Mobile data might someday take over home internet, but it depends on technology and usage patterns.
Mobile data might someday take over home internet, but it depends on technology and usage patterns.
mainly about 2, I believe the sole significant provider with interest in home internet is Verizon. I don't think T-Mobile would suffer any impact from customers switching to pricier plans and leaving Comcast. This situation mirrors past trends where online services reduced demand for cable TV. Since cell networks are expanding, I expect tower availability will steadily improve over time.
It took around five years for Verizon to upgrade its existing towers with 4G. Adding 5G will need numerous repeaters, probably placed on power lines, which will significantly slow down the rollout. It’s unlikely we’ll achieve a fully nationwide 5G network within the next decade.
There will always be challenges with the terrain. Some regions with flat areas offer excellent coverage, while others with many hills make it difficult to maintain a strong connection. Pricing and limits set by ISPs vary depending on your location. Cable technology keeps advancing, but wireless solutions only get better gradually. It’s easier to expand physical cables compared to building out wireless networks, though this depends on the landscape. When introducing new wireless technology, you often need to install additional towers based on signal range and strength. Overall, it’s not a straightforward yes or no answer—I’m not hopeful for a positive outcome in the next decade.
Living in a remote location can be challenging. If the area doesn’t meet the required population density, cable or fiber companies won’t extend their services. In such cases, wireless technology becomes the primary option. However, a key challenge remains: rural regions often lack 5G coverage due to low population numbers, which makes connecting cell towers difficult—especially if reliable fiber isn’t available. Cities, on the other hand, benefit from better fiber infrastructure, helping wireless providers improve their offerings. Another limitation is that wireless networks face constraints; spectrum availability is limited, and some bands are already allocated for broadcasting. Companies like Comcast operate under strict regulations, such as the DOCSIS 3.1 standard, which enables gigabit speeds without major upgrades to existing poles. They also continuously explore faster fiber solutions.
Essentially, I can still reach speeds around 2 gigabits, but just a short distance away I’m limited to basic DSL connections. Ping times often spike into the 1000-1600 range, which makes most online tasks nearly impossible. When it does work, the connection feels more like dial-up than modern DSL. The infrastructure hasn’t kept up with DSL performance; back then, even a 56K connection was considered weak in that area. Satellite internet is an alternative but comes with data limits and long ping times. Compared to Verizon’s DSL, satellite works better, though it’s slower. Over the past couple of years, 4G coverage has improved significantly here, allowing me to get a signal even in remote spots where I used to have to wait at specific locations just to send texts. Nowadays, I rely on my phone for stable basic internet. I’m considering giving up on high-speed options like 5G for this area, since 4G already offers much better performance than DSL and is more reliable.
I reside in Denmark with reliable 4G+ connections (160Mbps down, 50Mbps up), roughly double what I experience at home. My local area has very few fiber or cable options, so I rely on ADSL. On the go, however, mobile performance is poor—ping times are extremely high, especially in games like CS:GO. My two carriers operate different networks; switching to my business provider drops speeds significantly (80 down, 10 up), though ping improves to under 10ms. At home internet I’m still around 250ms, but for casual gamers a stable connection remains preferable, and for competitive players it’s essential, particularly with fiber offering sub-1ms latency.
Fiber remains the top choice, especially with 10G optics becoming increasingly affordable. Delivering 10Gb fiber to customers is expected to be common within the next decade. The ISP I support has fully replaced traditional infrastructure in rural zones and is now expanding to urban regions. Most of our city neighborhoods already benefit from fiber, as recent construction projects have prioritized it. Once fiber is established in urban settings, upgrading to higher speeds is just a matter of swapping optical equipment at both ends.