You’re reading the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s Weekly Digest, a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) broadband stories of the week. The digest is delivered via e-mail each Friday.

Round-Up for the Week of November 17-21, 2025

This week, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved 19 state and territory Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Final Proposals (18 of them on Tuesday and Texas on Thursday), another step towards states breaking ground on BEAD-funded broadband deployment. Since the June 6 BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice from NTIA, many states are dedicating more of their funding to fixed wireless and satellite broadband options. Is that a good thing for BEAD consumers?

Sue Marek, Editorial Director of Ookla, has been looking at the speed performance of a variety of broadband technologies over time, including Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite providers. This week, Marek analyzed the performance of eight of the largest U.S. wireless internet service providers (WISPs) over several quarters from Q1 2021 until Q2 2025.

All eight WISPs studied by Ookla improved their speed offerings over the observed period. But are their current speed offerings enough for BEAD?

Which WISPS are We Looking At?

As a reminder, NTIA adopted what it calls a technology-neutral approach “to guarantee that American taxpayers obtain the greatest return on their broadband investment.” Any technology that meets the scalability, latency (less than or equal to 100 milliseconds), and speed (not less than 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 megabits per second for uploads) performance standards can be considered for BEAD funding.

According to the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA), there are approximately 2,000 U.S. WISPs that currently serve approximately 9 million Americans. Ookla’s analysis covers the eight largest WISPs.

All eight WISPs use a different configuration of spectrum licenses. Most are reliant upon some combination of low-, mid-, or high-band licensed and unlicensed spectrum. In addition, many have deployed fiber either as an alternative to their fixed-wireless service or to use to carry backhaul or middle-mile traffic. While using unlicensed spectrum allows a WISP to launch services quickly without purchasing costly spectrum licenses, it also means congestion and interference can result, requiring careful management.

Etheric Networks

Etheric Networks provides fixed-wireless service in the California Bay Area. The company has a fiber ring stretching from San Francisco to Monterey (CA) that connects its towers and eight data centers. Etheric uses a mix of spectrum, including unlicensed 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz spectrum.

The company offers three residential price plans: $79 per month for speeds up to 100 Mbps; $99 per month for speeds up to 250 Mbps, and $169 per month for 1 Gbps speeds.

Speedtest data shows Etheric has nearly doubled its median download speeds from 21.34 Mbps in Q1 2021 to 41.09 Mbps in Q2 2025. Its users in the 75th percentile (those in the upper end of the typical speed range) saw speeds of 65.45 Mbps in Q2 2025. The company’s median upload speeds also increased over time from 13.6 Mbps in Q1 2021 to 29.5 Mbps in Q2 2025. 

GeoLinks

GeoLinks currently offers service primarily in California and has a few deployments in Arizona and Nevada using unlicensed 69 GHz and 71 GHz, and unlicensed 81 GHz spectrum. Ookla's Speedtest data samples were all collected from the company’s California deployment.

GeoLinks offers a variety of price plans: $25.99 per month for 10/10 Mbps; $38.99 per month for 25/10 Mbps; $45.99 per month for 30/30 Mbps; and $69.99 per month for 100/25 Mbps. The company’s website indicates that the $45.99 per month plan that delivers 30/30 Mbps is the most popular plan with its customers. 

Speedtest data shows Geolinks delivering median download speeds of just 22.74 Mbps in Q2 2025, with 75th percentile download speeds of 56.58 Mbps. Its users experience median upload speeds of 19.82 Mbps in Q2 2025.

NextLink

NextLink operates in Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. The company uses 2.4 MHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz spectrum to deliver its fixed-wireless service to more than 100,000 subscribers as of August 2025.  NextLink has also deployed fiber to more than 100,000 locations and has 20,000 fiber customers.

Nextlink secured Connect America Fund (CAF) II funding from the Federal Communications Commission and participated in the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), so much of its fixed-wireless expansion has been driven by those awards. In August 2025, Nextlink said it had completed five of the six states as part of its CAF II funding and is halfway through its RDOF buildout. 

The company offers a variety of fixed-wireless plans: The Next50, which offers up to 50 Mbps speeds for $30 per month; the Next100 that offers speeds up to 100 Mbps for $40 per month; the Next300 that offers speeds up to 300 Mbps for $60 per month; and the Next500 that offers speeds up to 500 Mbps for $75 per month. 

Speedtest data shows NextLink has more than tripled its median download speeds from 19.45 Mbps in Q1 2021 to 68.47 Mbps in Q2 2025.  The WISP also increased its median upload speeds significantly from 4.72 Mbps in Q1 2021 to 18.26 Mbps in Q2 2025. NextLink users in the 75th percentile (those in the upper end of the typical speed range) get much higher speeds of 122.88 Mbps in Q2 2025. 

Resound Networks

Resound Networks provides fixed-wireless service in Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Arizona, and Oklahoma, and uses Tarana Wireless gear in the unlicensed 5 GHz and 6 GHz spectrum bands. Resound also offers fiber service in some areas and plans to expand its fiber footprint.

Like many WISPs, Resound is focused specifically on rural communities that have historically been overlooked by larger ISPs. In 2022, the company was awarded $303 million through the FCC’s RDOF program to deliver fixed-wireless access and fiber to 214,000 rural locations. Resound offers both residential and enterprise rate plans. Residential plans start at $55 per month for 75 Mbps and go up to 1 Gbps for $130 per month. 

The company’s customers experienced a steady increase in their download and upload speeds from mid-2023 until Q2 2025 from a median download speed of 38.94 Mbps in Q3 2023 to 99.41 Mbps in Q2 2025.  Its users in the 75th percentile (those in the upper end of the typical speed range) experienced an even greater climb in download speeds from 62.99 Mbps in Q3 2023 to 190.76 Mbps in Q2 2025.  During this time period, Resound was expanding its network. 

Rise Broadband

Rise Broadband claims to be the country’s largest WISP with around 200,000 customers. Rise currently offers fixed-wireless service in 16 states, mostly in the rural Midwest, and uses a mix of unlicensed spectrum in the 5 GHz band and the 3.55 GHz to 3.7 GHz (CBRS) bands, as well as some licensed spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band to deliver its service. 

Like NextLink, the company is actively deploying fiber in addition to fixed wireless. The company’s strategy is to deploy fixed wireless initially to capture market share and then roll out fiber to the densest coverage areas. Rise’s price plans start as low as $30 per month for 50 Mbps and reach up to 400 Mbps for $55 per month. 

Rise users logged median download speeds of 42.58 Mbps in Q2 2025, which is a significant jump from Q1 2021 when users experienced median download speeds of just 16.01 Mbps. Rise’s users  in the 75th percentile (those in the upper end of the typical speed range) were able to achieve download speeds of 65.97 Mbps in Q2 2025.  The company’s median upload speeds also increased from 4.05 Mbps in Q1 2021 to 18.38 Mbps Q2 2025. Rise saw a big jump in median upload speeds between Q2 2022 when users logged median upload speeds of 5.86 Mbps and Q3 2022 when users experienced median upload speeds of 13.68 Mbps. 

Starry Broadband

Starry serves about 100,000 subscribers in apartment buildings across five markets: Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, and Washington (DC)/Virginia. The company uses 37 GHz licensed, 24 GHz licensed, and some 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum.

Starry offers a variety of rate plans: $30 per month for up to 200 Mbps; $55 per month for up to 500 Mbps; and $75 per month for up to 1 Gbps. In October of this year, Verizon announced its acquisition of Starry, with the deal expected to close in early 2026.

Ookla’s Speedtest data shows that Starry has nearly doubled its median download speeds in its markets from 102.74 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 202.25 Mbps in Q2 2025. The company’s upload speed also increased marginally from 52.29 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 54.34 Mbps in Q2 2025. Starry saw the biggest increase in speeds from Q1 2024 to Q2 2025, which is likely due to some network upgrades, including the deployment of the 2.0 version of its Comet receiver. Starry said the upgrades would expand its coverage range as well as provide better spectral efficiency. 

Unwired Broadband

Unwired Broadband provides fixed-wireless coverage in rural and underserved areas in central and northern California. Besides fixed wireless, Unwired also offers some fiber service, but it’s still early in its deployment.

Unwired uses a combination of licensed and unlicensed spectrum to deliver its fixed-wireless service, including the licensed 2.5 GHz band and the unlicensed 6 GHz band. The company offers both business and residential fixed-wireless service, with pricing starting at $59.99 per month for 100 Mbps. 

Unwired users experienced increases in download and upload speeds over time but between Q3 2024 and Q4 2024 the jump was more dramatic. Median download speeds jumped from 27.22 Mbps in Q3 to 44.25 Mbps in Q4. Similarly median upload speeds increased from 9.7 Mbps in Q3 2024 to 15.9 Mbps in Q4. 

Wisper Wireless

Wisper Internet offers fixed wireless in six midwestern states, including Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Indiana. The company uses unlicensed spectrum in the 5 GHz, and a mix of unlicensed and licensed spectrum in the 2.5 GHz and 3.65 GHz bands. Like NextLink and Rise, the company has also deployed fiber in a few select areas. 

Wisper offers a variety of rate plans, including 25 Mbps for $70 per month, 50 Mbps for $75 per month, 100 Mbps for $80 per month, 200 Mbps for $110 per month, and 400 Mbps for $140 per month. 

Similar to the other WISPs, Wisper’s median download speeds increased over time but it increased dramatically from Q3 2023 to Q2 2025 when its median download speeds increased from 33.74 Mbps to 52.90 Mbps. Likewise, the download speeds for users in the 75th percentile also increased, climbing from 55.12 Mbps in Q3 2023 to 107.90 Mbps in Q2 2025. This jump in speeds was likely due to  Wisper’s deployment of additional FWA gear from Tarana Wireless on 180 more towers in its footprint.

And...Which Ones Are BEAD-Funded?

Per data from states and territories' draft BEAD Final proposals, a few of these providers are getting some significant BEAD funds, including the awards listed below.

NextLink BEAD awards:

• Iowa: $10,474,060
• Louisiana: $18,490,698 for 7,460 locations
• Minnesota: $1,541,073 for 2,401 locations

Resound Networks BEAD awards:

• Arizona: $2,276,357 for unlicensed fixed wireless to 1,897 locations
• Arkansas: $5,241,420.51 for 5,488 locations
• Colorado: $3,943,251 for fiber and fixed wireless to 812 locations
• Kansas: $8,082,060 for 8,247 locations
• New Mexico: $60,233,134 for 7,842 locations
• Oklahoma: $1,784,300
• Texas: $23,127,233 for 15,582 locations

Wisper Broadband BEAD awards:

• Illinois: $350,264,521 for fiber to 34,401 locations and licensed fixed wireless to 2,739 locations
• Missouri: $22,860,634 for fiber and wireless technology to 5,365 locations

How Do They Measure Up to BEAD Speeds?

Using Speedtest data collected in Q2 2025, Ookla compared the median download and upload speeds of the eight WISPs to determine what percentage of their Speedtest users were receiving the Federal Communications Commission’s minimum standard for fixed broadband speeds (100/20 Mbps).

Ookla found that Starry is able to provide the FCC’s minimum standard for broadband to the highest percentage of users at 66.9 percent. Resound Networks, the second-highest of the eight WISPs and one of those receiving BEAD funds, still only comes in at 41.5 percent of Speedtest users achieving wireless broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps. Wisper and Nextlink, the other two WISPs to receive BEAD funding, have users achieving 100/20 Mbps speeds at rates of 26.0 percent and 24.4 percent, respectively. The rest of the WISPs have lower percentages, with Rise Broadband being the lowest at just 6.7 percent.

So, according to Ookla's analysis, most broadband consumers who will receive BEAD-funded fixed-wireless internet access service will not achieve the minimum speeds of 100/20 Mbps.

Also, as we know, the June 6 restructuring rules loosened BEAD's low-cost service requirements and eliminated the middle-class affordability requirement entirely. Now, internet service providers propose their own affordable service offerings, and there's not much that states can do if the affordable service option doesn't meet the needs of their low-income residents.

These eight WISPs offer a wide variety of plans at different prices. But if we narrow it down to the plans that supposedly meet the minimum BEAD standards, and look only at the providers who have received funding, there is still a range. According to Ookla's analysis, Nextlink customers in BEAD-funded areas can pay a minimum of $40 for 100/20 Mbps speeds, where Wisper customers will have to pay $80 for the same service.

BEAD-Funded WISPs Have Something to Say

Following Ookla's release of its analysis, a number of these WISPs had something to say about the findings. According to Light Reading, WISPA, via its Communications Director Mike Wendy, called the report's headline claim that "most" WISPs "fail" the FCC's 100/20 Mbit/s benchmark "fatally over-inclusive and just plain wrong."

"All 8 WISPs mentioned in the report are great companies bringing reliable broadband to areas that are hard-to-serve, neglected or outright bypassed by legacy providers. The industry has steadily grown and delivers evolutionary, state-of-the-art service to millions in the heartland – mostly on its own dime," said Wendy.

Nextlink CEO Claude Aiken argued in a post on LinkedIn that the study doesn't accurately reflect the network capability of WISPs:

"Nextlink Internet offers wireless plans up to 1 Gbps, and affordable plans down to 50 Mbps. [Ookla's analysis] accurately reflects demographics of the people we serve: we go into hard-to-serve, rural, and lower-income areas to provide folks with high-speed internet, even if they choose to subscribe to cheaper and more affordable plans. What this article does not reflect, is the capability of the overall network."

Ookla's analysis acknowledges the gains WISPs have made in broadband speeds over the period from 2021 to 2025. For example, NextLink more than tripled its median download speeds from 19.45 Mbps in Q1 2021 to 68.47 Mbps in Q2 2025. The WISP also increased its median upload speeds significantly from 4.72 Mbps in Q1 2021 to 18.26 Mbps in Q2 2025.

However, WISPs are increasingly facing more competition from Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite providers, and the broadband market is rapidly changing around them. In the past many WISPs, particularly those in rural areas, faced little or no competition. But as LEO satellite constellations such as Starlink become more powerful and more prevalent (Amazon’s Kuiper now has 153 satellites in orbit and is expected to launch late this year), WISPs will face growing competition from these companies. 

Regardless, it looks like their current offerings, like many from LEO satellite providers, may not be enough for BEAD. 

Quick Bits

• NTIA Announces Approval of 18 BEAD Final Proposals
• Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Strengthen Communications Access on Tribal Lands
• House Communications Subcommittee Advances GOP Broadband Permitting Package
• Five Questions for State Boards to Ask about AI in Schools

Weekend Reads

• Seeking the Commonwealth of Connection: How Small-Town Volunteers and Public Partnerships Transformed Internet Access in Western Massachusetts
• 2025 Broadband Pricing Index
• Impacts of the USDA broadband initiatives program on employment and telework
• Common Sense Media Finds Major AI Chatbots Unsafe for Teen Mental Health Support

ICYMI from Benton

• What Did the FCC Just Do to California?
• Reminder: What BEAD Final Proposals Looked Like When Submitted to NTIA
• Can the Federal Government Legislate Us Out of Permitting Delays?
• State Digital Equity Work Continues

Upcoming Events

Dec 17––FCC Oversight Hearing (Senate Commerce Committee)

Dec 18––December 2025 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (Federal Communications Commission)

Feb 3-5––Net Inclusion 2026 (National Digital Inclusion Alliance)

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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