After years of reviewing home internet providers — including 5G services — I knew I had to test Mint Mobile 5G Home Internet (dubbed “Minternet”).
I signed up on the day it launched and want to share what I’ve learned about its setup, speed, pricing, and key fine print.
1. What Is Mint Mobile 5G Home Internet?
When the package arrived, the branding said a lot. While the box is plastered with Mint Mobile’s logo and color scheme, it prominently says “Powered by T-Mobile.”
Inside the box is a T-Mobile Home Internet gateway. This is the exact same hardware that T-Mobile advertises for its own 5G service, and that’s by design.
Mint Mobile, which is now part of T-Mobile, is using the parent company’s 5G network to offer its own home internet service.
This service runs on T-Mobile’s network, but it is sold, billed, and managed by Mint Mobile.
This distinction is important because it leads to a different experience from billing to setup and customer service. I explain in more detail throughout this review.
2. Setup and Activation: Easy Hardware, Clunky Account Management
The physical setup process is very simple. You can do it yourself with no technician required.
- Placement is Key: Connect the power cord and find an ideal spot. Mint recommends being near a wall outlet, by a window, on a higher floor if possible, and away from other electronics. I found it’s helpful to test a few different locations to maximize signal strength.
- Ignore the T-Mobile App: Once you power on the gateway, you may see a prompt to download T-Mobile’s T-Life app. Forget about that. You don’t need it for activation.
- Connect Devices: As long as you have a strong signal (the gateway’s screen will indicate this), you can start connecting your devices to Wi-Fi. The default username and password are printed on the back of the gateway.
To change your Wi-Fi name or password, you’ll manage your account through the Mint Mobile app. If you have both Mint’s wireless and internet services, you’ll need to log in to those accounts separately.
You must also reach out to customer care to have your accounts linked to secure your bundle discount.
Michael’s Experience: Honestly, I spent more time dealing with the administrative task of linking accounts than I did actually setting up the physical equipment.
3. Speed and Performance: T-Mobile’s Speeds at a Mint Price
Since I’ve been testing T-Mobile Home Internet long-term, the first thing I wanted to know was: Does the Mint Mobile version perform just as well?
I conducted a side-by-side speed test, placing the new Mint gateway in the exact same spot as my existing T-Mobile gateway.
- T-Mobile Home Internet: Just over 700 megabits per second (Mbps) download speed
- Mint Mobile Home Internet: Nearly 650 Mbps download speed on the first test
My conclusion is that Mint’s plan is performing just as well as T-Mobile’s service.
The actual speeds you get will depend on 5G coverage where you live, but you are not getting an inferior network connection.
| Mint Mobile Advertised Typical Speeds (Same as T-Mobile) |
| Download: 133 to 415 Mbps |
| Uploads: 12 to 55 Mbps |
| Latency/Ping: 16 to 28 ms |
For most users, 5G services like this are excellent for everyday tasks: streaming TV, working from home, and even some light gaming.
Heavy gamers and anyone who does a lot of uploading will prefer a fiber internet connection if available.
4. Pricing: The $30/Month Deal Comes with a Catch
The advertised price of $30 a month looks great, but it’s not the full story because Mint Mobile does not offer monthly plans. You must pay for three, six, or 12 months in advance.
My initial bill was for the three-month intro offer:
- Home Internet (3 months): $120
- Mint’s most affordable phone plan (3 months): $45
- After bundle discount, taxes, and fees: $141 Total
This works out to approximately $47 a month for both phone and internet.
Key Pricing Factors:
- Prepay for Savings: The longer you prepay, the better the “per-month price” you will secure upon renewal.
- Bundle Discount: If you have an active Mint Mobile phone plan, you will save an additional $10 a month on the internet service. However, the internet plan can be purchased as a standalone service.
- 14-Day Guarantee: There is a 14-day money-back guarantee to try out the service. If it doesn’t work out, you can cancel and return the equipment promptly for a full refund.
5. The Fine Print: Data Cap and Equipment Loan
As a brand new service, it’s important to dive into the terms and conditions. Here are the catches and “gotchas” I discovered:
- Availability: Like all 5G home internet services, Mint’s plan isn’t available everywhere. You must enter your address on the website to confirm eligibility.
- Auto Renewal Requirement: I noticed a checkbox indicating that Auto Renewal is required for the internet plan. After signup, I was able to turn this off once logged in to my account from Mint’s website.
- Data Cap/Throttling Policy: While the plan is advertised as unlimited, the network management policy states that customers who use more than 1 terabyte (TB) of data in a month may experience slower speeds during network congestion for the rest of the billing cycle. (At launch, the network management policy stated 1.2 TB. It has been updated to 1 TB.)
- Loaner Gateway: The gateway is a loaner, not yours to keep. If you cancel the service and do not return the equipment within 45 days, you will be charged a $220 fee.
6. Customer Service: It’s All Mint
If you run into an issue, remember you are reaching out to Mint Mobile’s customer support, not T-Mobile Home Internet.
Your two main options for support are chat and call. As expected, chatting with Mint starts with a bot, but a human can be reached. For more complicated issues, a direct call is often more efficient.
Michael’s Experience: I’ve reached out to customer support a few times already, including one lengthy call of nearly 30 minutes to handle an administrative issue (linking the phone and internet accounts) that I felt should have been automated.
Administrative Friction:
- While there is one Mint Mobile app, there were two separate logins (wireless and home internet) at launch. I hope these are combined for a seamless experience.
- If you’re bundling, you must call customer support to manually link your accounts and secure the discount.
7. Who Should Get Mint Mobile 5G Home Internet?
For years, I’ve discussed the 5G mismatch — where affordable 5G home internet often requires bundling with an expensive phone plan.
Mint Mobile may have solved that problem by offering both services at a competitive price point, provided you are willing to prepay.
This Service is Best For:
- Existing Mint Mobile Phone Customers: Those who are already familiar with the prepaid structure and can maximize the savings by bundling.
- Small to Medium-Sized Households: Given the 1 TB threshold for potential data slowing, this plan is not ideal for large families with massive, continuous usage.
- Users Who Are Settled: Outside of the 14-day money-back window, Mint is not offering refunds if you move and your new location is ineligible for the service.
Who Should Look Elsewhere?
- Heavy Data Users and Gamers: If you consistently exceed 1 TB or require low, consistent latency for online gaming or heavy file uploading, I recommend that you look for a truly unlimited plan from a fiber or cable provider.
- Users Unwilling to Pay in Advance: If paying three, six, or twelve months in advance is a dealbreaker, you’ll need another option.
Consider T-Mobile Home Internet
If you’re seriously considering 5G home internet but the Mint plan doesn’t work for you, T-Mobile Home Internet is the next best alternative.
While the regular pricing is higher than Mint’s best rate, you can pay monthly, and T-Mobile often runs competitive introductory offers that can add significant value.
You can learn more about T-Mobile Home Internet and check eligibility here.
Need help comparing other plans in your area? I have a free tool that helps you compare the best internet plans available where you live.
I’ve had a Mint cellphone plan for a while and was interested in the home internet plan when it was announced. Amazingly, following the links from the email directed to existing Mint customers, there was no way to amend the plan to add home internet. The site is designed for new customers to add both a cell phone and home Internet plan at the same time. I called support and was given a number to call to set it up. That number should have been in the announcement email, if that’s the required procedure.
Anyway, I selected a plan and received the router today. I agree with the previous comments about the app (also, the app will not install on an iPhone7 Plus because it requires iOS16, which that phone cannot be upgraded to because it’s missing a required chip. Minimum iOS version should be stated, in my opinion. Why do I still have an ancient phone? Because it works and has a rectangular display with no notch or island. You can’t get a new phone with those features. Yes, those are features.
I set up the router today and did a speed test. It was something like 230 Mbps down and 30 Mbps up. I reconnected my work computer to the new network because I’ve been having issues with Spectrum. Unfortunately, the Mint router conked out on me in the middle of a meeting. I switched my computer back to Spectrum and rejoined the meeting. After the meeting was over, I did some troubleshooting of the router. Bottom line, the power supply is good, but the router does not turn on at all. It apparently simply died during the meeting.
I called the support number and after explaining multiple times that the display doesn’t turn on at all, and that coverage is not an issue, I was finally processed with a replacement. I should get it next week.
I’ve been a Mint phone customer for five years now, and have been very happy with the service. Right now, I’m paying $85/month for Comcast internet. I was thinking about downgrading to a cheaper plan, because it’s just me and i don’t really need such an expensive plan. But I HATE having to call them, when I canceled my cable TV a few years ago, they wasted so much of my time trying to get me to not cancel.
So when I heard about Minternet, I decided to give it a try. Existing Mint customers must call to order, so they can give the bundle discount. That was pretty painless, and a few days later, I got the gateway via Fedex. It was very easy to set up. I put it in a window of an upstairs room, as they recommend. To make it even easier, I changed the WiFi name and password to what the Comcast one is. Then changed the Comcast one slightly so I know which is which. The network name is “DocBrownsDeLorean”, so the Comcast one became “DocBrownsDeLorean2”. Using the Mint app was a bit cumbersome at first, but I soon figured it out. Then all my stuff just automatically connected to the Mint service.
It’s been about a week and a half now, and so far, so good. I don’t see any difference between Mint and Comcast. Everything works as it should, streaming is great, no freezing or buffering. I was not sure what to expect with this, so I’m pleasantly surprised that it works so well.
As I said, it’s just me here. With Comcast, I have never come anywhere near 1 TB in a month, maybe about 600 GB at the most. I’m not a gamer, and I don’t care about streaming in 4K, my eyes can’t tell the difference anyway, so why bother? I do Facebook and other online stuff, I stream video and music, and I have a few smart light bulbs and Apple Home Pod Minis. That’s really about it.
I don’t have a problem paying in advance, as I pay a year in advance for my Mint phone – I have the unlimited for $30/month or $360/year. The Minternet will cost the same, as I will pay annually for that, too. $60/month for both phone and internet is not too shabby! And I will save $55/month over Comcast.
Now I have to waste half a day calling Comcast to cancel my service. But then I hopefully will never have to deal with them ever again. I heard that you can just take the equipment to the Xfinity store and tell them there that I want to cancel my service, and they have to do it without all the retention stuff you get over the phone. Is that true?
The one thing I will miss is free Peacock. I gotta have my “Days of Our Lives”. But even if I pay for it, it’s still cheaper than Comcast. And Black Friday is coming, I will be checking your deals page for an annual deal on Peacock, hopefully they will have one.
But I am so excited that I will save $55/month, which adds up quickly.
Can you use the Minternet while traveling in an area that has T-Mobile coverage?
It’s for a single fixed location, according to the terms.
Can you run a home phone from Mint’s 5g equipment, like you can from a modem/router?
No. The gateway does have two Ethernet ports, a couple of USB-C ports, four coax thingies for if you want to attach antennas. But no phone jacks.