By Claus Hetting, WiFi NOW CEO & Chairman
Newly released data from OOKLA shows that both Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile have been highly successful in using their own and each other’s Wi-Fi networks to boost mobile speeds. Both MVNOs have succeeded in using Wi-Fi to boost their average mobile speeds by 100 Mbps during the past two years and both deliver 30-40% faster mobile data rates compared to the national average, OOKLA says.
It is well known that Wi-Fi carries by far most mobile data but actively using Wi-Fi to deliver better mobile services is another matter. Now new data from OOKLA shows that both Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile have delivered exceptional mobile performance by tapping into their combined Wi-Fi networks. Charter has been using its own Wi-Fi network to support Spectrum Mobile users since 2022 and in 2023 Charter and Comcast announced they would offer their combined Wi-Fi network of 43 million Wi-Fi access points to support each other’s mobile subscribers.
According to data released by OOKLA (see graphic above) the two have been substantially exceeding the national mobile data rate average since early 2024, with Spectrum Mobile leading the charge. In the course of a year, Xfinity Mobile’s ‘PowerBoost’ has hiked its average speed by more than 100 Mbps, while Spectrum Mobile – having launched their ‘Speed Boost’ much earlier – has delivered a similar result over approximately two years. Both now substantially exceed the national average mobile data rate.
Both Charter and Comcast of course have the distinct market advantage of owning and operating giant Wi-Fi footprints as a result of delivering both home and business broadband (mostly cable) services. The two networks do not overlap. But using Wi-Fi to boost mobile speeds or – perhaps even more importantly – to deliver improved coverage indoors can also come about by other means, such as using Passpoint authentication in participating privately owned networks.
For more about bringing Wi-Fi and mobile networks together for coverage and performance, don’t miss the Wi-Fi World Congress 2025 USA in Mountain View on April 28-30 – see more here.
/Claus.
