T-Cellular is reportedly contemplating constructing a multibillion-dollar fiber community that it might use to supply dwelling web service, in line with Bloomberg. Whereas the corporate began testing fiber web final 12 months, its primary home-focused providing connects with 5G as an alternative of different wired infrastructure like DSL or cable.

Bloomberg studies that the service has been working with Citigroup to seek out monetary companions for a possible $4 billion three way partnership or “industrial partnership.” It looks like early days for the plan, and it’s doable nothing will come of it, but it surely nonetheless seems like a big step for the wi-fi service, which has historically used and managed a really completely different type of infrastructure.

In the meantime, T-Cellular’s present dwelling and enterprise web choices (a minimum of those which can be broadly accessible) depend on its 5G and LTE networks. Whereas that does enable it to roll out protection extra simply than if it needed to lay fiber within the floor, there are limitations; poor service can result in a nasty person expertise, and a fiber community will nearly actually outperform a mobile one. For T-Cellular, it’d be good to have the ability to supply each choices in some areas: a comparatively cheap mobile possibility for folks with comparatively mild web wants and a fiber providing for energy customers and individuals who require rock-solid service.

T-Cellular didn’t instantly reply to The Verge’s request for touch upon its seek for companions to construct a fiber community and about what number of customers are at present on its fiber dwelling web pilot. When we wrote about that service in August final 12 months, T-Cellular had solely made it accessible in elements of New York Metropolis and was utilizing an area fiber supplier’s infrastructure as an alternative of its personal. In line with Bloomberg, the service has additionally been wanting into different partnerships the place it may make an analogous association.

Whereas T-Cellular could also be seeking to spend large on fiber, it appears doubtless that its primary dwelling web providing will nonetheless be its fixed-wireless service. As Google has proven, constructing out a fiber community in just some dozen areas will be an costly and time-consuming operation, one fraught with potential pushback from established gamers. Earlier this 12 months, T-Cellular introduced that one million folks had signed up for its 5G dwelling web service and that it was able to offering it to over 40 million households.