Customer net provider scores for cable operators improved in Q2 across pricing, installation, and support, while fixed wireless scores continued their downward trend.
Impact: New Street Research analyst David Barden analyzed data collected by Recon Analytics and found that cable operators enjoyed improved customer net promoter scores in Q2. NPS scores measure the likelihood that customers would recommend a company, product, or service to others on a ratings scale from -100 to 100, whereas New Street said cNPS counts factors that drive customer acquisition and impact churn. Analysts said cable’s cNPS rose from –7 in Q1 2023 to 3 in the most recent quarter, though the industry did not take a linear path to get there. Instead, scores increased steadily to a peak of 5 in Q3 2024 before oscillating between 0 and 1 from Q4 2024 to Q1 2026. The Q2 increase is significant because cable operators have been working to improve their reputation with customers and those efforts appear to have had an impact on the industry’s ratings. Though all cable operators showed quarterly score improvements across pricing, installation, and support, Optimum and Comcast recorded the biggest score improvements. Barden cautioned that it’s too early to tell whether cable has turned the corner or whether the positive Q2 performance turns out to be a quarterly anomaly. But the fact that cable’s cNPS improved on every metric seems like a positive signal that consumers’ views about cable have changed for the better.
Scores for FWA, meanwhile, continued to decline from their peak in 2024, with Barden attributing the decrease to potential capacity issues and the end of introductory pricing offers now that the technology is more mature. But even with falling scores, FWA still fared well in many key drivers in Q2, with scores for installation and setup, billing, price/value, overall experience, and product ranging between 20 and 35. FWA also showed moderate improvement in the price/value category but rated a -3 for support, signaling customers’ unhappiness with their ability to get assistance if something goes wrong with their service. MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett pointed out that the rate of FWA subscriber net adds has slowed during the last two quarters even though the category continues to capture the lion’s share of new broadband customers. He seemed to imply there could be some correlation between cNPS scores and subscriber trends in fixed wireless, but there’s no solid proof (yet) that cNPS scores impact sub numbers or vice versa. However, if cable’s cNPS scores continue to trend upward because of a renewed focus on the customer experience, it could help the industry start narrowing its broadband subscriber losses.
