Why End-Users Don’t Care About Connectivity Types (and Neither Should You)

Let me tell you a story. My 5-year-old daughter wanted to watch YouTube on her iPad the other day while we were driving to visit family. As usual, the iPad wasn’t connected to anything. "Aaaad!" she calls (because when the YouTube Kids wheel is spinning, she thinks it's an advertisement that is interrupting her).

I tried explaining, in the simplest terms possible, that the iPad needed to connect to a hotspot from my phone to access the internet. She furrowed her brow, unimpressed by my network-savvy explanation.

This moment stuck with me. My daughter didn’t care how the internet worked. She didn't care why the wheel is spinning. She didn’t care whether it was 5G, Wi-Fi, or a magic beam from space that delivered the video she wanted to see. She just wanted it to work - seamlessly, everywhere, and without her having to think about it. And honestly? Most of us aren’t that different.

The Connectivity Paradox

As someone who's spent years in the broadband and networking space (both testing solutions with QA Cafe and exploring the depths of connectivity standards and protocols) I can tell you that the vast majority of internet users share my daughter's perspective. They don’t care how they’re connected to the internet. Fiber to the Premises (FTTP), cable/DOCSIS, low-earth-orbit satellites (LEO), Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), or plain old Wi-Fi? It’s all the same to them as long as it works.

This theme has come up time and again on the Epik Mellon Podcast, where I’ve discussed the industry’s obsession with highlighting specific technologies to differentiate their offerings. The truth is, 99% of the world’s internet subscribers don’t know (or care) about the differences. What matters to them is whether they can stream Netflix, join Zoom calls, or game (Elden Ring for my teenager) without interruption. If a connection falters, they don’t stop to think about which technology failed; they just want a solution.

Yet, so much of the broadband industry still operates as if these distinctions are critical to end-users. Marketing campaigns tout the benefits of fiber or 5G, and debates rage over which technology is "best." But the vendors and service providers who succeed in the future will be the ones who embrace all technologies, weaving them together into a seamless fabric of connectivity.

Why Seamless Connectivity is the Future

The broadband industry has always been driven by technological advancement. We’ve seen incredible innovation in networking standards, from DOCSIS enabling high-speed cable internet to the rise of LEO satellite constellations delivering connectivity to remote areas. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that no single technology can dominate the landscape. Instead, the future lies in how these technologies work together.

Take the experience of an average consumer household. My family uses a mix of FTTP, Wi-Fi, and 5G daily, often without realizing it. My kids don’t understand why their phones might switch from Wi-Fi to 5G when they leave the house. My wife doesn’t care how our broadband provider delivers a stable connection as long as she can do her work (catering is a LOT of emails) uninterrupted while streaming music or TV without buffering. And I can bet your family is the same. This isn’t ignorance - it’s practicality. They shouldn't have to know how it works.

The companies that win in this space won’t be the ones clinging to a single connectivity solution. They’ll be the ones investing in interoperability, innovation, and partnerships to deliver connectivity that simply works, regardless of where the end-user is or what device they’re using.

Lessons from Behind the Scenes

Working at QA Cafe , I’ve spent years creating tools that test and analyze networking protocols. We’ve seen firsthand how critical it is for network operators and device manufacturers to get interoperability right. Standards like USP or Wi-Fi CERTIFIED EasyMesh? don’t just exist to make life easier for engineers - they enable the seamless experiences that end-users demand.

The broadband industry has the tools to make this vision a reality. We just need to shift our mindset. Instead of focusing on which technology is superior, let’s focus on building ecosystems where every technology - FWA, fiber, satellites, or Wi-Fi - plays a role in delivering seamless connectivity.

Moving Beyond the “Technology Battles”

Let me repeat it for those in the back: your end-users won’t care how they’re connected as long as it works. The more we cling to the idea that one technology will reign supreme, the more we miss the point. Success in this industry isn’t about winning the "fiber vs. 5G" debate or proving that your network is faster. It’s about ensuring that, wherever the user is and whatever they’re doing, their application just works.

Vendors and providers should stop marketing individual technologies and start emphasizing seamless, integrated solutions. The companies that embrace this mindset - through innovation, acquisition, or partnerships - will be the ones that succeed in the long term and define the future of connectivity.

Back to My Daughter’s YouTube Video

Eventually, I connected the iPad to the hotspot, and my daughter got her YouTube fix. For her, it didn’t matter that it took 5G to backhaul my hotspot or that we were relying on an FTTP connection (an excellent one from Fidium Fiber I might add) at home. For her, it was just the Internet. And for billions of users around the world, that’s all it will ever be.

If you’re in the broadband industry, ask yourself: Are you focused on seamless connectivity and the true customer that is the end-user? Or are you too busy fighting the technology battles that only we, the insiders, care about?

Jason is the Director of Technical Marketing at QA Cafe and host of the Epik Mellon podcast. A protocol geek at heart, he has more than 20 years of computer networking experience, helping to develop internet and communications technology and translate it into value opportunities for organizations and the industry. Catch him at any event, and he’ll happily talk all things networking and philosophy over a beer.