Best 5G home internet providers
*5G Home Internet: 5G Home plan at $35/mo. or 5G Home Plus plan at $45/mo. when combined with postpaid mobile unlimited plan that includes 5G Ultra Wideband. Auto Pay & paper-free billing req’d. Availability varies. Subject to credit approval. Price guarantee: 2 yrs for 5G Home, 3 yrs for 5G Home Plus, for new Verizon Home Internet (“VHI”) households who have not subscribed to a VHI service within the last 90 days. Applies only to the then-current base monthly rate exclusive of any other setup and additional equipment charges, discounts or promotions, plan perk and any other third-party services. As of 12/11/24.
What is 5G internet?
5G internet, commonly referred to as 5G home internet, is a type of internet service that uses cellular technology to deliver an internet connection to your home.
5G internet is different from other technology types, such as cable and fiber, because it doesn’t require a cable running directly into your home. Instead, it uses a fixed 5G receiver that connects to your carrier’s nearest cell tower. This connection is then converted into a Wi-Fi connection within your home.
Is 5G internet a good option?
5G home internet has become a popular alternative to fiber and cable internet connections due to its availability, simple pricing and competitive speeds. It uses cellphone towers to send internet to your home. Some providers, like Verizon, offer speeds up to 1,000 Mbps, which could be more than enough to power a large household. If you are looking for an affordable internet option with competitive speeds, 5G internet can be a great choice for your home network.
Compare 5G home internet plans
5G home internet is still limited to a handful of providers, including Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Starry Internet. Compare 5G providers, pricing and speeds below.
| Provider | Starting price* | Speed | Data caps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon 5G Home | $35.00/mo.** | Up to 300 Mbps | Unlimited |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus | $45.00/mo.** | Up to 1,000 Mbps | Unlimited |
| Starry 300 | $45.00/mo.*** | Up to 300 Mbps | Unlimited |
| Starry 500 | $55.00/mo.*** | Up to 500 Mbps | Unlimited |
| Starry Gigabit | $75.00/mo.*** | Up to 1,000 Mbps | Unlimited |
| T-Mobile | $40.00/mo. | Up to 245 Mbps | Unlimited |
| AT&T Internet Air | $60.00/mo. | Up to 140 Mbps | Unlimited |
*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 12/11/24.
**5G Home Internet: 5G Home plan at $35/mo. or 5G Home Plus plan at $45/mo. when combined with postpaid mobile unlimited plan that includes 5G Ultra Wideband. Auto Pay & paper-free billing req’d. Availability varies. Subject to credit approval. Price guarantee: 2 yrs for 5G Home, 3 yrs for 5G Home Plus, for new Verizon Home Internet (“VHI”) households who have not subscribed to a VHI service within the last 90 days. Applies only to the then-current base monthly rate exclusive of any other setup and additional equipment charges, discounts or promotions, plan perk and any other third-party services.
***Price guaranteed for 12 months with debit discount. After 12 months or if you move or change plans, current rates apply. Limited time offer. Plans and availability vary by area. New customers only. Restrictions apply. Additional terms apply: starry.com/legal.
How we evaluate internet providers
We evaluate broadband providers in four categories: affordability, performance, value and customer satisfaction. Each category contains multiple sub-factors, all of which are weighted differently to impact the provider’s overall score.
For each sub-factor, we score all providers on a continuous scale of 1 to 5, relative to the industry as a whole. Because the average download speed in America is currently 180 Mbps, for example, we assigned all plans with download speeds between 100 and 299 Mbps a score between 3 and 4. Xfinity’s 200 Mbps plan received a 3.50 score for download speed, while Spectrum’s 400 Mbps plan got a 4.16.
We only considered standardized data points in our scoring system. More abstract data like consistency of service and brand reputation is still part of our analysis, but we opted to let our writers address them in the context of each review.
Verizon 5G Home Internet: Best overall
Verizon currently offers fixed wireless 5G internet, referred to as Verizon 5G Home Internet, in select areas. Verizon keeps pricing simple with all taxes, equipment and additional fees included in the advertised price. It also offers a discounted price if you bundle 5G with a phone plan.
You can expect to get between 300 and 1,000 Mbps in areas with 5G coverage. Unfortunately, it’s not as widely available as T-Mobile.
| Plan | Starting price* | Download speed | Upload speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon 5G Home | $35/mo. (With Auto Pay and select 5G mobile plans) | 85 – 300 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus | $45/mo. (With Auto Pay and select 5G mobile plans) | 300 – 1,000 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
**5G Home Internet: 5G Home plan at $35/mo. or 5G Home Plus plan at $45/mo. when combined with postpaid mobile unlimited plan that includes 5G Ultra Wideband. Auto Pay & paper-free billing req’d. Availability varies. Subject to credit approval. Price guarantee: 2 yrs for 5G Home, 3 yrs for 5G Home Plus, for new Verizon Home Internet (“VHI”) households who have not subscribed to a VHI service within the last 90 days. Applies only to the then-current base monthly rate exclusive of any other setup and additional equipment charges, discounts or promotions, plan perk and any other third-party services. As of 12/11/24.
Verizon 5G Home Internet availability
Verizon 5G provides coverage to about 18% of the U.S. in select areas including:
Source: FCC
Allconnect Rating
4.64 / 5
Starry Internet: A close second
Starry Internet is a newer 5G internet provider. It is the only fixed wireless 5G provider that is not also a wireless carrier. However, just like Verizon, it includes taxes and additional fees in its advertised price.
Starry has fast download speeds up to 1,000 Mbps and unlimited data. It offers plan variety with speeds ranging from 100 – 1,000 Mbps, so you can easily pick the best plan for your needs. Unfortunately, Starry is not suitable for all types of buildings and its fastest speeds aren’t widely available.
| Plan | Starting price* | Download speeds |
|---|---|---|
| Starry 100 | $30.00/mo. | Up to 100 Mbps |
| Starry 200 | $30.00/mo. | Up to 200 Mbps |
| Starry 300 | $45.00/mo. | Up to 300 Mbps |
| Starry 500 | $55.00/mo. | Up to 500 Mbps |
| Starry Gigabit | $75.00/mo. | Up to 1,000 Mbps |
*Pricing per month with debit discount plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 12/11/24.
Starry internet availability
Starry provides coverage to less than 3% of the U.S. Starry is currently available in five major markets including:
Source: FCC
Allconnect Rating
4.25 / 5
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Best availability
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet promises no price increases and the advertised price includes all additional fees and taxes. An additional perk is that T-Mobile includes built-in security features to protect your internet service. However, unlike other providers that are currently offering free professional installation, T-Mobile only offers free self-installation.
Unlike Starry and Verizon, T-Mobile has only one plan with slower max speeds. Although it has simple pricing and is widely available, there aren’t other options with T-Mobile if you want more speed.
| Feature | T-Mobile 5G Home Internet |
|---|---|
| Pricing | $40.00/mo. |
| Download speed | Up to 245 Mbps |
| Upload speed | 31 Mbps |
| Data caps | None |
| Contract | None |
*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 12/11/24.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet availability
T-Mobile is the most widely available 5G home internet provider with 89% coverage across the country. It’s available to about 30 million households in over 40 states. You can see a full PDF list of cities or check your address on T-Mobile’s website to see if your home has access.
Source: FCC
Allconnect Rating
4.33 / 5
AT&T Internet Air: Best for bundle deals
AT&T Internet Air is fixed wireless or 5G home internet, which has download speeds of 40 to 140 Mbps. This is a bit slower than its competitors. A perk is that AT&T Internet Air comes without contracts or equipment fees. The plan runs $60/mo. without an AT&T mobile plan, but you can save 20% if you bundle the two services and AT&T also promises not to raise your monthly fee after 12 months.
| Feature | AT&T Air Internet |
|---|---|
| Pricing | $60.00/mo. |
| Download speed | 40 – 140 Mbps |
| Upload speed | 5 – 25 Mbps |
| Data caps | None |
| Contract | None |
*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 12/11/24.
AT&T Internet Air availability
AT&T Internet Air is relatively new to the market and is only available to about 0.6% of the country. States with the most availability include California, Texas, Michigan, Kansas, Mississippi, Georgia.
Allconnect Rating
4.48 / 5
How fast is 5G home internet?
-
5G
Download speeds: 20 – 1,000 Mbps
Upload speeds: 10 – 50 Mbps
Availability: Varies
-
Fiber
Download speeds: 30 – 8,000 Mbps
Upload speeds: 30 – 8,000 Mbps
Availability: 40%
-
Cable
Download speeds: 25 – 3,000 Mbps
Upload speeds: 10 – 50 Mbps
Availability: 83%
-
Satellite
Download speeds: 15 – 350 Mbps
Upload speeds: At least 3 Mbps
Availability: 100%
5G home internet uses 5G wireless signals from cell towers to connect you to the internet. Its speeds are generally slower than cable and fiber, but some providers like Verizon offer up to 1 Gbps, which is more than enough speed for the average internet user.
The downside of 5G is the potential for speed inconsistencies. Since it connects you to the internet using 5G towers, your speed depends on your proximity to them. If you are far away from a tower, your speed could be slower and more inconsistent than a fiber or cable connection, which relies on wired infrastructure.
If you’re looking to shop through all of the best internet providers, see our full internet provider comparison.
5G home internet FAQs
What is 5G home internet?
5G stands for the fifth generation, and it refers to the newest wireless technology standard.
There are two ways of connecting to the 5G network: through cellular service (mobile 5G) and through fixed wireless (5G home internet). With 5G cellular service, customers must purchase a mobile device that is capable of receiving 5G radio waves. With fixed wireless providers, this is usually done through an antenna on top of one’s home that must be in the line of sight to a base station with another antenna, in addition to a small modem inside the house.
Is 5G home internet different than 5G mobile?
Yes! 5G home internet uses a dedicated gateway device to connect to the 5G network, which then connects your devices through Wi-Fi. 5G home internet is generally faster and more reliable than 5G mobile, which connects your 5G-compatible device directly to the nearest cell tower.
How does 5G home internet compare to other connection types?
5G home internet is generally cheaper than other technology types since it has no hidden fees or contracts. You can usually bundle your 5G internet plan with a mobile plan from the same provider for a discounted rate, too. 5G internet won’t give you speeds like fiber or even cable in some instances, but it can deliver a suitable connection for most, depending on their internet activities and number of connected devices. Just keep in mind that 5G connections are more prone to network congestion than fiber or cable connections.
How fast is 5G home internet?
5G home internet usually provides between 100 and 300 Mbps download speeds. T-Mobile says “typical download speeds” are up to 245 Mbps, while Verizon advertises speeds up to 1,000 Mbps with its fastest plan.
What equipment is required for 5G home internet?
A perk of fixed wireless internet is that installation will be fairly simple. This means that, in most cases, self-installation will be an option; however, for now, most carriers are offering free installation. Here’s the equipment you will need:
- Outdoor antenna – Must be installed on top of your home and in line of sight to a nearby 5G base station
- 5G router – Converts 5G radio waves into Wi-Fi
- Antenna power supply – A cable that connects the antenna and router
- Wi-Fi extender – If you have a larger home, you will likely need at least one Wi-Fi extender in order to provide internet access to your whole home
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