If you’re looking for an affordable internet plan, you may have seen the ads for T-Mobile 5G Home Internet and wondered if it’s worth the savings.
At first glance, the service sounds almost too good to be true:
- $30 to $50 per month
- No annual contract
- No data caps
- Equipment included
T-Mobile Home Internet Review 2023
I’ve tested T-Mobile’s home internet service two times since it first launched. In 2023, I canceled fiber internet to rely solely on 5G home internet services from T-Mobile and Verizon.
This article covers the pros and cons that you need to consider before you sign up for T-Mobile 5G Home Internet.
T-Mobile Home Internet Pros and Cons Overview
| Pros | Cons |
| $30 to $50 monthly plan with Price Lock guarantee | Not available in all areas (Check eligibility) |
| Unlimited wireless internet data | Data speeds may be inconsistent |
| Wi-Fi gateway included at no extra charge | Cell phone customers receive higher priority |
| New customer offers and entertainment perks (See deals) | Some live TV streaming services are not compatible |
1. Try T-Mobile Home Internet Before You Commit
T-Mobile is offering customers a 15-day risk-free trial to test out its 5G home internet service.
This is a significant development. When I first tested the service in early 2021, it didn’t work well at my location. I canceled almost immediately, but I was charged for a full month of service.
T-Mobile eventually refunded me after a series of calls to customer service.
Now, T-Mobile customers don’t have to go through that hassle. If the service doesn’t work out, cancel by phone within 15 days and return the gateway promptly to avoid a $370 equipment charge.
During the test period, I recommend that you keep your existing internet service as a backup.
And if you decide to continue with T-Mobile and drop your existing internet service, T-Mobile says it will pay up to $750 in early termination fees. Learn more here.
2. Pricing, Deals & Perks
T-Mobile Home Internet’s unlimited data plan costs $50 per month when you set up AutoPay. Otherwise, it’s $55 per month. Taxes are included in that price.
There are additional savings for T-Mobile wireless customers:
- Get home internet for $30 per month if you have at least one Go5G Next, Go5G Plus or Magenta MAX voice line
- Get home internet for $40 per month with other T-Mobile postpaid wireless plans
T-Mobile is offering a Price Lock guarantee. The company says it will never raise your monthly price for home internet service.
There are no contracts. You can cancel anytime.
When you sign up for T-Mobile Home Internet, the company will run a credit check.
New customers must pay a one-time $35 activation fee. In the fine print, T-Mobile refers to this as an “assisted support or device connection charge.”
However, some customers have told me that T-Mobile waived this charge for them.
T-Mobile has special perks for new customers. At the time of this update in September 2023, T-Mobile is offering a $50 prepaid card.
These offers change frequently. Check T-Mobile’s website to verify the latest offers.
T-Mobile Internet Lite
In addition to the unlimited data option, T-Mobile has introduced Home Internet Lite. This version of the service does have a data cap.
It starts at $50 per month for 100GB of data.
T-Mobile Internet Lite is available in areas where T-Mobile doesn’t have the capacity to offer the unlimited plan. Learn more about this plan here and why I don’t recommend it.
3. T-Mobile Home Internet Data Speeds and Reliability
T-Mobile Home Internet relies on T-Mobile’s 5G and 4G LTE networks to provide service.
If you already have reliable high-speed internet service from a cable or phone company, T-Mobile’s data speeds may be slower than your current provider.
Here are the updated data speeds T-Mobile says you can expect with its home internet service:
- Download speeds between 72 Mbps and 245 Mbps
- Upload speeds between 15 Mbps and 31 Mbps
- Latency between 19 ms and 37 ms
During my test of T-Mobile’s service in 2021, I never got a strong signal — only one or two bars.
My experience improved when I tested T-Mobile 5G Home Internet from new locations in 2022 and 2023. These days, I regularly record download speeds of more than 250 Mbps.
With those download speeds, I’m able to reliably stream video, music and use all of my apps.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Speed Test Results
| Download Speed | Upload Speed |
| 246 Mbps | 18.7 Mbps |
| 351 Mbps | 19.5 Mbps |
| 224 Mbps | 17.7 Mbps |
| 317 Mbps | 21.8 Mbps |
| 250 Mbps | 28.5 Mbps |
Bottom line: If you get the advertised download speeds, T-Mobile Home Internet is fast enough to stream video and surf the web.
Although there are no data caps with the unlimited plan, home internet customers are deprioritized during times of congestion and may notice slower speeds than T-Mobile wireless customers.
There is no separate coverage map for T-Mobile Home Internet. The service relies on the same 5G and 4G LTE towers that T-Mobile wireless customers use.
For that reason, only sign up for the internet plan if T-Mobile has strong 5G coverage where you live.
The placement of your T-Mobile gateway (router-modem combo) greatly affects your data speeds. T-Mobile recommends positioning the gateway by a window and on an upper floor.
The T-Mobile Home Internet app guides you through the setup process. I have a separate tutorial here.
I’ve experienced deprioritization with T-Mobile Home Internet at times, but the service has been mostly reliable since I signed up as a paying customer in September 2022.
I’ve also tested Verizon 5G Home Internet and prefer it. See my comparison here.
Since there’s no way to predict when your speeds will be slowed due to network congestion, this service may not be a good fit if you do a lot of online gaming or video conferencing.
In addition, some live TV streaming services will not work with T-Mobile’s internet plan.
That’s because T-Mobile Home Internet uses dynamic IP addressing, not static. T-Mobile says Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV are two live TV services that are not compatible with the service.
YouTube TV, my favorite live TV service, does work with T-Mobile Home Internet. I use it every day without problems.
4. Home Internet Service Availability
T-Mobile Home Internet says its unlimited plan is open to more than 40 million homes, while the Lite version is available wherever T-Mobile has wireless coverage.
You can enter your phone number and address on T-Mobile’s website to check eligibility.
If you’re not able to sign up for T-Mobile Home Internet’s unlimited plan, you may be offered the T-Mobile Internet Lite plan. However, I generally don’t recommend the Lite version due to the low data cap.
If you’re not eligible for the unlimited plan, check back regularly as the service expands.
IMPORTANT: Households eligible for the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) can save up to $30 per month when they sign up for a prepaid version of T-Mobile Home Internet that’s available through Metro by T-Mobile. Learn more about Metro’s internet plan here.
Final Thoughts
T-Mobile was the #1 non-fiber internet service provider for customer satisfaction, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s 2022-2023 rankings.
I think T-Mobile 5G Home Internet’s unlimited plan is a great deal at $50 per month, especially with its Price Lock.
For those with fast internet service from a cable or phone company, T-Mobile’s service is likely cheaper. But depending on your current plan, T-Mobile’s service may have slower speeds.
Still, the low monthly price and signup perks may make T-Mobile Home Internet worth trying out.
I’ve put together a separate guide to help you choose the best internet service for you. Plus, I update limited-time offers on MichaelSavesDeals.com.
Have you tested T-Mobile Home Internet? Leave a comment below to add to my review!
T-Mobile Home Internet FAQ
How much does T-Mobile Home Internet cost?: T-Mobile Home Internet’s unlimited plan costs between $30 and $50 per month when you set up AutoPay. The best pricing is available to customers with at least one Go5G Next, Go5G Plus or Magenta MAX voice line.
How fast is T-Mobile Home Internet?: T-Mobile Home Internet’s typical download speeds range from 72 to 245 Mbps. T-Mobile says 25% of customers experience speeds below this range and 25% of customers experience speeds above this range.
What is the coverage map for T-Mobile Home Internet?: T-Mobile Home Internet relies on T-Mobile’s 5G and 4G LTE wireless towers, so there is no separate coverage map for the service. Check T-Mobile’s coverage map to see how the network performs where you live.
Is T-Mobile Home Internet good for working from home?: T-Mobile Home Internet’s advertised data speeds are fast enough for work-from-home tasks like videoconferencing, web browsing and checking email.
Does T-Mobile Home Internet have data caps?: There is no data cap with T-Mobile Home Internet’s unlimited plan, but the T-Mobile Internet Lite plan does have a data cap. I only recommend the Internet Lite plan if you have no other good options for high-speed internet.
What equipment do I need for T-Mobile Home Internet?: T-Mobile provides customers with a gateway (router-modem combo) to use with the internet service. It takes only a few minutes to plug it in and get started with the service. You can see my step-by-step guide to set up T-Mobile Home Internet.
Can I bundle T-Mobile Home Internet with other T-Mobile services?: Although T-Mobile Home Internet is available as a standalone service, it can be bundled with T-Mobile’s wireless plans. Those who bundle the two services get the best pricing on the internet plan.
How can I see if T-Mobile Home Internet is available in my area?: T-Mobile Home Internet places a limit on the number of customers that can access the service in a specific area. You can enter your address on T-Mobile’s website to check availability.
What’s the difference between T-Mobile Home Internet and Metro by T-Mobile Home Internet?: Metro’s $50/month home internet plan is prepaid, so no credit check is required. To get Metro by T-Mobile Home Internet, you must have a Metro voice plan. Metro customers pay a one-time fee of $49.99 for internet equipment, which is included at no extra charge for T-Mobile Home Internet customers. Learn more about the differences in this article.
they do data caps. throttled mine. works way spotty. won’t connect for an hour then wow, it works again.
I wouldn’t recommend if you work from home and rely on you home internet being up reliably.
I would love to say that t-mobile internet is a great service. I cannot. At first it was great. I was getting speeds of 120mbps download. after a few weeks that speed dropped to about 1.60 mbps down and 52 Mbps upload. I spoke with customer service several times about this problem and they sent me a new internet gateway. It worked for another 2 weeks and then stopped again. I am waiting on another gateway. if the service does not work this time I will be cancelling the service. In my opinion, the service is not worth the money.
I having the same problem worked for a few weeks, then speed slow down 54 .7 down load speed 47.6 upload .it will not connect to my home computer or my hp printer that only 2 years old . Contact tech support on the phone for 2 hours still unable to help my live tv stream worked but now will not work will be canceling
I’m having the exact same problem. Ive had 3 different gateways with the same problem with speed . Now again it’s slowed down till one 1mbs. I think they replace them with refurbished ones. Fiber optic cable will be accessible too me by the end of the summer and then saying goodbye T-Mobile!
I got the T-Mobile Internet as a separate set up for my theater room. Ethernet directly into my streaming box. I was in the store for an hour talking through everything with them before pulling the trigger. Not one time did they call out the difference between Home Internet and Home Internet Lite. I had no idea there was a 100gb limit until I got a text message saying I’d used up my plan data in less than one week of usage. Download speeds were 200 Mbps and worked great.
Returned it during the trial period.
I also capped out the data and canceled after 9 days of activating the account. I returned all the equipment 2 days later. After not receiving my promised refund I called TMobile and was told since I used the data I WAS NOT DUE A REFUND. I had my credit card company dispute the charges. I got my refund but NO thanks to TMobile. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. They continue to send me bills in the mail. NOT A REPUTABLE COMPANY!
If you use Hulu Live TV, T-Mobile Internet is not an option. It does not work with HULU. I talked to a T-Mobile Rep and he confirmed.
Yes, T-Mobile says this on its website. Also Sling TV. I will add to my article.
Sling TV works on mine and I average 100-175 down and 10-25 up.
Thank you
Be aware that if you plan to connect Genie, Aladdin, or Chamberlain garage door openers you will be sorry out of luck unless you set up a second router as a data access point. I spent hours and hours with with nice but technically unskilled T-Mobile help until I figured out that port 8883 is blocked on the current 5g gateways.
Be aware that certain AnyConnect VPNs are also incompatible with the 5G gateway!
I have had T-Mobile 5G Home Internet about a month. I’m truly on the fringe of their service area, but I’m paying $50 a month rather than $129 for a third-party 4G plan. And, it’s much faster, even with my “LOW” signal (one or two bars).
Speedcheck.org has me with an average of 71.41 down and 16.19 up. But, I frequently clock 100+ for download.
I’m EXTREMELY PLEASED with this service.
We got T-Mobile Internet and still on the trial. We are getting YT live TV. I guess we better try it before that trial period is over. It only became available in our area last weekend. So far zero issues but again we only have our devices hooked up and not a streaming service yet. We think YT live TV is the best option but Philo does look good??? Thoughts?
YouTube TV is excellent for a cable TV replacement. Philo is good too, but it doesn’t have major sports, news or locals.
I agree m getting pretty constant download speeds of 200 mbps and above, and average of 35 mbps upload, love this internet, works good enough for 45 a month.
Another issue with the T-Mobile 5g is they force you to pay monthly for their modem, yes it is included in the price. But if you own your 5g modem, they will not give you a credit for using equipment you already own. It is a take or leave it situation, I left it.
As you noted, the equipment is included in the price.
T-Mobile does not honor their 15 day guarantee. They said after 9 days of using and stopping their service that I used the data so NO REFUND! I will not use T-Mobile for anything and am telling everyone I know how bad they REALLY ARE!
No issues with hulu or netflix – running thru a roku box
I’ve had T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet service for a couple of months and have seen a dramatic increase in speed during that time. Evidently, they are expanding their service. When I first signed up, I was getting 40-50 Mbps download and about 5-7 upload. Now I get 150 down and 20-25 up. And, all this for only $50 per month. I live “in the sticks” and previously was paying about $120 per month for 4G service with much slower speeds.
I highly recommend this service if they offer it in your area. It has been consistently available, speeds certainly vary and slow down a bit during late afternoon and evening but are still fully capable of streaming.
Nice!
How many concurrent YouTubeTV streams did you test? We consistently have 3 YTV streams plus Ooma phone and various mobile phones/tablets. T-Mobile 5G Ultra is available at my address.
I have tested 3 streams at once.
Thanks for this very helpful article. Comcast just raised my rate after a 1 or 2 year promo deal and I’m looking for alternatives. Not many where I live in Alexandria, VA.
Have you checked availability for Verizon Home Internet? I have an article on that as well. (I’m testing both T-Mobile and Verizon’s services.)
Got through the 14 day trial fine. Worked like they said it would. Started about midway through December of 2022.
The subsequent time after the trial has been unusable. They are going to replace the “Gateway” but I don’t believe that will fix anything. I’ll have to wait to find out as the replacement will by here by Jan 18, 2023. Some of the service techs alluded to severe congestion in my area. Strange I did not see that during the 14 day trial. My internet now goes “down” after approx. 5:00 PM and remains down until about 2:00 AM in the morning. At times other than in that window I have usable internet. The special idiot I spoke with last is the one that ordered the replacement Gateway.
I must say that over 1/2 of the techs taking my calls were “special idiots”, more akin to parrots and don’t listen. The other techs were quite fine.
I’m thoroughly displeased at the moment. I feel swindled with this. This internet is right next to useless. Even just “surfing” at low throughput sites (not much bandwidth) is next to impossible.
I’ve got the unlimited plan, which they said my address qualified for. No data or speed caps.
Story recap and finale.
After being through many techs, and to be fair some were downright excellent, there were none that could actually resolve the internet speed issues where at the slowest I got nothing to about 300Kbps. I was told by a few that the particular cell tower I was linked to had high congestion and traffice. I finally called T-Mobile back and simply asked for my money back after explaining the full scenario to the patient woman at the other end of the line. She credited my account, and two gateways are being shipped back to T-Mobile (they are providing the shipping tags).
I really wanted this to work. I am now back with Optimum, the company I was with at the outset and was passionately hating. They have me at a VERY much lower rate than before at the moment and I now have internet that is full speed ahead.
I’m keeping the T-Mobile cell service. It isn’t a super fabulous deal but it does cover the bases I need covered and they seem to have broad coverage where I need it in my travels. So far I am pleased with the cell service.
T-Mobile states that their home internet runs at the lowest priority. Almost sounds like they might give it higher priority during the trail period.
I don’t believe that to be the case. The internet service is deprioritized and speeds are slowed when towers are busy, even during the trial.
would a better modem inprove the service
If you are struggling with the service, I would contact support. People who get slow speeds on T-Mobile Home Internet are likely in places where there cell towers are congested.
FYI, I talked to T-Mobile yesterday, in regard to the free 15 day trial on their 5G home internet. They told me the $35 activation fee is not refunded, so, IMO, it is not really a “free” trail, since you will be out $35,even if you cancel during the first 15 days. They said that applied to both purchases in store and online. The rep searched to see if there were any specials where the activation fee was waived, and he couldn’t find any.
I live out in the sticks, so figured I would try it due to the “free” trial. Decided not to after talking to the rep. I use my phone for a hotspot hooked to my laptop, but the Verizon tower is so congested, that the laptop is useless from about 4PM for the rest of the night. Can barely get on Yahoo using my phone data at those times, even though it is higher priority than the laptop on hotspot.
Yes, the $35 is a new charge. It was a truly free trial until they added that.
I am sure it is because T-Mobile’s 5G coverage is super strong in my area, but I’m getting 550 down and 100 up consistently throughout the day. Have their cell coverage as well and my cell phone gets 650 down. This definitely feels like YMMV but for me, $30/month is a no-brainer at these speeds.
I did shut off the wifi and used my own mesh network.
I’m confused.
1.)If you are going to be charged $50.00 a month including equipment, why are you avoiding a $370.00 equipment charge if you stop the service within the trial period?
2.)What in T-Mobile’s case defines a trial period for a contract that can be cancelled at any time?
You are only charged the $370 fee if you cancel and don’t return the equipment. You don’t get to keep the equipment after you cancel, whether that’s within the free trial period or not. The risk-free period is 15 days.
Risk free trial? I was told as long as I returned within 14 days, no charge. Hmmmm………..returned in 2 and they charged me for a month on my bill. This company is beyond criminal. EVERYPLACE you go, a new batch of lies and deceit.
As a freelancer who heavily relies on the internet, having a fast and reliable connection is crucial for my work. I appreciate your insights on different providers and technologies available for achieving the fastest internet speeds. It’s definitely something I’ll be looking into further.
I have used T-Mobile phones (2) on their senior plan for several years and have been okay with the phone service across the country (some midwest dead areas). The 5G signal at my home barely gets 2 bars and runs on 5G(SA)? When I check Speedtest on Chrome I can get 5.4 Mb one minute and 145.5 Mb a moment later while standing outside in the same spot. Is this the type of performance I can expect from their internet service? I am spoiled by 500 Mb Spectrum service but it is getting pricey.
Not happy at all with the service. It goes down daily. Usually for just a few minutes, but some evenings it will go out 8-10 times. Customer service is no help. Every rep that I have spoken to tells me something different and none have been able to help. It goes back in the morning.
Don’t believe the ad for the early termination fee disbursement if you switch to T-Mobile!! They kept me on the line for 2 hours until I finally hung up. This should be illegal!!!!!!!
If you didn’t get a refund (and you canceled within the time period), complain on the BBB’s website. You’ll likely get a fast response.
I personally found T-Mobile home internet to be more reliable than Xfinity in my area of Folsom in California. I’ve see speeds as high as 600mb down here and it usually is between 300-400. Sling tv, when I’ve been subscribed to it, actually hasn’t been an issue. Maybe I’ve been lucky with that or maybe now it won’t work but a few months ago Sling worked just fine.
Nice speeds! Thanks
Has anyone had a problem connecting a wireless printer to the T-mobile home internet? We can’t seem to connect.
Firestick 4k / T mobile home Internet will stream Sling TV (free) on my system. Figure I would try getting around the dynamic IP issue I tested it on both with Surfshark VPN enabled and disabled.
Tested 1am EST – Download 73.96 Upload 36.43 (SurfShark disabled)
Download 132.04 Upload 64.28 (SurfShark enabled)
This was using the SlingTV (free channels) on their app.
We also live in the sticks south of Asheville in the mountains… And while our T-Mobile gateway only gets two bars, we seem to be able to function well with about seven devices connected. My problem is the rain… In the evening when we watch TV we frequently have issues with audio loss as the inevitable rain here starts. We connect using a newish Roku device and after fussing with it, disconnect/reconnect of gateway, adding new connection cords, etc. gave up the battle and live with it. Can’t imagine T-Mobile can control the weather, so I never contacted CS. Optimum is the only alternative…. I HATE the router, cable box and wire bs we would be stuck with if we switched back to wired cable. I had such hope for T-Mobile, too…sigh.
I’ve been using t-Mobile internet for about 10 months. I live in a rural area where internet choices are limited.
I left media com, AT&T (Wireless), and conexxus fiber (new to my area) for slower speeds that I thought I could live with at a much more reasonable price.
That all came to a halt in the last few weeks when I noticed unbearably slow upload speeds of 2.0mbs.
Just ran a speed test now – Download-162.2mbs Upload – 1.32mbs
I’ve called 3 times in the last two weeks.
While customer service seems to be working with me, I feel like I’m calling a support team that reads from a script, and at the end of each call my case was escalated to a higher tech group and then finally the engineer team. They do call back to follow up, but usually without any news of whats being done to improve the situation.
At the beginning of the upload slowdown a few weeks ago, the initial solution was that t-Mobile was modernizing (upgrading?) the tower. One support rep suggested I try another tower, we only have one close by and it’s only 5 miles away. The rep I was talking to was in California, 5 states west of me.
I’m guessing I’ll have to go back to one of the other internet services until T-mobile gets it figured out in my area.