Price range $30 - $80 per monthSpeed range 50 - 1,000MbpsConnection Fixed wirelessKey Info Unlimited data, no contracts, no equipment fees, simple setup
Starry started in 2016 but does not lean into the 5G connection. It does not use 5G NR radio technology, which is a focus of mobile providers. Still, it does use millimeter-wave technology as a critical aspect of delivering fixed wireless home internet to customers. "We operate in 24GHz and 37GHz spectrum bands, and our network technology is the same across all our markets," a Starry spokesperson said.
The monthly price includes unlimited data, free equipment and installation and no contracts. It's also the only 5G home internet provider listed here that features symmetrical or near-symmetrical download and upload speeds similar to those found with fiber internet service.
Lastly, Starry also offers a "30-Day Happy Interneting Guarantee" with a full refund if you aren't satisfied with the service and cancel within the first 30 days.
It should be noted that Starry exited Chapter 11 in August 2023, so it halted plans to expand to new cities. Instead, it will focus on its five existing markets: Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, DC.
Read our Starry Internet review.
Plan | Monthly price | Max speeds | Fees and service details | |
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Starry Connect Read full review | $15 | 30Mbps download, 30Mbps upload | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
Starry 100 Read full review | $30 | 100Mbps download, 50Mbps upload | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
Starry 200 Read full review | $40 | 200Mbps download, 50Mbps upload | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
Starry 300 Read full review | $45 | 300Mbps download, 50Mbps upload | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
Starry 500 Read full review | $55 | 500Mbps download, 250Mbps upload | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
Starry 800 Read full review | $70 | 800 download, 250Mbps | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
Starry 1 Gig Read full review | $85 | 1,000Mbps download, 50Mbps upload | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts |
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Price range $60 per monthSpeed range 72 - 245MbpsConnection Fixed wirelessKey Info Unlimited data, equipment included, no contracts
T-Mobile Home Internet features the lowest broadband speeds among our listed providers. That's because it wavers between 4G LTE and 5G. It's not exclusively 5G. T-Mobile "anticipates" that most customers will average between 72 and 245Mbps download speeds. When CNET tested T-Mobile's service in 2021, we hit a maximum of 132Mbps.
T-Mobile offers two home internet plans with the same speeds. The main difference between the two is that for Home Internet Plus (the $70 plan), you get a Wi-Fi Gateway and a Mesh Access Point for a more reliable connection throughout the house.
T-Mobile's service includes all setup fees and taxes and there's no annual contract or data cap. It'll also give you a $200 gift card for switching providers.
Read our T-Mobile Home Internet review.
Plan | Monthly price | Max speeds | Fees and service details | |
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T-Mobile Home Internet Read full review | $50 ($30 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max customers) | 72-245Mbps download, 15-31Mbps upload | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts | |
T-Mobile Home Internet Plus Read full review | $70 ($50 for eligible Go5G Plus and Magenta Max customers) | 72-245Mbps download, 15-31Mbps upload | No equipment fees, data caps or contracts |
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Price range $50 - $70 per month (50% off for eligible 5G mobile customers)Speed range 85 - 1,000MbpsConnection Fixed wirelessKey Info Unlimited data, no contracts, free equipment, 50% discount for qualifying Verizon mobile customers
Verizon's 5G internet service, which uses Ultra Wideband 5G technology, boasts maximum download speeds of up to 1 gigabit and average speeds of around 300Mbps. Upload speeds are not symmetrical and will plateau at 50Mbps or less because Verizon does not exclusively use millimeter-wave technology, but rather a mix of low-band, mid-band and millimeter-wave.
Verizon 5G Home Internet pricing is $50 a month for 50 to 300Mbps or $70 monthly for 85 to 1,000Mbps, plus some extra perks. Unlike most ISPs, you can expect a two to three-year price lock. Either way, it's an all-in price that includes equipment, setup fees and taxes. Like all other Verizon plans, it requires no contracts or data caps.
Verizon offers many promos and deals to sweeten the pot for potential customers. First, it provides an early termination fee credit offer to give qualifying customers a bill credit of up to $500 if they switch from their current ISP and are charged an early termination fee. Second, 5G Home Plus customers can have a free Disney and ViX Premium subscription for a year. Lastly, customers with qualifying Verizon mobile plans will get a discount on the monthly cost of either plan, bringing them down to $35 or $45 monthly.
Read our Verizon 5G Home Internet review.
Plan | Monthly price | Max speeds | Fees and service details | |
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Verizon 5G Home Read full review | $50 ($35 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 300Mbps download, 20Mbps upload | Unlimited data, no contracts or equipment fees | |
Verizon 5G Home Plus Read full review | $70 ($45 with qualifying Verizon 5G mobile plans) | 1,000Mbps download, 75Mbps upload | Unlimited data, no contracts or equipment fees |
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Let's not sugarcoat this: 5G home internet service is not yet available everywhere. While the list of cities seems to expand nearly every month, most are larger US cities.
T-Mobile Home Internet is the most widely available service among the three highlighted providers. While Verizon's 5G home internet service is now available to 40 million homes, T-Mobile leapfrogged that by expanding its fixed wireless service to over 50 million households. Yet T-Mobile acknowledges it does not have unlimited availability across those locations due to network capacity.
Verizon's 5G Home Internet is currently offered in approximately 900 markets. That means that although the total number of households in which it is available is less than T-Mobile, it does cover more cities.
AT&T Internet Air is available to nearly 100 locations in 48 states and covers just around 9% of the country compared to T-Mobile Home Internet's 60%, according to the FCC, though the service is still slowly expanding.
Starry Internet is available in Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, DC.
The first thing to be said is what we always say regarding ISPs. No matter how good the service, it's all moot if unavailable at your address. 5G technology is still being rolled out nationwide, so we should expect to see some bumps in the road as that effort continues.
Still, 5G home internet availability is increasing at a pretty rapid pace. The affordable, straightforward pricing is vastly appealing and it's what jumps off the page for me. Time will tell if that trend holds as availability continues to expand. It would be a real step forward if 5G could emerge as a viable broadband option for traditionally underserved parts of rural America. As CNET alum Rick Broida put it after he tested T-Mobile's service, "Imperfection is a lot more tolerable when you're paying less than half what you were before."
5G home internet is one of the more affordable options available considering the decent download speeds that current plans average. T-Mobile averages just over 100Mbps, Starry chimes in at 200Mbps and Verizon's median speed is 300Mbps. The lowest monthly cost among the three main providers is $15 (Starry's low-cost option) and the highest is $70 (T-Mobile and Verizon 5G Home Internet Plus without the mobile discount). Each provider's monthly costs include all fees, taxes, equipment and installation charges. So the monthly charge you see is the monthly charge you pay. Lastly, none require term contracts, so you won't have to fear any early termination fees.
In theory, 5G should enable a speedy connection that will match or improve what you get with cable or fiber internet. That's usually not the case regarding the reality of 5G home internet. To increase the reliability and coverage of the 5G internet service, most providers rely on a mix of millimeter-wave, low-band and midband technology -- as well as 4G LTE in some cases -- and this means home internet customers won't see the real high-end capabilities of 5G at present. You should see well over the average speeds of your typical DSL and satellite internet plans.
It simply means generation. In other words, 5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology.
Source: cnet.com