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Sarah Tew/CNET
I think T-Mobile is feeling pretty chuffed about its . It recently rolled out an aggressive “Internet Freedom” campaign, which includes the tagline, “,” and it also made a splash with the , which placed the upstart T-Mobile Home Internet second among all national ISPs. Not too shabby.
T-Mobile Home Internet started rolling out as a pilot program early in 2021 and one of my (now former) CNET colleagues, Rick Broida, was . By April 2021, T-Mobile announced it had . A short year later, it proclaimed it had , and .
We’ve been aware of T-Mobile’s desire to for quite some time. But now that the company’s home broadband offering is established, what does that mean for you? Does offer something new? Is T-Mobile Home Internet a viable option to replace your current ?
First, the price is right: T-Mobile charges $50 a month (and that’s reduced to $30 for eligible Magenta MAX mobile customers). On top of that, you don’t have to worry about long-term contracts or data caps. Pretty sweet, right?
Definitely, but it’s early days yet. Although T-Mobile Home Internet is currently available to approximately 40 million homes across the US, many locations and addresses can’t get it. While 5G is the marquee player on this bill, T-Mobile relies on 4G LTE to help expand its home internet service area. This means that of the 5G home internet providers, T-Mobile will offer the slowest speeds on average. But let’s dig into the details.
T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi Gateway modem-router.
T-Mobile
Where can you get T-Mobile Home Internet?
Whenever we start talking about any ISP, it’s always good to begin by answering the fundamental question: Can I get this service? T-Mobile Home Internet is currently available to over 40 million households in over 40 states. That makes it the most widely available 5G home internet service in the US. By comparison, Verizon’s 5G Home Internet service has but is available to around 30 million homes. In the meantime, T-Mobile is open to signups in over 600 cities, but more households, many within rural areas.
To explore a complete list of the available cities and towns, refer to this .
When will T-Mobile Home Internet get to my area?
As mentioned, T-Mobile is the most widely available 5G home internet service, covering 40 million households. But when you consider that puts the total number of households in the country at over 122 million, about 67% of households remain ineligible for T-Mobile Home Internet.
A T-Mobile spokesperson didn’t have specific details on expansion plans but highlighted that more than 10 million households in the current footprint are within rural America. Additionally, there’s a focus on expanding access for small towns and communities. For those outside the current availability window, T-Mobile’s site mentions that expansion could take six months or more and allows interested parties to put their name on the list for down the road.
What plans and pricing does T-Mobile Home Internet offer?
Simplicity is one of the biggest things that jumped out at me when I began to explore T-Mobile Home Internet. There isn’t an array of tiers and options from which to choose because there’s one plan and one plan only:
T-Mobile Home Internet plans and pricing
|
Plan |
Max speeds |
Monthly price |
Equipment fee |
Data cap |
Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
T-Mobile Home Internet |
33-182Mbps download, 6-23Mbps upload |
$50 ($30 for eligible Magenta MAX mobile customers) |
None |
None |
None |
One size fits all
There aren’t many qualifiers when discussing T-Mobile Home Internet plans. It’s one plan, one price and no additional fees. The premise of 5G home internet is that unlike — including coaxial cable lines, fiber-optic internet and digital subscriber line — you’re not reliant on underground constructions and deployments to get you connected. Instead, it’s a fixed wireless service that provides you with a router that connects to a cellular signal.
T-Mobile provides its Wi-Fi Gateway device, a combination modem and Wi-Fi 6 router compatible with T-Mobile’s 4G LTE and 5G networks. As you can see from the chart, the only variable is the average download and upload speed you’ll experience. T-Mobile says that all eligible households will see average download speeds of 33 megabits per second, at the bare minimum. Depending on your location and the placement of the T-Mobile Gateway, you might see download speeds as high as 182Mbps or more.
Currently, T-Mobile utilizes more of its 4G LTE network to expand its availability, so don’t expect full 5G capabilities.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile Home Internet speeds: Isn’t 5G supposed to be faster?
The hope and promise of 5G and its capabilities have not yet been fully realized. My colleague and how not all “5G” is the same. In summary: Faster 5G speeds come with shorter ranges. The farther the distance, the less speed on the top end.
For T-Mobile to hit the road running with availability to over 30 million households at its launch, it needed to lean on its 4G LTE network and its growing 5G network. That’s why my CNET colleagues averaged just over 40Mbps download speeds with T-Mobile Home Internet, and some households may get up to just over 100Mbps. Anecdotally, limitedclock we’ve heard of some users seeing download speeds as high as 300Mbps. Still, T-Mobile’s promises that customers will “see typical download speeds between 33-182Mbps.” So, that may be plenty of speed for many, but don’t expect the higher download speeds you might get with fiber internet or some cable plans. At least not yet.
On the plus side, no hidden fees
One of the significant wins for T-Mobile Home Internet is its straightforwardness. There’s no pesky small print. ISPs are notorious for their hidden fees and trap pricing that tries to lure you in with enticing promo prices but then sticks you with a larger bill after those terms expire. That’s not the case here.
T-Mobile Home Internet features no data caps, so you don’t have to fear data overage fees. There’s no equipment fee for the Gateway device, so you don’t have to figure out an additional monthly cost to tack on to your regular bill. It also requires no annual service contracts, so you don’t have any early termination fees looming over your head. These are all appealing aspects of this service and make it very enticing to try T-Mobile Home Internet if it’s available in your area.
Does T-Mobile offer any deals or promotions for 5G home internet?
In addition to the above consumer-friendly approaches, T-Mobile is also trying to sweeten the pot for potential customers. First, T-Mobile offers new customers a yearlong subscription for free (a $60 value). Second, it’s giving new customers with a Magenta MAX mobile plan a chance to subscribe to YouTube TV for 50% off the regular $65-per-month price tag. Third, home internet customers can now participate in T-Mobile Tuesdays, the company’s weekly discount and free perks promotion. Fourth, T-Mobile boasts a Price Lock guarantee, which means no rate changes for as long as you remain a customer. Lastly, T-Mobile is running a “Worry-free Test Drive” promotion during which customers can try the service for 15 days with a money-back guarantee.
How does T-Mobile Home Internet fare against competitors?
As I said, T-Mobile is ahead of its 5G home internet competitors — Verizon and Starry — in terms of availability. is currently available in six major metropolitan areas and plans to expand to nearly 30 million households by the end of 2022 by targeting the cities of ; ; Dallas; Detroit; ; Indianapolis; Memphis, Tennessee; Miami; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Portland, Oregon; ; and . Verizon is available in more cities than T-Mobile (currently 900) but is behind T-Mobile’s total households covered.
However, Starry and Verizon have the upper hand on average download speeds. Starry customers will typically see consistent download speeds of 200Mbps and Verizon’s 5G Home Internet plans average around 300Mbps. What Starry and Verizon have given up regarding widespread availability, they currently make up for in the average speeds they deliver.
All three 5G home internet providers share freedom from all the hidden fees and pricing games that many cable and fiber ISPs play. With 5G, the monthly rate is the monthly rate. There are no added fees, equipment rental charges, data caps or binding annual contracts.
So, how good is T-Mobile Home Internet, really?
When it comes to 5G, we’re much closer to the beginning than the end of where everything will shake out. If it’s speed you’re after, T-Mobile’s 5G home internet service might not impress you if you have other cable and fiber internet providers available at your address. But if you’re in a rural or less developed area where DSL or satellite was your only previous option, T-Mobile will feel lightning fast by comparison.
Overall, T-Mobile has positioned itself as a viable option in the home internet space and made it an intriguing player to watch as it expands its 5G infrastructure. If nothing else, since it demands no contract commitment, it’s an opportunity to try a different option and maybe even use it as leverage to . Hopefully, the more options we have as consumers, the better our internet service will be in the long run.
T-Mobile Home Internet FAQs
Are there data caps with T-Mobile Home Internet?
No. T-Mobile Home Internet features unlimited data. Customers will not have any potential data overage fees or charges hanging over their heads. That said, T-Mobile Home Internet customers could find their service slowed in cases where the company prioritizes its mobile users over its fixed wireless customers.
Does T-Mobile Home Internet come with a router?
Yes. One of the appealing aspects of T-Mobile Home Internet is that its monthly fee — $50 a month if you use AutoPay and $30 a month for eligible Magenta MAX mobile customers — includes a 5G Gateway (a modem/router combo device). The T-Mobile equipment lease is included in the one fee, and all that’s required is that you return the device when you end service with T-Mobile.
Is T-Mobile Home Internet faster than satellite internet?
For the most part, yes, but not unequivocally. As T-Mobile says in its , “many factors affect the speed and performance that customers experience, including… proximity to a cell site, weather and the surrounding terrain,” so your download speeds, which average between 33-182Mbps, are not guaranteed. But customers should see download speeds higher than those typically achieved by HughesNet (average of 25Mbps) and Viasat (12-100Mbps). Starlink’s base plan boasts a higher range (50-250Mbps) but is not as widely available as T-Mobile Home Internet. It’s also much more expensive — $99 a month, plus a one-time equipment fee of $599.