Love it or hate it, 5G is here to stay. The incredibly-fast form of mobile internet you can get on your smartphone is also in your home. Several mobile carriers offer affordable home internet using a 5G connection instead of cable, DSL, or satellite.
The introduction of 5G home internet leads to some questions, though. It’s not for everyone, nor is it even available everywhere. However, for some people, it could be a great way to save money on their utilities every month.
Before diving into 5G home internet, make sure to understandwhat 5G is, as understanding the technology will make it easier to grasp how it can be applied to the internet in your home.
What is 5G home internet?
This new form of home internet is meant to replace your current ISP. Instead of being wired into your home’s coaxial cable system, 5G home internet uses the same cellular towers as your phone. The modem captures the 5G signal and then broadcasts it through your home over Wi-Fi.
How fast is 5G home internet?
Speeds will vary heavily, but the maximum speeds be similar to what you get on your phone without Wi-Fi. Most carriers offer plans with up to 1Gbps download speeds, so that’ll be the limit, no matter how fast your phone runs on 5G. That’s around the maximum speed offered by most traditional ISPs, so you could see speeds rival your current internet provider if you’re in the right area.
If you want to get an idea, turn off Wi-Fi on your phone and ensure cellular data is turned on. Look to see if you have 5G in the signal area on the top of your phone, and run your favorite speed test app. Speeds should be impressive if you have mid- and high-band 5G available. To tell whether you are getting full 5G speeds, look for the following next to the signal bars:
If you have one of those, depending on your carrier, speeds may be faster than the download and upload speeds you get with your current ISP, though that’ll vary heavily based on where you are relative to the 5G tower and what speed your existing ISP offers. Rates may also be slightly different because you’re using a modem to connect and then pushing the signal to your device over Wi-Fi, but this will at least give you an idea. T-Mobile (and most other carriers) offer a test period where you may try the internet and see how it performs.
What makes 5G home internet different from traditional ISPs?
The most significant difference between 5G home internet and traditional ISP is how the internet is delivered to your home. Regular ISPs use phone lines, underground cables, and fiber optic lines to bring the internet from them to your home. With 5G, the same towers that provide cellular connectivity to your phone are used for your home. You still receive a wireless gateway from the provider, which receives the 5G connection and broadcasts it back to the devices in your home.
Traditional ISPs bring the internet to your home through a series of wires, making it a wired connection. With 5G home internet, you’re getting a wireless connection (though wires are still involved in some stages of the process, none are going into your house).
Which companies offer 5G home internet, and how much is it?
There are three companies focused on providing 5G home internet: Starry, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Which one you choose likely won’t be your choice since you’ll likely be limited to which one is available where you live (if any).
Starting with T-Mobile, you’re looking at $50 per month if you’re not a T-Mobile Magenta Max customer and $30 per month if you are. The price includes all equipment and fees, and the company offers a price lock that means your internet won’t cost more as time goes on.
Starry’s price is competitive with T-Mobile. The company offers its most popular Starry Plus 5G home internet plan for $50 monthly. That includes a free router, which is a nice bonus since most cable ISPs charge to rent hardware. This plan offers download speeds of 200Mbps, which is decent, though nowhere near as fast as high-end cable or fiber plans. If you want faster (and if it’s available where you live), Starry offers 1Gbps down and 500Mbps up for $80 monthly. Conversely, those only needing basic internet can get 30Mbps down and 30Mbps up for $15.
For Verizon, you can choose between 5G Home and 5G Home Plus plans. Prices vary based on whether you have Verizon for mobile service. The full price without automatic payments and a mobile line is $60 for 5G Home and $80 for 5G Home Plus. The company takes $10 off the price of each plan if you have your bill paid automatically. If you have one of the eligible mobile plans, the price goes to $25 for the cheaper plan and $35 for the more expensive one. With the 5G Home plan, download speeds are capped at 300Mbps, while the Plus plan offers speeds of 300-1000Mbps.
Does 5G home internet have data caps?
All three major 5G home internet providers in the US promise no data caps, so you’re able to go nutsdownloading games, movies, and other large files without worrying about extra charges or speed throttling.
Where is 5G home internet available?
Unfortunately, just because you live in an area with a strong 5G signal doesn’t mean you’ll get 5G Home internet. I have a full 5G UC T-Mobile signal at my home, but T-Mobile’s website says I’m ineligible for its home internet service.
To find out if you’re able to get 5G home internet, go toStarry,T-Mobile, orVerizon’swebsite and enter your address to check eligibility. Availability is still relatively limited, as this tech is in its infancy, but if you live in a major US city, there’s a chance you can get it. For example, Starry is available in Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC.
