Internet service provider EarthLink has joined a growing number of companies offering fixed wireless service. The company’s offering, dubbed EarthLink Wireless Home Internet, uses LTE or 5G for connectivity to the internet, according to a press release, and according to a company web page, can support up to 64 devices, in comparison with 10 devices for a mobile hotspot.
A typical household has 11 connected devices, an EarthLink webpage notes.
An EarthLink spokesperson confirmed that the company is using a resale approach to support the fixed wireless service.
“EarthLink’s strategy is to partner with world class internet and mobile infrastructure providers to create the largest internet and mobile footprint possible for our products and services,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to Telecompetitor.
In October, EarthLink launched a mobile offering that, according to PC Magazine, relies on service from a T-Mobile reseller.
EarthLink Fixed Wireless
The EarthLink fixed wireless offering sells for prices beginning at $54.95 for 25 Mbps LTE service without a data cap, according to a company website. Plans also are available supporting speeds of 50 Mbps, 75 Mbps and 100 Mbps, with the 100 Mbps service selling for $99.95 monthly.
The company did not say where the offering is available, but at those rates, it is likely to be attractive only in rural areas lacking equivalent-speed alternatives.
EarthLink suggests as much in its press release, noting that “Currently, millions of customers who don’t live in a large city or metro area must invest in costly satellite equipment or rely on low-speed and spotty service for their internet connection.”
EarthLink Wireless Home Internet offers those customers “a more affordable and reliable option that uses the latest technology to connect to the fastest speeds available,” the company said.
Although the website labels the service as an “LTE” offering, a press release notes that “the service will connect to the internet by using the strongest signal from nearly cell phone towers to provide a high-speed 5G or 4G home internet connection.”
The fixed wireless offerings join several other EarthLink internet service options based on DSL, fiber and satellite and could prove to be a more attractive option in comparison with the DSL and satellite services.
EarthLink started out as a provider of dial-up internet service back in the 1990s. As that technology has become increasingly obsolete, the company has shifted focus.
It will be interesting to see if the company gains traction for the fixed wireless offering. Is there a business model based on adding one’s own fixed wireless router to another carrier’s cellular service?
Updated with a response from EarthLink
