Verizon 5G Home Internet vs. T-Mobile Home Internet: Which Mobile Company Offers the Better Household Internet Service? - CNET

Oct 23, 2024

How do these two fixed wireless providers compare? T-Mobile Home Internet is more available, but Verizon offers faster speeds. Here’s the rundown.

Article updated on October 16, 2024 at 8:00 AM PDT

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T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet are the main competitors in the 5G home internet space. While Verizon 5G Home Internet may boast a higher maximum download speed, CNET picks T-Mobile Home Internet as the better internet service provider, if just by a whisker. Why? Mostly because T-Mobile Home Internet is available in more locations across the country (including more rural areas), offering internet connectivity to more people. In recent years, T-Mobile has also fared better regarding customer satisfaction. Recently, T-Mobile took one of the top spots for ISP customer satisfaction in the latest J.D. Power Survey.

Rural access is certainly important, but it's not everything. T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet also appeal to urban and suburban customers because they provide competition where there previously might have been none. The best internet provider for you might be the one that caters to your needs and allows you to get out from under your current, underperforming ISP.

We'll give you the key facts on these two providers so you can make an informed decision for yourself. We've compiled exhaustive research looking at speed, pricing, customer care and more to help make that choice easier. Let's take a look at how Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet match up.

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Note: All prices listed on this page reflect available discounts for setting up paperless billing. If you decide not to go with automatic monthly payments, your price will be higher.

Our take - T-Mobile Home Internet is still fairly new on the block, but it's got the widest reach of any fixed wireless internet provider. By utilizing its 4G LTE network and the expanding 5G grid, T-Mobile has aggressively expanded its coverage map and offered its service to more households than Verizon's 5G solution.

Our take - Verizon 5G Home Internet uses ultrawideband 5G technology to deliver max download speeds close to 1 gigabit for select customers and average download speeds of 300 megabits per second. That's the fastest average download speed delivered by a major fixed wireless provider.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Locating local internet providers

5G continues to roll out nationwide, offering millimeter-wave cellular speeds at higher, faster frequencies than 4G LTE. That's great news for our phones and other smart gadgets connecting over cellular airwaves. And it could be a game changer for our homes, too. With the potential for near-gigabit speeds over the air that rival cable and fiber internet service providers -- plus the added appeal of straightforward, consumer-friendly terms that ditch data caps, equipment fees and the like -- 5G is shaping up as one of the most exciting things to happen to residential internet in years.

The first hurdle is whether 5G home internet service is available at your address. 5G signals are extremely convenient -- much more convenient than installing a fiber or cable network -- but the signal doesn't reach everywhere. You might not be eligible for home broadband service even when you can get Verizon or T-Mobile signals on your phone.

Verizon and T-Mobile are the providers doing the most to expand the 5G's availability for home internet use, though the providers recently found a new competitor in AT&T's 5G home internet rollout, AT&T Internet Air. AT&T does not boast the same availability as Verizon or T-Mobile, with a coverage of just 9% of the US, according to the FCC. However, all providers offer dedicated 5G fixed wireless home internet plans that promise fast speeds and simple terms at an affordable rate. In some areas, you might even find that your home is serviceable by both Verizon and T-Mobile, as CNET's own Eli Blumenthal discovered in his quest to replace his cable provider.

Time will tell how much 5G stands to disrupt the ISP category. For now, let's continue our look at how Verizon 5G Home and T-Mobile Home Internet match up.

Are you tired of deciphering which broadband package to choose out of countless options? Both Verizon and T-Mobile lean into providing a no-strings-attached broadband experience, a welcome relief for many internet users. Each provider offers simplified 5G home internet plans requiring no term agreement or data caps.

There are two choices for Verizon: Verizon 5G Home and Verizon 5G Home Plus. Verizon 5G Home comes with a two-year price guarantee and lower download speeds, while Verizon 5G Home Plus locks in your price for three years, plus higher download speeds and a slew of additional perks (see the perks and promos section below).

T-Mobile also offers two home internet plans, though they both have the same speeds. T-Mobile Home Internet Unlimited costs $50 monthly, while T-Mobile Home Internet Plus costs $70. T-Mobile Home Internet Plus includes a mesh Wi-Fi router to extend the range of coverage throughout the house. The Plus plan also includes 24/7 "interactive video support," according to T-Mobile's website. However, since you're getting the same speeds with both tiers, you might think that the Plus plan essentially charges you for that extra equipment. You're not entirely wrong. We would love to see the Plus plan include more than just fancier equipment for that boost in price.

T-Mobile also recently rolled out its Home Internet Backup plan, in the case of power or internet outages caused by natural disasters. For $20 a month, you get up to 130GB -- which is admittedly, not very much, but this internet option isn't intended for heavy or regular usage. In fact, T-Mobile offers this internet option as a backup to your current internet provider. If you add a T-Mobile voice line to the deal, your price is cut to just $10 a month.

While 5G can reach gigabit download speeds, don't expect those top-end numbers from either provider's home internet product. T-Mobile, for example, says on its site that customers can expect "average download speeds in excess of 100Mbps," and they typically experience ranges from 72 to 245Mbps. Why so relatively low? T-Mobile Home Internet relies on its growing 5G grid and existing 4G LTE network to expedite its availability. So don't expect a pure 5G experience.

"During congestion, Home Internet customers may notice speeds lower than other customers due to data prioritization," reads the first sentence of T-Mobile Home Internet's general terms. "Service may be slowed, suspended, terminated, or restricted for misuse, abnormal use, interference with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users." In other words, you may experience some slowed internet speeds during peak hours, like after 5 p.m.

On the other hand, Verizon tells its subscribers to expect higher average download speeds of around 300Mbps. Verizon's dependence on its Ultra Wideband 5G network (and lesser use of its "4G LTE backup") is the main reason for the faster speeds. It uses low-band, midband and millimeter-wave technology to provide customers with speeds that could get as high as 1,000Mbps for some lucky customers.

When trying to gauge the best deal for your home, it's essential to look at the cost per Mbps to better understand the actual value.

Considering the average download speed of 100Mbps for that $50 monthly fee, T-Mobile Home Internet Unlimited rings in at 50 cents per Mbps, comparable to what you might pay for a midrange cable internet plan. If you have a qualifying Go5G Plus or Magenta Max mobile plan, you could trim that to $30 a month or 30 cents per Mbps. T-Mobile Home Internet Plus comes in at 70 cents comparatively, a steep price without a bundling discount.

Verizon 5G Home, which averages 125Mbps, matches that amount at a cost per Mbps of 40 cents. If you choose the Verizon 5G Plus plan, which averages 300Mbps, your monthly bill is $70, but that cost per Mbps goes down to just under 24 cents. Customers with qualifying Verizon mobile plans will get $15 to $25 off the monthly cost of either plan. If you can use that additional discount, it makes Verizon 5G Home -- the regular plan at 28 cents per Mbps and the Plus plan at an even better 15 cents per Mbps -- one of the most affordable out there compared to any cable internet plans by competitors.

Let's revisit that idea of the no-strings-attached internet experience. Verizon and T-Mobile are eager to get customers to try their 5G home internet offerings, so no hidden fees or taxes are added to the monthly cost. As we mentioned before, there's no contract or data cap. There's also no additional equipment rental fee, installation fee or other trap fees (although T-Mobile does charge a one-time, $35 activation fee), so it's a win-win for both providers and their customers.

Neither provider offers a detailed coverage map for its 5G home internet solution. However, considering the list of cities they claim to cover and the total number of households, T-Mobile is clearly in the lead here.

While Verizon 5G Home Internet is available to approximately 40 million homes nationwide, T-Mobile Home Internet reaches over 50 million households and serves over 60% of the US population. In contrast, Verizon's 5G service is now available in more than 2,700 cities, covering only 19% of the country.

Overall, T-Mobile Home Internet has just over 5 million customers (according to a report in the second quarter of 2024), while Verizon's latest earnings report puts its subscriber base at just under 4 million. That's a sizable piece of the broadband pie for both upstart fixed wireless offerings.

Still not convinced by the straightforward terms both T-Mobile and Verizon put forward? They'll try to sway you with their promotional offers.

First, T-Mobile and Verizon are so confident in their 5G home products that each offers to pay off any early termination fees for new customers who break their current ISP contract, up to $500 for Verizon and $750 from T-Mobile.

Second, they each offer similar discounts for eligible mobile customers. T-Mobile and Verizon will shave off $15 to $25 if you bundle your home internet with eligible mobile plans.

Verizon also offers additional perks, including a free Disney and Vix Premium subscription for 12 months. Verizon also revealed new bundled streaming packages (complete with a logo revamp) that can get you Disney Plus, Hulu with ads and ESPN with ads for just $10 a month. Comparatively, T-Mobile offers a $200 gift card for new customers and a free Blink smart security package for home security. If you bundle a T-Mobile phone plan with internet, you can get Netflix (with ads) for free.

We refer to two of the top customer satisfaction surveys within our ISP reviews -- J.D. Power and the American Customer Satisfaction Index -- and they place Verizon at the top of their rankings. However, those residential internet surveys focus on Verizon Fios, a fiber internet service, not specifically the Verizon 5G Home Internet option. The verdict on the company's 5G fixed wireless internet product isn't as strong, though it still has a decent showing. It scored 605 points to T-Mobile's 649 in the J.D. Power study.

On the other hand, T-Mobile Home Internet impressively led all nonfiber ISPs with 76 out of 100, well above the ACSI industry average of 68 points. But can you guess which provider was right behind it? Verizon 5G Home Internet took second place, scoring 74 points.

Anecdotally, one of our CNET writers tested T-Mobile during its pilot program and preferred it over his previous provider, Comcast Xfinity.

T-Mobile and Verizon are still aggressively building their 5G networks, so we're closer to the story's beginning than the middle or end, especially regarding 5G fixed wireless internet overall.

T-Mobile Home Internet has a slight edge over Verizon 5G Home Internet in availability. Adding its 4G LTE network to 5G makes it a much more viable pick, particularly in rural and underserved areas of the country, where it's a compelling alternative to options like satellite or DSL. Verizon 5G Home Internet takes the lead in performance, featuring nearly triple the current download speeds of T-Mobile Home Internet. As such, T-Mobile may have the upper hand now, but Verizon seems poised to provide a higher upside in the immediate future as the best fixed wireless internet in cities where the two overlap.

Is T-Mobile Home Internet better than Verizon 5G Home?

It depends on how you define "better." T-Mobile Home Internet is available to more households than Verizon 5G Home Internet, so it's got the edge there. Verizon 5G Home boasts a higher average download speed (300Mbps), so it can claim a win in that category. Ultimately, the product that will be best for you is the one that's available at your address and can provide enough download speed to enable your household to do what it needs to do.

Which internet service provider has the best 5G coverage?

Not to sound like a broken record, but it depends on how you define "best 5G coverage." If you're looking strictly at the number of people covered, T-Mobile Home Internet is the ISP with the best 5G coverage. If you define "best" by which provider has the better download speed performance, then the winner is Verizon 5G Home Internet. It has a top end of 300Mbps compared to T-Mobile's 245Mbps. Verizon 5G Home Plus is even better, with a maximum of 1,000Mbps in some areas.

Can you work from home using Verizon 5G Home or T-Mobile Home Internet?

Yes. Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet should provide near or above the FCC's broadband speed definition of at least 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload. Both fixed wireless products, in urban and suburban areas, won't give you as many options as some cable and fiber providers. On the flip side, Verizon 5G Home and T-Mobile Home Internet are cheaper (especially with their mobile discounts) and you'll have the opportunity to try them out at very little risk to see if they'll be adequate for your home office needs.

Are Verizon 5G Home and T-Mobile Home Internet better than fiber?

T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet can't match fiber internet's symmetrical download and upload capabilities. Also, due to the nature of their cellular connections (where 5G home internet customers might find themselves deprioritized to mobile customers on the network), they won't be able to equal fiber's performance reliability. Where Verizon and T-Mobile might have the edge is on availability. The reach of 5G home internet is expanding faster than fiber, so Verizon 5G Home and T-Mobile Home Internet have advantages there.