5G home internet competition in the US is heating up with T-Mobile and Verizon offering some big incentives to attract customers. And now AT&T has entered the market. Follow along for speed, pricing, and all the fine details for each provider in our 5G home internet comparison.
Update 9/15/23: Verizon has launched a new promotion that’s offering a free HomePod to new 5G Home Internet customers.
Table of contents
Background
It’s been a couple of years since Verizon and T-Mobile launched their 5G home internet services and they’re both continuing to expand and battling with affordable pricing and solid incentives.
After sitting on the sidelines offering just a 4G home internet for rural customers and businesses for years, AT&T has launched its 5G home service in 16 major metro areas as of August 2023.
If you have the option to get fixed fiber optic or cable internet, that’s usually going to be the most consistent and highest-performing option. However, in many cases, 5G home internet can be convenient with no contract, no data caps, and self-installation. It can also be a great backup option to your wired internet.
5G home internet comparison: T-Mobile vs Verizon vs AT&T
Speeds
Verizon offers the fastest potential speeds for both downloads and uploads, while T-Mobile‘s service is more widely available.
With both, keep in mind that your average 5G speeds will vary based on your location and coverage.
AT&T’s 5G home internet is a big improvement over its previous 4G and DSL services but it’s the slowest of the three.
| 5G home internet | T-Mobile | Verizon | AT&T |
| Download speeds | 72 to 245 Mbps | 85 to 1,000 Mbps | 40 to 140 Mbps |
| Upload speeds | 15 to 31 Mbps | 10 to 50 Mbps | 5 to 25 Mbps |
One more detail, to get access to the 300-1,000 Mbps download speeds with Verizon, you’ll need to pick its 5G Home Plus plan.
Pricing, setup, fine details
All three carriers offer affordable pricing, particularly for customers who bundle an eligible cellular plan. That brings T-Mobile’s 5G home internet down to $30-40/month, Verizon’s is $35-45/month, and AT&T is priced at $35/month.
| 5G home internet details | T-Mobile | Verizon | AT&T |
| Price with cellular plan | $30-40/month | $35-45/month | $35/month |
| Price without cellular plan | $50/month | $60-80/month | $55/month |
| Taxes and fees | Included | Included | Extra |
| Contract | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Data cap | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Installation fee | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Self-setup | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Price lock | Lifetime | 2-3 years | 1+ year |
Even if you don’t have your smartphone service through one of the providers, the plans are still relatively affordable with pricing between $50-80/month. Verizon’s prices recently increased and are the highest among the three.
Incentives
Both T-Mobile and Verizon have a tempting list of incentives to get customers to leave traditional broadband providers.
Both make it free to switch by covering early termination fees, and throwing in extra perks like a gift card or NFL Sunday Ticket.
All three providers offer free trials between 7 and 30 days.
| 5G home internet incentives | T-Mobile | Verizon | AT&T |
| Free trial | ✅ – 15 day | ✅ – 30 day | ✅ – 7 day |
| $ for early termination fees | Up to $750 | Up to $500 | ❌ |
| T-Mobile Tuesday perks | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| $50 Mastercard gift card | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Free HomePod | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Verizon is going bigger with the latest incentive with the a free HomePod ($300 value) for new 5G Home Plus plans. However, T-Mobile offers the most for early termination fees plus a $50 Mastercard gift card.
5G home internet availability
With the Uncarrier:
- T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is available in most US states covering over 50 million households
- Keep in mind availability can vary even within the same city
- Check your T-Mobile 5G Home availability
And:
- Verizon 5G Home Internet is available in most US states covering over 30 million households
- Like T-Mobile, Verizon’s availability can vary even within the same city
- Check your Verizon 5G Home availability
AT&T hasn’t shared how many homes its service is covering, but it’s available for now in 16 major metro areas.
- Check your AT&T Internet Air availability
- Keep in mind availability can vary even within the same city
5G home internet comparison wrap-up
With all three major carriers working on compelling 5G home internet service, consumers benefit from affordable pricing, free trials, no contracts, and more.
At this point, if you’re unhappy with your broadband provider, doing a risk-free trial is easy, and you can even try it out alongside your existing internet.
T-Mobile and Verizon are definitely offering more compelling services overall when it comes to performance, incentives, and price. But it’s good to see AT&T jumping in.
Top comment by Trudge Mastheo
T-Mobile pros:
- Greater availability, lifetime price lock, most affordable price
Verizon pros:
- Fastest speeds
AT&T pros:
- Good for existing AT&T wireless customers who get Internet Air at $35/month
To start a free trial, check out if T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T’s 5G home internet is available in your area.
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