T-Mobile Staff Review
T-Mobile offers fixed wireless home internet with unique 15-day “test drive”
T-Mobile is such a household name that it may be hard to believe T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet has only been on the market since 2021. The telecom giant was originally founded in 1994 and became well-known for its wireless mobile phone service [1]. But fixed wireless home internet is very different from the internet access you get over your phone, especially now that 5G is delivering faster speeds to customers. T-Mobile has the largest 5G network in the United States [2]. T-Mobile was also the fastest mobile operator in the nation for Q4 2023 according to Ookla Speedtest [3]. Having a fast 5G network allows T-Mobile to provide solid, fast home internet connections. If you are currently using DSL or satellite internet, there’s a good chance that T-Mobile may be able to give you better performance. In addition, T-Mobile offers you something unique among internet providers. You can have a 15-Day Test Drive to check out whether you like the service. That means you have a guarantee that if you aren’t fully satisfied, you can cancel with a full refund.Pros
Fast speeds with 5G technology No data caps or contracts Low, transparent pricing
Cons
5G network not available in all areas Speeds can vary Not as fast as fiber/cable internet
Pricing
T-Mobile Home Internet stands out for simple, straightforward pricing
Pricing for internet service is notoriously tricky. The dreaded “hidden fees” tend to pop up at every turn, quickly driving up what seemed initially like a reasonable monthly plan price. The confusion has been so bad that even the FCC has stepped in to require broadband consumer labels [4]. That’s why one of T-Mobile Home Internet’s strongest points is very clear, affordable pricing without surprises. There are two basic plans to choose from. Both use an all-inclusive monthly fee. T-Mobile 5G Unlimited Home Internet is currently around $55/month, but you will get a significant promotional discount ($40) when you bundle with a T-Mobile cell phone line. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Plus is about $20 more, with an even larger discount when you get the bundled phone line (total monthly price $50). The Plus plan also includes a special tech support service that will support any necessary troubleshooting for all your smart home devices and laptop, etc. These prices between $55-75 (before bundle discounts) are about average for entry-level internet plans such as DSL. But T-Mobile’s great advantage over DSL is the speed. You will typically get much faster speeds from T-Mobile. Comparing T-Mobile’s home internet pricing to satellite internet pricing is even more striking. Satellite internet is known for providing service to areas that have no other alternative. While this is very valuable in rural areas, it also means satellite prices are higher. Satellite internet standard rates are often about 30% higher than T-Mobile’s rates. Overall, then, you may find that if you live in an underserved or rural area where your only other options are DSL or satellite, T-Mobile gives you better prices for more power.Reliability and Performance
Speeds vary, but 5G brings faster connections to many underserved areas
T-Mobile Home Internet will vary in speed. Here are the ranges that the company gives as typical, though of course exceptions can still occur. Online reviews confirm the general accuracy of these estimates. Download speed: 72-245 Mbps Upload speed: 15-31 Mbps Latency: 19-37 ms As the company’s statement neatly summarizes, many factors can affect the speed of a wireless internet transmission, including proximity to a signal tower, weather, surrounding terrain, network congestion, and video quality [5]. However, on the whole, these speed ranges for 5G internet are high enough to support a majority of internet activities, even online gaming and HD streaming. Remote workers will be able to videoconference and work with large files. Even the latency is pretty good, as most gamers recommend a latency under 50 ms.Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features
No equipment fee, 5G gateway included
T-Mobile includes a 5G gateway (aka modem/router) with its monthly fee. So unlike with many other ISPs, you won’t have to add another $10-15 to your monthly bill. If you get the Home Internet Plus plan at a higher price, you will also get a mesh access point along with your gateway. So, if you have a larger home, you may want the additional coverage. The Plus plan also includes unlimited tech support from Assurant Personal TechPro for any devices you have connected to your Wi-Fi. This offer is really unusual and deserves notice. Most ISPs don’t support third-party devices at all. If you have trouble hooking them up, you’re on your own. But with this plan, you’re going to have a lot of help whenever you need it. It may be well worth the extra $20/month. Installation is far easier than with wired internet plans. And you will have a one-time device connection fee (under $40 at this time).Customer Experience & Support
Customers rank fixed wireless internet highest for satisfaction
In general, JD Power reported that for last year, customers were far more satisfied with their wireless home internet than with any other internet technology [6]. The category of “wireless” included 5G or 4G LTE home internet, while satellite internet was in a separate category. This triumph of wireless home internet over its rivals is truly surprising. Conventional wisdom has previously held that consumers are happier with fiber internet than with any other kind of service. We will continue to watch the J.D. Power survey results, but for now, fixed wireless gets very high marks. In addition, the American Consumer Satisfaction Index ranked T-Mobile Home Internet #1 for customer satisfaction among non-fiber providers [7]. That gives serious bragging rights, as T-Mobile beat out some heavy hitters, including giant cable companies. With this outstanding positive response from customers, we recommend T-Mobile as a strong choice for your internet service.FAQ's
T-Mobile 5G Unlimited Home Internet and Home Internet Plus offer unlimited data without data caps. You can enjoy streaming, gaming, and other high-data tasks without incurring any overage charges. If you have Home Internet Lite, T-Mobile’s plan for those outside the current fixed wireless coverage area but within T-Mobile’s mobile network coverage, you will choose your data allowance.
All T-Mobile Home Internet plans include the use of a 5G Gateway at no extra charge.
Enter your zip code to see whether you have T-Mobile fixed wireless Home Internet available in your area.
Yes, T-Mobile is adding to its large network of fixed wireless 5G coverage, which is already available to 50 million homes as of summer 2024.
Sources
[1] Wikipedia.org. "T-Mobile US." [2] T-Mobile.com. "Network." [3] Speedtest.net. "United States Mobile Market Analysis." [4] APNews.com. "Broadband Label Junk Fees." [5] T-Mobile.com. "Network Speed and Performance Metrics." [6] JDPower.com. "2023 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study." [7] American Consumer Satisfaction Index. "ACSI Telecommunications Study 2022-2023."
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