T-Mobile Home Internet Review - CNET

Oct 16, 2024

You know about fiber. But can 5G fixed wireless service also deliver all your internet needs? CNET tackles T-Mobile's home broadband option.

Article updated on October 13, 2024 at 5:00 AM PDT

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Is T-Mobile Home Internet good enough for your household? First, the price is right: T-Mobile charges $50 to $70 monthly for its plans ($30 to $50 for Go5G Plus and 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 still not a slam dunk. Although T-Mobile Home Internet is currently available to over 50 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. That means that of the 5G home internet providers, T-Mobile doesn't offer the fastest speeds on average. But we'll dig into the details more as we go along.

It first began as a pilot program early in 2021, and we were among the first to give it a hands-on test run. By April 2021, T-Mobile officially announced the launch of its home broadband service nationwide. A short year later, it expanded its availability to 40 million households, and we returned to give it another try. In April 2024, T-Mobile announced two new internet plans: the Away plan, which will roll out later this year, and the T-Mobile Home Internet Plus premium plan, already available to customers.

Locating local internet providers

Overall, T-Mobile continues to be ecstatic about its 5G home internet offering. The number of subscribers has reached 5.6 million, according to the company's second-quarter 2024 report. The Federal Communications Commission included T-Mobile's home internet offering as one of only 11 fixed internet services able to cover over 5% of the US population. T-Mobile Home Internet made a splash with the 2024 American Customer Satisfaction Index survey results, which placed it at the top of all non-fiber national internet service providers. Not too shabby.

Now that the company has established its home broadband offering, what does that mean for you? Does 5G home internet offer something new? Is T-Mobile Home Internet a viable option to replace your current ISP?

Locating local internet providers

One of the biggest things that jumps out at me when I look at T-Mobile Home Internet is its simplicity. Before adding its premium plan, T-Mobile only offered a single plan. But even with two plans, T-Mobile doesn't offer an array of tiers and options from which to choose. It's all pretty straightforward. Plans range from $50 to $70 monthly or $30 to $50 when bundled with eligible mobile plans. Currently, T-Mobile has a limited-time offer for its Home Internet Plan, where customers can receive a $20 discount if they bundle their home internet with any mobile plan.

T-Mobile's new premium plan, Home Internet Plus, includes a Wi-Fi Mesh system, which expands your connection throughout your home, reaching up to 2,200 square feet of additional coverage. Though T-Mobile's standard plan already offered a customer care team aiding tech support for its customers, the premium plan goes a step further with Assurant Personal TechPro, designed to ensure that customers can access unlimited live tech support at all times.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

There aren't many qualifiers when discussing T-Mobile Home Internet plans. It's two plans, two prices, but with the same speeds. However, the premium plan comes with different perks. The premise of 5G home internet is that, unlike typical internet connection types (including coaxial cable lines, fiber-optic internet and digital subscriber lines), 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. At the bare minimum, T-Mobile says, all eligible households should see average download speeds of 72 megabits per second. Depending on your location and the placement of the T-Mobile Gateway, you might see download speeds as high as 245Mbps.

The hope and promise of 5G and its capabilities haven't yet been fully realized. My colleague Eli Blumenthal has thoroughly detailed the basics of 5G 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.

T-Mobile utilizes much of its 4G LTE network to expand its availability, so don't expect full 5G capabilities all the time.

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, we've heard of some users seeing download speeds as high as 300Mbps. Still, T-Mobile's FAQ section promises customers will "see typical download speeds between 72-245Mbps." So, that may be plenty of speed for many folks, but don't expect the higher download speeds you might get with fiber internet or cable plans. At least not yet.

When discussing any ISP, it's always good to begin by answering the fundamental question: Can I get this service? T-Mobile Home Internet is available to over 50 million households in all 50 states. That makes it the country's most widely available 5G home internet service. By comparison, Verizon's 5G Home Internet service has rolled out in approximately 900 markets but is available to around 40 million homes. In the meantime, T-Mobile is open to signups in over 600 cities but more households, many within rural areas.

Check the T-Mobile Home Internet eligibility page to determine if your address is serviceable.

As mentioned, T-Mobile is the most widely available 5G home internet service. However, considering that US Census data puts the total number of households in the country at approximately 143 million, about 60% 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 people outside the current availability window, T-Mobile's site mentions that its Ultra Capacity 5G connection is expected "to reach 300 million Americans by the end of this year."

That said, T-Mobile also has a Home Internet Lite service, open to anyone within a T-Mobile service area. While that broadens the company's availability footprint, it wouldn't be right to include this as part of T-Mobile Home Internet, as Lite has a 100 to 300GB data cap.

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 -- they try to lure you in with enticing promo prices but then stick 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.

All that said, there is one additional fee you'll have to pay once at the start of your service: a $35 "device connection charge," similar to the activation fee you pay with many ISPs.

In addition to its consumer-friendly simplicity, T-Mobile is sweetening the pot to draw in potential customers.

First, customers with eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max plans can save $20 monthly for both plans. Second, new customers can get a $200 virtual gift card for switching to T-Mobile Home Internet. Additionally, new customers who switch to T-Mobile Home Internet can get a free Blink smart security package, which includes a Blink Outdoor 4 and Mini Pan-Tilt camera. Lastly, home internet customers can participate in T-Mobile Tuesdays, the company's weekly discount and free perks promotion.

But wait, there's more: T-Mobile also runs a "Worry-free Test Drive" promotion, during which customers can try the service for 15 days with a money-back guarantee.

For the second year in a row, T-Mobile Home Internet was the highest-rated non-fiber ISP.

T-Mobile Home Internet hit the ground running in 2023 when it debuted at the top of the American Customer Satisfaction Index's survey of nonfiber internet service providers. It scored 73 out of 100 points, well ahead of the category's 66-point average. Even more impressive is that it bettered that score by 4% in 2024, still topping the ACSI chart, though Verizon 5G Home Internet was hot on its heels in second place.

Regarding availability, T-Mobile is also ahead of its 5G home internet competitors, Starry and Verizon. Starry is available in five major metropolitan areas: Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, DC. 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 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 equipment rental charges, data caps or binding annual contracts.

Regarding 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 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. As one CNET early adopter of T-Mobile Home Internet noted, "Imperfection is a lot more tolerable when you're paying less than half what you were before."

Overall, T-Mobile has positioned itself as a viable option in the home internet space, making 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 negotiate with your current internet service provider. Hopefully, the more options we have as consumers, our internet service will improve in the long run.

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, if you use T-Mobile Home Internet you could find your service slowed in cases where the company prioritizes its mobile users over its fixed wireless service.

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 to $70 a month (or $30 to $50 monthly for eligible Go5G Plus and 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 Open Internet policy, "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 72 and 245Mbps, aren't guaranteed. But you should see download speeds higher than those typically achieved on Hughesnet (average of 50 to 100Mbps) and Viasat (up to 150Mbps). The Starlink plans can boast a similar range (25 to 220Mbps) but aren't as widely available as T-Mobile Home Internet. It's also much more expensive -- $120 to $5,000 monthly, plus a one-time equipment fee of $299 or $599 for the Starlink Mini.