5G Competition Drove Cable Prices 17% Lower

Competition from 5G is making internet access more affordable for Americans. A new study, conducted by James Prieger, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Pepperdine University, examines real-world data, which shows competition from 5G-based fixed wireless access, or 5G Home, drove cable prices down by as much as 17 percent within a year after it entered a local market, saving American households up to $9.5 billion per year.

Additional findings of the study include:

5G Home has quickly become a major broadband competitor. Nearly 17 million households now subscribe. In 2025 alone, 5G Home added 3.9 million subscribers while cable lost 1.5 million subscribers.

Wireless companies can only offer 5G Home where there is sufficient capacity available, and that depends upon access to licensed, full-power spectrum. More licensed spectrum would empower wireless providers to reach more households and extend lower prices and better service terms to more families across the country.

The study combines a survey of broadband prices from more than 230,000 households with the staggered rollout of 5G-based home internet service across local markets. By examining cable prices before and after entry, and comparing those changes to markets where FWA is not yet offered, the analysis isolates the competitive effect of 5G-based FWA and controls for other variables like national price trends and local market characteristics.

Read the econometric appendix here.

Read the consumer savings appendix here.