Report: Starry Wireless More Cost Effective Than Fixed 5G Starry’s 802.11ax-based fixed wireless broadband service is more economically effective than fixed wireless deployments based on the 5G standard, a Wall Street Research firm claims. In a research note to investors, Oppenheimer estimates that it would cost Starry around $2 billion to cover 70% of the dense areas in the United States with its 802.11ax-based solution, but $35 billion to $50 billion to cover that same area with emerging fixed-5G solutions being explored by companies like AT&T and Verizon.

"Starry's roadmap is much more economical than 5G fixed wireless," claimed the firm, "and speeds are comparable without the expense/complexity that accompany the deployment of thousands of 5G small cells." Starry says it's using pre-standard 5G, point-to-multipoint fixed wireless technology to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to the home at speeds of 200 Mbps for $50 per month, without caps. Starry says the company should soon offer its 200 Mbps, uncapped $50 wireless broadband offering to parts of 18 cities this year. A recent statement (pdf) indicates that the company will expand into parts of fourteen additional markets this year, including New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Miami and Minneapolis. “Starry's deployment costs multiples less than 5G fixed wireless," Oppenheimer claims. "Starry's Beams [the company’s base stations] do not require municipal approval as they are small (18 in. x 18 in.) unless in a historical setting. This is unlike 5G fixed wireless, for which approval is a long process." “Starry's deployment costs multiples less than 5G fixed wireless," Oppenheimer claims. "Starry's Beams [the company’s base stations] do not require municipal approval as they are small (18 in. x 18 in.) unless in a historical setting. This is unlike 5G fixed wireless, for which approval is a long process."







News Jump Charter Relaunches Free 60-day Internet And Wi-Fi Offer; NCTA: FCC Should Stick With 25/3 Speed Threshold; + more news Comcast Shuts Off Internet for Subs Who Were Sold Service Illegally; AT&T, Verizon Team To Stop T-Mobile 5G; + more news California Defends Its Net Neutrality Law; AT&T's Traffic Up 20% Despite Data Traffic Actually Being Down; + more news Are The Comcast-Charter X1 Talks Dead In The Water?; AT&T May Offer Phone Plans With Ads For Discounts; + more news Europe's Top Court: Net Neutrality Rules Bar Zero Rating; ViacomCBS To Rebrand CBS All Access As Paramount+; + more news Verizon To Buy Reseller TracFone For $7B; 5G Not The Competitive Threat To Cable Many Thought It Would Be; + more news MS.Wants Records From AT&T On $300M Project; Google Fiber Outages In Austin, Houston, Other Texan Cities; + more news States With The Biggest Decreases In Speed; AT&T Hopes You'll Forget Its Fight Against Accurate Maps; + more news AT&T's CEO Has A Familiar $olution To US Broadband Woes; EarthLink Files Suit Against Charter; + more news 5G Doesn't Live Up To Hype, AT&T's 5G Slower Than Its 4G; Cord-Cutting Now In 37% of Broadband Households; + more news ---------------------- this week last week most discussed

Most recommended from 32 comments

HarryH3

Premium Member

join:2005-02-21 7 recommendations HarryH3 Premium Member 200/200! The story doesn't even mention the best part of this new service. It's symmetrical! According to the linked PDF, the service will offer 200 down WITH 200 up. That makes it far more interesting than the sad 150 down and 5 up that Comcast is providing me now.

DocDrew

Try Everything!

Premium Member

join:2009-01-28

SoCal 93.2 20.1

Ubee E31U2V1

Technicolor TC4400

ARRIS TG1672

1 edit 3 recommendations DocDrew Premium Member How do they figure the per home costs again? Management stated generously it would cost $10K per mile to lay fiber, whereas Starry's capex costs are $20 per home passed in dense areas, According to Oppenheimer, Starry’s equipment and installation costs a total of $480, a figure the company hopes to cut by 25% over the next few quarters.



In a previous, linked article:

»www.fiercewireless.com/t ··· osts-low Kanojia noted that Starry’s consumer premises equipment (CPE) runs around $200-$220, its receivers cost around $150, and its 802.11ac chips cost less than $10 each.



Then there is the article pic caption: The “Starry Beam” base station, connected to dark fiber, can transmit 802.11ac signals up to 2 kilometers. (Image: Starry)



The total costs don't make any sense using the numbers pulled from the articles alone. “A quick analysis puts the cost for Starry to cover 70% of the dense parts of the U.S. at ~$2B in capex ($20 per home passed x 120M homes x 70%), which is well below the potential cost of running fiber at anywhere from $85B (120M homes x 70% x $1000 per home passed),” the Oppenheimer analysts wrote. What are the wireless basestations using for power and backhaul? How is it the " equipment and installation costs a total of $480" but the "capex costs are $20 per home passed"?In a previous, linked article:If the CPE alone is $200-220, how is the cost $20 per home passed calculated?Then there is the article pic caption:So the base stations are fiber fed.... at $10K per mile of fiber right?The total costs don't make any sense using the numbers pulled from the articles alone.Seems like that $20 per home should be $200 per home plus basestation turn up costs which have to include running fiber to them. That would make it at least 10x more expensive then quoted. If it's $480 per home then 24x more expensive.

Anon2f239

@ggc.edu 3 recommendations Anon2f239 Anon ummm .. wut? "gigabit-capable broadband to the home at speeds of 200 Mbps"

Anona15a7

@charter.com 2 recommendations Anona15a7 Anon what about rural areas nice to give city dwellers more choice what about people that have NO CHOICE right now? SArcanine

join:2009-11-09

New York 2 recommendations SArcanine Member What they do not say is... 5G costs are mostly from the cost of spectrum licenses. The 5G hardware might cost somewhat more, but not enough to explain an order of magnitude difference in cost.