment. Fixed wireless relies on the same 5G network as our mobile wireless service. And as we continue to add capacity, 5G internet access becomes increasingly available in areas across the U.S. That’s especially important, given an analysis from Deloitte that projects growth of nearly 91% in global fixed wireless access connections, from about 88 million in 2022 to 168 million in 2026. That’s great news for underserved communities who have never had a choice when selecting an internet service provider for their home or business.
Our fixed wireless service has been a huge success already. Just last month, we welcomed our 1 millionth Home Internet customer – remarkable growth just one year after we launched the service. And thanks to T-Mobile’s unrivaled 5G network expansion, 10 million additional homes nationwide are now eligible for 5G Home Internet, bringing the total number of eligible households to more than 40 million!
We aren’t just a company that sells devices and services. We are in the business of connecting people to their world. And connections to our work, school, entertainment, family and friends had never been more vital than during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, a Pew Research Center survey found that 90% of Americans say the internet has been essential or important to them during this time.
Did you know that nearly 15% of U.S. households (more than one in seven) have just one choice for internet service? And that's not the worst of it. That number is as high as 35% in rural areas! When options are limited, local internet providers hold all the power, changing service prices as they please, locking customers into annual contracts, and charging fees for EVERY. LITTLE. THING. Just last year, internet providers charged American consumers $9 BILLION in fees alone. That's what happens when there's no competition, and it was time for the Un-carrier to do something about it.
It feels incredible to tackle broadband pain points on behalf of customers and support them with T-Mobile's amazing customer care rock stars … Team of Experts. But don't just take my word for it.
If all of this isn’t enough to free people from years of internet provider frustrations, everyone’s invited to Rage Against Big Internet. Over the next year, we’re popping up around the country to call BS on the laundry list of unwanted surprises that internet providers have subjected us to over the years. We recently kicked off Rage Against Big Internet at the Santa Monica Pier in sunny California, where we invited people to play Whack-an-Internet-Provider. Rather than whacking at moles, players used T-Mobile-branded mallets to bonk at annual contracts and surprise fees. Ahh … sweet relief and good fun.
Finally, as the guy who travels across this country, spending time with our frontline Retail and Care teams, and meeting customers from communities both big and small, I'm beyond excited to bring life-changing services and connections where they've been needed most. People of all communities don't just need choice, they need incredible experiences, reliable connections and unbeatable value. The Un-carrier is here, and we're ready.