Best 5G home internet providers
Allconnect’s choice for 5G home internet: Verizon
Our favorite provider for 5G internet is Verizon. It offers the best blend of performance and affordability, starting at $35/mo. and 300 Mbps download speeds. On top of that, there are no equipment or installation fees, and your price is guaranteed for five years.
Compare 5G home internet plans
5G is the latest internet technology, using cellphone towers to send internet to your home. 5G providers perform similarly to traditional internet providers, reaching speeds as fast as 1,000 Mbps in some areas. 5G home internet is expanding rapidly in the U.S.
Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and Starry Internet are the only providers actually selling 5G home internet.
| 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 Plus Internet | $50.00/mo. | Up to 300 Mbps | Unlimited |
| Starry Pro Internet | $65.00/mo. | Up to 500 Mbps | Unlimited |
| Starry Gig Internet | $80.00/mo. | Up to 1,000 Mbps | Unlimited |
| T-Mobile | $40.00/mo. | Up to 245 Mbps | Unlimited |
| AT&T Internet Air | $35.00/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 03/25/24.
**For existing customers with a Verizon mobile plan of $30/mo. or greater.
What we like about 5G internet
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Low latency – With reduced latency, data between a source and its destination will be able to transfer much faster. This means much fewer delays, buffering and lag when you are video chatting or gaming online.
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No contracts or hidden fees – Most of the providers offering fixed wireless 5G are promising no contracts or hidden fees, which includes free installation.
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Discounts –Most providers that offer mobile and internet services will give new customers a bundle discount on both.
Things to consider
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Availability – Not all areas have access to 5G towers yet, and 4G fixed wireless speeds are significantly slower than you can expect from 5G.
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Speeds could slow at busy times – 5G home internet connections are more prone to traffic congestion than fiber optic or cable networks.
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.
Allconnect Rating
4.27 / 5
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. | 85 – 300 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus | $45/mo. | 300 – 1,000 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
*For existing customers with a Verizon mobile plan of $30/mo. or greater.
*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 03/25/24.
Verizon 5G home internet availability
Verizon 5G provides coverage to about 18% of the U.S. in select areas including:
Source: FCC
Allconnect Rating
4.25 / 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, and there is no promotional pricing.
Starry has fast download speeds up to 1,000 Mbps and unlimited data. It offers plan variety with speeds ranging from 200 – 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.
| Feature | Starry Plus | Starry Pro | Starry Gig |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $50.00/mo. | $65.00/mo. | $80.00/mo. |
| Download speed | 200 Mbps | 500 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps |
| Upload speed | 100 Mbps | 250 Mbps | 500 Mbps |
| Data caps | None | None | None |
| Contracts | None | None | 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 03/25/24.
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
3.85 / 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 | $50/mo. |
| Download speed | 72-245 Mbps |
| Upload speed | 15-31 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 03/25/24.
T-Mobile home internet availability
T-Mobile 5G is the most widely available 5G 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
4.47 / 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, which is a bit slower than its competitors. A perk is that AT&T Internet Air comes without contracts or equipment fees. The plan runs $55/mo. without an AT&T mobile plan, but you can save $20/mo. 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 | $55/mo. |
| Download speed | 49-140 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 03/25/24.
AT&T Air Internet availability
AT&T Air is relatively new to the market and is only available to about .6% of the country. States with the most availability include California, Texas, Michigan, Kansas, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee.
How fast is 5G internet service?
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 equipment requirements
Another 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.
More details on 5G technology
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.
What is 5G home internet?
5G stands for fifth generation, and it refers to the newest standard of wireless technology. Compared to past generations, 5G technology allows data to transfer from a source to its destination quicker and with fewer delays. This network can be applied to both cellphones, which is what most people think of when they hear 5G, and home internet.
Learn more about how 5G home internet works.
What is fixed wireless 5G?
5G internet falls under the umbrella of fixed wireless, which is when an internet connection is sent from a fixed antenna to a nearby cellular tower. Currently, fixed wireless internet primarily exists through a 4G network and is mostly used in rural areas. However, more and more cellphone carriers are now launching 5G service around the country.
5G home internet vs. 5G mobile internet
Portability: 5G mobile is portable and 5G home internet is limited to the home.
Equipment: 5G mobile requires a compatible 5G mobile device to connect to 5G through a cellular tower. 5G internet requires a modem that connects devices in the house to the 5G network.
Reliability: Since 5G mobile requires widespread coverage because it is portable, it is less likely to have consistent speeds than 5G home internet, which never changes location. Even in one’s home, a fixed wireless connection is more likely to receive a better signal than a mobile connection.
Data caps: In addition to being less reliable and receiving an inferior signal, 5G mobile is generally not a good replacement for home Wi-Fi because its plans tend to have data caps. Most 5G home internet providers, on the other hand, offer unlimited data.
5G home internet FAQs
Although fiber optic is currently the fastest and most cost-efficient option available, 5G home internet will likely become the superior choice once it becomes more widely available. While fiber optic gig plans tend to cost over $100/mo., 5G plans will be able to provide gig speeds for about half the price.
If there is a base station in line of sight to your home, you will likely be able to purchase 5G home internet even if you do not own your home. However, you will need approval from your landlord if an antenna is not already installed on top of your apartment, condominium or townhome.
Out of all the most common forms of internet service, DSL, cable, fiber optic and satellite, fixed wireless is most similar to satellite internet because they both require installing equipment on top of your home to receive signals from external sources. These two types of internet service differ because while satellite internet is created from a satellite dish connecting to an orbiting satellite, fixed wireless is created from an antenna on top of your home connecting to a line of sight 5G base station.
No. 5G home Wi-Fi 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.
5G home internet usually provides between 100 and 300 Mbps download speeds. T-Mobile says “typical download speeds” are between 72-245 Mbps, while Verizon says its 5G plan gets 300 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload on average.
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Written by:
Camryn Smith
Cammy is a writer with Allconnect, growing her broadband industry knowledge for over a year on the internet marketplace. Her expertise lies in home internet and broadband service with a focus on providers, plans…
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Edited by:
Robin LaytonEditor, Broadband Content
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