T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Review

Need better internet in a rural area? T-Mobile’s new home internet option offers download speeds of 25+ Mbps for $60 per month. And . . . wait for it . . . unlimited data.
T Mobile logo
T-Mobile
  • pro
    $60.00/mo.
  • pro
    25–182 Mbps
  • pro
    No contract
  • con
    Limited availability

Kristin Cooke
Researcher & Writer
Read More
March 16, 2023

How fast is T-Mobile home internet

T-Mobile’s new 5G home internet service gives customers access to contract-free broadband internet service (25 Mbps and above) at competitive prices. And, unlike satellite internet, it offers unlimited data. 

T-Mobile LTE and 5G home internet service doesn’t rely on expensive cable or fiber infrastructure, or on billion-dollar satellite networks. Instead, T-Mobile internet delivers a wireless home internet connection using cell phone data networks. 

That's one of the reasons prices can vary so widely; you'll likely average somewhere around 25-33 Mbps, but they can go much higher depending on time of day and area you live.

Reviews for the service have been largely because the $60-per-month subscription price includes all taxes and fees, and T-Mobile advertises no price hikes (although the price did go up from $50 during the beta trial).1

As long as you have mobile phone service at your home, you have a good chance of being able to get wireless home internet from T-Mobile or another wireless internet provider. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet isn't available in all T-Mobile areas yet, but it’s growing. You can get T-Mobile Home Internet in parts of 27 states and 450 cities and towns in the US.

See all the internet options available in your area.

T-Mobile Home Internet price

There’s just one T-Mobile Home Internet plan—which keeps things simple when you sign up, although it doesn’t give bargain discounts to low data users. This plan delivers unlimited data and download speeds that are typically around 25 Mbps. Equipment rental is included in the price, which is a bonus, and there’s no installation cost, either: it’s a simple plug and play setup. No installation is required.

T-Mobile 4G LTE Home Internet

Depending on where you live, the T-Mobile home broadband plan delivers 5G speeds or 4G speeds. Either one should offer you strong internet service for the price, though of course 5G is faster.  

Plan
Download speed
Data
Price*
Get it
T-Mobile LTE Home Internet25 Mbps or moreUnlimited
$60
/mo

*Price is with auto pay discount applied. Data effective 4/9/2021. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

T-Mobile Home Internet vs. mobile hotspots

If you’ve ever wished you could use a mobile hotspot for home internet and somehow get unlimited data, that’s essentially what T-Mobile LTE Home Internet is. Mobile hotspot devices have limited amounts of high-priced data, which makes them impractical for household internet use. 

T-Mobile Home Internet has unlimited data. And although you can’t carry your T-Mobile internet modem with you while traveling, it is an outstanding home internet solution for rural and underserved areas. T-Mobile’s home plan delivers an unlimited supply of data through T-Mobile’s nationwide LTE network, and it works in many areas where the cable lines don’t go.

Bullhorn

T-Mobile and Starlink have officially teamed up to eradicate mobile dead zones. In the future, when your T-Mobile cell phone signal disappears, your phone will be automatically connected to Starlink satellites to keep you constantly connected.

The beta version of this service is planned to start at the end of 2023, so keep your eyes peeled.

T-Mobile LTE Home Internet availability

The biggest drawback to T-Mobile’s Home Internet service is that it isn’t available everywhere yet. And we’re not just talking about the remote areas without cell phone service—there are hundreds of hopeful rural towns that aren’t covered yet. Plus, T-Mobile manages the traffic by limiting the number of customers in each area. So, in some areas, there is a waiting list to sign up.

T-Mobile has been working on LTE home internet since 2019, when a small number of customers were invited to participate in the plan.2 Although T-Mobile has made huge strides in building out the network—leaping from three metro areas to over 450 cities—but coverage is limited in the states with service. There are still there are still 23 states without the option of T-Mobile Home Internet service, including many areas with T-Mobile cellular service.

The good news is that T-Mobile is pushing to rapidly expand their home internet service, thanks to the Sprint merger and the increasing demand for internet connectivity due to COVID-19.

How to find out if T-Mobile Home Internet is available in your area

T-Mobile wireless internet service is available in parts of 27 states. You can check the list of rural communities and cities with T-Mobile home internet or enter your address on the T-Mobile website to find out if you can get T-Mobile internet in your home. 

Other LTE internet providers

If T-Mobile isn’t available in your area yet, you may still be able to reap the benefits of LTE home internet through another provider, such as Verizon, UbiFi, Ladybug Wireless, or Wahoo. A few of these LTE home internet services are portable, which means you can take it with you in a truck or RV for internet on the go. Others—like T-Mobile—only work in a fixed location (at your home or business). 

The chart below compares T-Mobile Home Internet with other LTE home internet services.

T-Mobile Home Internet vs. competitors

Provider
Price*
Highlights
Get it
T-Mobile Home Internet*

$60.00/mo.

• Unlimited data

• $0 equipment cost

• No contract

• Fixed location only

• Available in parts of 27 states

Verizon LTE Home Internet

$40.00–$60.00/mo.**

• Unlimited data

• $240 equipment cost

• No contract (unless enrolled in Device Payment Plan)

• Fixed location only

• Available in 48 states

UbiFi

$50.00/mo.

• Portable

• Nationwide availability

• AT&T network

Ladybug Wireless

$99.99–$219.99/mo.

• Portable

• Nationwide availability

• No contract• 300–750 GB data/mo.

• AT&T and T-Mobile network• Option to BYOD

Unlimitedville

$149.00–$249.00/mo.

• Portable

• AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon network (pricing varies)

• Nationwide availability

• Unlimited data

Nomad Internet

$129.00–$149.00/mo.

• Portable

• Nationwide availability

• T-Mobile or Verizon network

Data effective 4/9/2021. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *With autopay. Without autopay price is $65/mo. **With auto pay for 1 yr. + taxes, equip. charges, & other fees.

Is T-Mobile Home Internet good for streaming?

To comfortably stream TV, you'll want to be using at least broadband download speed, which is 25 Mbps according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). T-Mobile home internet delivers anywhere between 33 and 182 Mbps, so as long as your local cell tower isn't overcrowded, you should be able to stream TV with T-Mobile Home Internet without buffering.

Of course, download speed isn't the only thing that matters when streaming. And T-Mobile offers some specifics discounts that make streaming even better. 

Does T-Mobile pay for YouTube TV?

You can get $10 off a YouTube TV subscription if you sign up for, or are a current customer of, T-Mobile wireless or T-Mobile Home Internet. If you're a current YouTube TV customer and want to claim your discount, you'll need to cancel your account and sign up again through T-Mobile to get it.

YouTube TV is also the new home for NFL SUNDAY TICKET, so you're getting a pretty sweet deal. Just remember that if you switch from T-Mobile wireless or T-Mobile Home Internet, you'll lose your YouTube TV discount too.

Is YouTube free on T-Mobile?

You can get YouTube Premium free (not to be confused with the live TV streaming service YouTube TV, mentioned above) for 3 months with T-Mobile. YouTube Premium removes ads from your YouTube watch experience and allows you to keep listening to videos even after you've closed the app. Just keep in mind that after the free period, YouTube Premium costs $11.99/mo.

And in case you're wondering, yes, you can actually get both the YouTube TV $10/mo. off discount and the YouTube Premium free trial. 

Is T-Mobile Home Internet any good?

Yes, T-Mobile Home Internet is a good option for rural areas or homes with few options. T-Mobile’s service is reliable and offers steady (although not dizzyingly fast) speeds and an unlimited amount of data. Monthly service includes the use of a modem/router that creates a Wi-Fi home network, so there are no equipment costs.

In many rural areas, T-Mobile Home Internet tops any other internet option. As with any LTE service, your speed can vary based on your proximity to T-Mobile cell phone towers. This is why 4G LTE home internet service providers advertise “speeds up to” a certain number of megabits per second (Mbps). 

T-Mobile advertises that speeds are usually 25 Mbps or more, with the disclaimer that actual speeds will vary. And speeds will be increasing in the years ahead. 5G is several years away for most rural areas, but once it expands across the nation, 5G networks will deliver even faster speeds for T-Mobile customers.3

You will want to make sure that you can get good T-Mobile reception in your area, so check T-Mobile coverage maps and talk to a T-Mobile representative for specific information (such as the closest T-Mobile tower to your home). 

Pros
pro Unlimited data
pro Competitive price ($60/mo.)
pro No cable or fiber wiring required
pro $0 equipment cost
pro Quick and easy setup
pro No contract
Cons
con Can’t use own router
con Unavailable in homes without T-Mobile cell reception
con Not portable (can’t use in an RV)
con Max speed 25 Mbps

T-Mobile Home Internet customer service

If you're facing home internet issues or billing problems, you can contact T-Mobile Customer Care using either the T-Mobile Home Internet app or by calling 1-844-275-9310, the general customer service number. T-Mobile customer service is available 24/7.

If you need more specific help with home internet service, check out these phone numbers to see who you should call to get help the fastest:

T-Mobile Home Internet Sales Support: 1-855-209-2629

T-Mobile Home Internet Tech Support: 1-855-545-4614

The final take: T-Mobile trumps many rural internet options

T-Mobile’s new LTE internet service is a great option for folks who can’t get cable or fiber. We love the fact that T-Mobile LTE Home Internet gives small towns and rural areas a way to get unlimited data at broadband speeds.

If you can get T-Mobile LTE Home Internet in your area, we recommend you try it out. It doesn’t require a device purchase (yay!) or any kind of contract. Since there isn’t a contract, you can cancel and return the modem/router at anytime. So if you’re suffering with data caps and sluggish speeds on your current plan, try T-Mobile out. It might just be the solution you need to keep connected.

Learn more about the best 5G home internet providers.

FAQ about T-Mobile Home Internet

What is LTE home internet?

LTE home internet is a new type of ISP that delivers an internet connection through cell phone networks. Although not as fast as fiber or cable, LTE internet is much less expensive to install than other types of internet and offers more data and lower latency than satellite internet. Using existing cellular towers, LTE internet delivers ample internet speeds for streaming, video conferencing, email, browsing, online shopping, and most other online activities.4,5

Is T-Mobile Home Internet good for gaming?

T-Mobile Home Internet can work for gaming but it may not work with some gaming systems because the T-Mobile modem/router combo doesn’t have port forwarding or bridge mode. As far as internet download speeds go, T-Mobile Home Internet is fast enough to support most online gaming, although the latency (averaging 30 to 50 ms) is a little higher than recommended for fast-paced games.

Does T-Mobile Home Internet have data caps?

No, T-Mobile LTE Home Internet does not have a data cap. Customers have unlimited data on this internet plan.

Can you stream on T-Mobile home internet?

Yes, you can stream with T-Mobile home internet service. Video streaming services recommend internet with at least 3 to 5 Mbps download speeds, and T-Mobile provides adequate speeds for streaming, even on multiple devices.

Do I have to pay for installation for T-Mobile Home Internet?

No, you don’t have to pay for T-Mobile internet installation because it’s self-installed. You will have a box delivered to your home that contains a router/modem and instructions. All you have to do is plug it in, select the network on your devices, and install the backup battery in the modem.

How does T-Mobile’s LTE Wi-Fi plan work?

T-Mobile’s LTE Home Internet/Wi-Fi plan connects your home network to the internet using cellular data. The T-Mobile modem/router converts the cellular data signal into a Wi-Fi signal you can use to connect your devices.

Sources

  1. Broida, Nick, CNET, “T-Mobile's $60 Home Internet Service: My Review After 6 Weeks,” April 2021. Accessed April 9, 2021.
  2. T-Mobile website, “T‑Mobile Begins Limited Home Internet Pilot, Laying a Foundation for Home Broadband Disruption in Advance of Merger with Sprint,” March 2019. Accessed November 5, 2020.
  3. Salter, Jim, Ars Technica, “5G in Rural Areas Bridges a Gap that 4G Doesn’t, Especially Low- and Mid-Band,” September 2020. Accessed November 5, 2020.
  4. Netflix website, “Internet Connection Speed Recommendations.” Accessed November 5, 2020.
  5. Hulu website, “Internet Speed Recommendations.” Accessed November 5, 2020.