We surveyed hundreds of T-Mobile customers and did our own testing
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Price: $50.00/mo.*
Speeds: 33–182 Mbps
Data cap: None
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◊ Provider star ratings are based on user reviews and our independent customer satisfaction survey.
*w/ Auto Pay. Internet provider not available in all areas; customers ineligible for 5G Home Internet may be eligible for 4G LTE or other fixed wireless options. Regulatory fees included in monthly price for qualified accounts. See full terms.
Our T-Mobile 5G Home Internet review
After testing out T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet as my primary home internet connection for two months, I’m happy to say this fixed wireless service is an excellent alternative to cable or even fiber internet. It’s got capable speeds, a super breezy onboarding process, and even comes with a free internet gateway rental, all for an incredibly affordable $50 per month.
But it’s not just me that likes T-Mobile‘s internet. In our annual customer satisfaction survey, T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet received outstanding customer ratings in all categories and even scored better than ISP giants like Xfinity and Spectrum.
On top of T-Mobile’s stellar home internet deal, it’s also offering a no-risk, free 15-day trial and up to $500 in reimbursem*nts for fees if you’re switching from another ISP. T-Mobile will even cover your first month of service via a $50 rebate.
There’s really no reason not to try T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. Chances are, it’ll perform well, eliminate some of the common headaches you get with other ISPs, and, most importantly, save you money.
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Our T-Mobile 5G Home Internet test
With all the positive buzz around this new fixed-wireless internet service, I had to try it for myself. I used T-Mobile 5G Home Internet for a few months in my two-person, internet-intensive household. I figured there had to be something behind all the great feedback but was a bit skeptical that a fixed wireless internet connection could handle latency-dependent tasks—like gaming and video conferencing—as smoothly as my cable ISP does.
Overall, T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet far exceeded my expectations, especially with speed and reliability. This new internet service is a user-friendly workhorse that sets the new standard for a no-nonsense modern internet experience in 2023.
Pros
- Cheap monthly flat fee
- Easy signup and installation
- No price hikes, no data caps, and no annual contract
- Free gateway rental
Cons
- Occasional slowdowns on a fixed wireless connection
- Speeds dependant on 5G reception
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Jump to: Plans and pricing | Speed and data caps | Fees | Installation, equipment, and contracts |Customer ratings | T-Mobile vs. the competition | Bottom line | FAQ
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Compare T-Mobile internet plans and pricing
| Package | Price | Speed | View on T-Mobile site |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | $50.00/mo.* | 33–182 Mbps | View Plan |
*w/ Auto Pay. Internet provider not available in all areas; customers ineligible for 5G Home Internet may be eligible for 4G LTE or other fixed wireless options. Regulatory fees included in monthly price for qualified accounts. See full terms.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet speeds
T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet only advertises a single speed of 33–182 Mbps, which presents a lot of variability. This is due to the 5G tech that T-Mobile uses to deliver bandwidth. It’s the same technology your phone uses for internet connectivity, so naturally, there’s more fluctuation than internet services that use closed networking systems like cable and fiber.
While testing T-Mobile Home Internet, my speeds did vary, but very rarely did they dip below 100 Mbps. In fact, running speed tests on a laptop and an iPhone over Wi-Fi showed speeds consistently above 200 Mbps. Upload speeds were comparable to cable internet, hovering around 15 Mbps.
Your T-Mobile speeds will highly depend on your area’s 5G infrastructure. A strong 5G signal on a cell phone is a good sign.
Is T-Mobile 5G Home Internet for you?
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a great alternative to cable or fiber internet, and it’s light years ahead of DSL. Especially if you have a small-to-medium-sized household with average internet needs, we say T-Mobile is absolutely worth a try. Its low cost, flexible terms, and ease of use are too compelling to ignore.
Consider your home’s 5G reception
If you do a lot of demanding internet tasks or live in a large household with a ton of simultaneous streaming and downloading, T-Mobile may still be a great option, provided you have decent 5G reception in your home.
The top end of T-Mobile’s 33–182 Mbps speeds is enough for a lot of simultaneous internet activity. But 33 Mbps isn’t enough bandwidth for more than one or two people. Throughout my testing, I saw speeds much higher than T-Mobile’s advertised max speed of 182 Mbps, but your speeds will depend on your home’s 5G reception.
If you have good 5G reception on your cell phone in your home, you’ll likely have a strong signal with T-Mobile 5G home internet. With four to five bars of 5G reception in my home, I get speed test results consistently above 200 Mbps with T-Mobile.
My experience with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
I live in a two-person household that does everything (including working) online, and I found T-Mobile Home Internet to be more than capable of handling most of my internet tasks. Remote working and conferencing, browsing the web, and even gaming all ran without a hitch on my T-Mobile internet connection. Multiple random speed tests revealed consistent speeds above 200 Mbps and, sometimes, speeds over 400 Mbps.
The service performed so well that it even made me rethink how much bandwidth I really need. Being used to a 500 Mbps cable internet connection, I thought surely I’d miss fast downloads at the very least. But I didn’t notice any difference, even with huge game files and program downloads.
Remember, even with a super-fast internet connection, your download speeds are still at the mercy of the servers dishing out the data. T-Mobile speeds kept up with the download hosts I use (Steam, Microsoft, Sony, and more) just fine.
Is T-Mobile 5G Home Internet good for gaming?
Using T-Mobile internet for both console and PC gaming has been a treat. I haven’t had any drops, consistent lag, or slow updates. While some are understandably hesitant to use 5G for gaming due to latency concerns, for me, it was a non-issue. Even super time-sensitive games, like racing sims and shooters, performed just as well as they had on my cable internet connection. My average ping based on random speed tests was around 18 ms.
Is T-Mobile Home Internet good for live TV streaming?
One hiccup I did run into was with streaming live TV. I use a cord-cutter live TV streaming service, which uses my IP address to authorize service. T-Mobile changes your IP address somewhat frequently and anything that uses that IP address to authorize use will need to be reauthorized every time the IP address changes. For me, this required a long phone call to my streaming TV provider to have the new IP authorized—a major inconvenience.
A T-Mobile phone representative stated that a fix for this issue is in the works.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet data caps
For me, one of the biggest perks of T-Mobile is not having to worry about my data usage.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet comes with unlimited data. Unlike many cable internet service providers, this 5G service lets you spend as much time as you like streaming, gaming, and doing whatever else without worrying about overage fees once you exceed a certain number.
Is T-Mobile 5G Home Internet available where you live?
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Our favorite plan: There’s only one T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plan, but it’s a sweet deal. Although you may have to contend with inconsistent speeds on occasion, you still get a fast connection—sometimes really fast if you have good 5G coverage. And you get a fair price, which includes the costs of installation and equipment in the flat monthly fee.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet deals
Get a $50 Virtual Prepaid MasterCard when you sign up for T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. New customers can also get a one-year subscription to ViX+ for free and up to $750 in early termination fees.
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T-Mobile 5G Home Internet fees
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| Equipment Fee | None |
| Installation Fee | None |
| Data overage fee | None |
| Early termination fee | None |
| Gateway non-return fee (if not returned when service canceled) | $370.00 |
During my test of T-Mobile, I didn’t uncover any unexpected fees or increases on my bill. T-Mobile doesn’t tack on the extra fees that are common with fiber and cable internet service providers. The cost for T-Mobile’s modem/router device is rolled into the monthly bill. There’s also no extra cost for installation, and there aren’t any data caps or annual contracts.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet installation, equipment, and contracts
With a simple and straightforward sign-up, very easy installation, and nearly no contract obligations, T-Mobile is setting a new standard when it comes to creating a smooth customer experience.
Breezy sign-up
Signing up for T-Mobile 5G Home Internet couldn’t be easier. You can order online, by visiting a T-Mobile retail location, or go old school and order by phone. With only one straightforward internet plan, there’s no guesswork or tricky decisions other than choosing to give this awesome new service a shot.
Easiest install yet
Once you have your T-Mobile internet gateway, you download the app onto your phone or tablet, connect the gateway to power, and work through the short installation process. It took me about 15 minutes to complete. Another huge advantage to having T-Mobile is the ability to put your router anywhere with decent 5G coverage—no networking cables required.
Modern equipment
The T-Mobile rental gateway (included in your plan) is a hassle-free and helpful device. Because T-Mobile is a fixed wireless internet service, you don’t need to connect any networking cables. This means you can put the router anywhere in your home that has a good wireless signal.
An LCD screen on the gateway provides useful information like signal level, messages from T-Mobile, and the number of connected devices. Most internet gateways require you to log into the device’s settings via a browser or an app to see this info.
Wi-Fi reach on the T-Mobile gateway is good, on par with my Netgear Nighthawk router. I didn’t experience any dead spots or lack of signal anywhere in my mid-sized townhome.
T-Mobile internet contracts
T-Mobile internet doesn’t require an annual contract. You can cancel anytime without stressing about early termination fees. However, you do need to return the gateway once you’ve closed out your internet service—otherwise you’ll be charged $370.
T-Mobile internet customer ratings
| Speed Rating | Price Rating | Reliability Rating | Customer Service Rating | Overall Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile customer satisfaction rating | 4.1/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Average rating* | 3.9/5 | 3.4/5 | 3.7/5 | 3.6/5 | 3.7 |
*Based on our annual customer satisfaction survey
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is so new this is the first year we’ve been able to include it in our annual customer satisfaction survey. Customers expressed that T-Mobile has put an excellent new product into the internet market, rating T-Mobile even higher than some major national internet providers.
T-Mobile shows impressive results in all categories but did especially well with speed. Ninety percent of T-Mobile’s customers said their speeds were “always” or “usually” as fast as promised. Even Google Fiber (whose fiber connection is unquestionably faster) didn’t have as many respondents saying that.
Customers had glowing things to say about T-Mobile’s customer service, with 91% reporting it was easy to get help. T-Mobile also ranked high for reliability—which is a little surprising, considering that T-Mobile uses a wireless 5G that is typically more unstable than wired connections like cable and fiber. Despite the high reliability rating, T-Mobile customers do report more outages than most other providers. However, this hasn’t been the case for me; T-Mobile has actually been more reliable than my cable internet service.
As 5G internet continues to roll out on a wider scale, we are seeing a promising start for this emerging technology. Sure, there are other internet providers out there with higher brand recognition and long-established infrastructure. But with so many satisfied customers, 5G home internet looks like a great new option for internet users.
See what other T-Mobile customers are saying
We love to hear from customers about their experiences with their internet provider—and we’re especially keen to hear from you about T-Mobile 5G Home Internet since it’s such a new type of home internet service. Head over to our Customer Review form to let us know about your experience and see what others have said.
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How T-Mobile 5G Home Internet compares to the competition
| Provider | Plan price range | Speeds (range) | User rating* | Order online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon | $25.00–$70.00/mo.** | Up to 300–1,000 Mbps | 3.9/5* | View Plans |
| Xfinity | $20.00–$80.00/mo.*** | 75 Mbps–1,200 Gbps | 3.7/5* | View Plans |
| Spectrum | $49.99–$89.99/mo.**** | 300–1,000 Mbps | 3.7/5* | View Plans |
*Based on our annual customer satisfaction survey.
**w/ Auto Pay. Available in select areas. Some may require select mobile plans.
***For 12 months. No term contract. Taxes and equipment not included. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. Prices may vary by location.
****For 12 months when bundled. Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.
T-Mobile’s big 5G internet competitor is Verizon 5G Home Internet, whose flagship plan delivers slightly faster speeds for pretty much the same price. Both providers also have bundle deals for mobile customers, with half (or nearly half) off the price of your internet plan if you also get a qualifying cell phone plan.
T-Mobile and Verizon are pretty evenly matched here, but according to our annual survey, T-Mobile has an edge in speed, price, reliability, and customer service when it comes to satisfying their customers.
Other than Verizon, T-Mobile’s other main competitors are cable internet providers like Xfinity and Spectrum. Cable providers have faster speeds (on their higher-tier plans at least) and fewer speed fluctuations or disconnects. However, cable internet also means dealing with extra fees, annual price hikes, and, in some cases, data caps and annual contracts. All of that makes us think T-Mobile internet ultimately has a better approach and is well worth a try.
Is T-Mobile 5G Home Internet right for you?
If your home has good 5G reception, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a great option. It avoids the excess fees and price hikes often associated with cable and fiber internet and instead provides something simple, fast, and affordable. The speed fluctuation that comes with 5G isn’t ideal, but it’s not a deal-breaker, and the pricing can’t be beat. And this is an even better deal if you’re already a T-Mobile phone customer.
T-Mobile is also making it as easy as possible for new customers to try out this home internet service with a 15-Day free trial and up to $500 in reimbursem*nts if your previous provider charges you early termination fees.
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FAQ about T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
Can you buy your own router for T-Mobile Home Internet?
Yes, you can buy your own router and use it with T-Mobile Home Internet. The router we recommend most is Google Nest Wi-Fi—it’s fast, it has up-to-date Wi-Fi standards, and it works over a massive range of up to 2,200 feet. Also, you can get up to three units for just $54 each when you’re signed up for T-Mobile Home Internet.
Here are some other options we recommend if you want to buy your own router for T-Mobile:
- Best Wi-Fi Routers
- Best Routers for Parental Controls
- Best Long-Range Routers
- Best Routers for Online Gaming
This 5G-based home internet service comes with its own gateway (modem/router combo) for no additional cost. So you don’t need to buy a router to go with T-Mobile. But having your own equipment does come with advantages, giving you more flexibility to customize settings and improve speeds.
However, it is compatible with most newer Wi-Fi routers. T-Mobile offers a deal on the Google Nest Wifi Router, where you can get up to three units for $54 each.
Does T-Mobile 5G Home Internet offer a bundle discount on streaming services?
Yes, T-Mobile offers a bundle deal with Philo TV.
Philo TV costs $15 a month for one year when you bundle it with T-Mobile Home Internet. You don’t get the 100+ channels that come with YouTube TV, but you can watch 60+ of your favorite cable channels live as well as record them with unlimited DVR.
Included for free when you sign up, T-Mobile also offers a year of Paramount+, giving you access to tons of movies and TV shows at no extra cost.
Methodology
Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.
