T-Mobile is continuing to dominate the US 5G market, beating both Verizon and AT&T, in OpenSignal’s latest report.
T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T are racing to switch their networks over to 5G, rolling out new spectrum as fast as they can. T-Mobile gained a huge advantage with its purchase of Sprint, taking over Sprint’s wealth of mid-band spectrum, which is ideal for 5G deployment. Verizon and AT&T, on the other hand, spent some $68 billion at a single FCC auction to bolster their mid-band spectrum, only to run into issues with the airline industry that have impeded their ability to fully use their spectrum.
Between the early lead T-Mobile was able to take, and its spectrum not being subject to the same concerns as Verizon and AT&T, in terms of the airline industry, T-Mobile has cemented itself as the 5G company to beat in the US.
According to OpenSignal’s January 2022 5G Experience Report, T-Mobile now wins in four of six categories: 5G Availability, 5G Reach, Upload Speed, and Download Speed. Verizon won the other two categories, 5G Games Experience and 5G Voice App Experience, while AT&T did not win any categories.
“The experts have spoken: T-Mobile 5G is number one in speed and coverage, and we’re continuing to pull away from the pack,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “We have the largest 5G network covering 310 million people – 210 million of whom are covered by Ultra Capacity 5G. That’s more than double Verizon’s Ultra Wideband and light years ahead of AT&T’s 5G+. Our competitors are trying desperately to convince consumers and businesses otherwise, but there’s no denying T-Mobile is THE leader in 5G and in a position to deliver the best network performance and capabilities to customers throughout the 5G era.”
Verizon is continuing to expand its 5G Home Internet, with 20 million households now covered by Home Internet.
Cellular-based home internet is poised to be a game-changer for the “digital divide,” the difference in internet speeds available to urban vs rural Americans. Unlike traditional options, that may need expensive fiber or wiring upgrades, or may be impeded by geographical obstacles, cellular home internet can blanket an area with coverage.
Verizon has been rolling out its 5G Home Internet, as well as its 5G Business Internet service.
Now that America’s most reliable network1 is going Ultra, it’s time to get the most out of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network,2 which will be available to 100 million more people this month in over 1,700 cities around the nation. More than 20 million households now have access to game-changing home wireless broadband, and more than 2 million businesses are covered with 5G Business Internet service.
AT&T, Dish, and T-Mobile were the biggest spenders at the latest auction for 5G spectrum.
Wireless carriers are racing to deploy their 5G networks, with mid-band spectrum being the most desirable for speed, range, and penetration. AT&T and Verizon, in particular, have had to spend big to acquire mid-band, while T-Mobile inherited a wealth of it as a result of buying Sprint.
According toThe Verge, AT&T and Dish — which is building out its own 5G network — spent the most for the 3.45GHz band. AT&T spent $9 billion, while Dish spent $7.3 billion. T-Mobile rounded out the top three at $2.9 billion.
Although the spectrum is close to the C-band spectrum that has caused a major issue with the airline industry, experts believe it is less likely to cause interference with aircraft altimeters as C-band.
Interestingly, Verizon did not participate in the auction.
Following reports that T-Mobile was blocking Apple’s iCloud Private Relay, all three major US carriers have denied actively blocking it — for the most part.
iCloud Private Relay is a feature introduced as a beta in iOS 15 and macOS Monterey. The feature is similar to a VPN, and hides a person’s internet traffic. Some users reported that T-Mobile was starting to block the feature, something that 9to5Mac confirmed.
According to The Verge, all three carriers are trying to reassure users they are not intentionally or actively blocking Private Relay. Verizon and AT&T, in particular, said they are not blocking the feature in any way.
Things are a bit more complicated with T-Mobile. The vast majority of customers will not experience any issues, but accounts that are using T-Mobile’s Family Controls won’t be able to use Private Relay.
“Customers who chose plans and features with content filtering (e.g. parent controls) do not have access to the iCloud Private Relay to allow these services to work as designed. All other customers have no restrictions,” T-Mobile’s spokesperson The Verge.
That explanation is inline with Apple’s own description of Private Relay:
Networks that require the ability to audit traffic or perform network-based filtering will block access to Private Relay.
T-Mobile also told The Verge that it discovered an issue with Private Relay that could cause it to not work, and informed Apple so they could fix it.
“Overnight our team identified that in the 15.2 iOS release, some device settings default to the feature being toggled off. We have shared this with Apple. This is not specific to T-Mobile.”
A Potential Future Showdown
Hopefully all three carriers maintain their current stance. As The Verge points out, European carriers — including T-Mobile — have been campaigning against Private Relay, even asking the EU Commission to block the feature. The carriers claim it is “cutting off other networks and servers from accessing vital network data and metadata, including those operators in charge of the connectivity.”
There’s two issues with the carriers’ actions:
First, should the carriers succeed in convincing the EU Commission to block the feature, it’s a reasonable assumption that VPNs will likely be next on the chopping block, given that Private Relay offers many of the same benefits.
Successfully blocking Private Relay — let alone if the carriers target VPNs next — will significantly undermine many users’ privacy and security online.
Second, if the EU Commission gives in and blocks Private Relay, it will essentially confirm the right of companies to mine at least some datafrom paying customers, regardless of whether the customer agrees to it.
As we have written about before, it’s one thing for the provider of a free service to mine data from their customers. Since they’re providing a service for free, profiting from the customer’s data is often the accepted trade-off.
On the other hand, when a customer is paying for a service, there should be an expectation that’s where the transaction ends — the company provides a service in exchange for a fair amount of money, end of story.
If the carriers are successful in their goals, it will set a dangerous precedent that will erode privacy for everyone.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a list of the 50 airports where Verizon and AT&T have agreed to enact 5G exclusion zones.
After false starts and negotiations, Verizon and AT&T’s C-band 5G will finally go live on January 19. As part of their concessions addressing concerns about possible interference with aircraft altimeters, both carriers have agreed to exclusion zones around airports.
By not deploying in the immediate vicinity of airports, it’s hoped any possible interference will be mitigated. These zones are specifically around airports where low-visibility landings occur.
Many airports are not currently affected by the new 5G deployment, even though they are not on this list. These include airports not in the 46 markets where the new service will be deployed and airports that do not currently have the ability to allow low-visibility landings.
The wireless companies agreed to turn off transmitters and make other adjustments near these airports for six months to minimize potential 5G interference with sensitive aircraft instruments used in low-visibility landings.
T-Mobile, of course, uses spectrum that poses no risks to altimeters. As a result, T-Mobile’s 5G is unaffected and the company does not need to use exclusion zones. Below is a list of the airports that will have the Verizon and AT&T exclusion zones.
The Aerospace Industries Association has appealed to the White House to intervene over concerns about the safety risks of 5G deployment.
Airlines, the FAA, the FCC, Verizon, and AT&T have been in a tug-of-war over the future of mid-band 5G deployment. Verizon and AT&T are desperate to begin rolling out the $68 billion of spectrum they acquired at a recent FCC auction, but the airline industry and the FCC are worried about possible interference with airline altimeters.
After Verizon and AT&T rebuffed requests to delay their deployment further — past the January 5 date they had set — the industry is now appealing to the White House, according to Bloomberg.
“We respectfully call on President Biden to intervene and delay the full implementation of C-band 5G until proper risk assessments have taken place and crewmembers are fully briefed as to the extent of the disruptions,” the group said in a statement.
There has been no response yet from the White House.
One thing is clear: T-Mobile is increasingly coming out an even bigger winner in the 5G wars than it already was. The company acquired a wealth of mid-band spectrum when it bought Sprint. T-Mobile’s nearly insurmountable lead in 5G was one of the main reasons its two biggest competitors spent so much money at auction. Unlike the spectrum they acquired, however, T-Mobile’s spectrum is far enough away from altimeter frequencies that it poses no risk.
Users of T-Mobile’s high-end Magenta MAX plans are using less WiFi, in favor of 5G.
5G has long been touted as a revolutionary upgrade to cellular networks, one that would provide the speed and bandwidth to replace traditional internet. T-Mobile’s customers seem to be supporting that theory, so much so that Light Reading’s Mike Dano declared that “5G is winning the war against Wi-Fi.”
Much of the reason for T-Mobile’s MAX customers choosing 5G over WiFi is because that plan provides truly unlimited data, with no speed throttling after a set amount of data has been used. Combined with T-Mobile’s rollout of its mid-band spectrum, considered the sweet spot for 5G, the company clearly has a winning combination. According to the company, that has led to users not only using WiFi less, but also providing hotspot access to others.
Today, 13% fewer MAX users are connecting to WiFi, 80% more are hosting a WiFi hotspot and their hotspot usage is up 20% on average during the weekends. These hotspots are cooking, with MAX users consuming 3X more hotspot data per month compared to other T-Mobile customers.
T-Mobile’s data is an interesting chapter in the 5G rollout, and shows the wireless technology is finally starting to live up to the expectation.
Microsoft is the latest company to pull out of CES 2022 over concerns about the omicron COVID variant.
CES is one of the biggest electronic events and, like most large trade shows and events, has struggled to keep going during the pandemic. The shows organizers have vowed to go on with the 2022 event in January, but multiple high-profile companies have already bowed out over amid the omicron surge, including T-Mobile, Intel, Meta, Twitter, and Pinterest.
“After reviewing the latest data on the rapidly evolving COVID environment, Microsoft has decided not to participate in-person at CES 2022,” said a company spokesperson.
While CES organizers want to press forward, if high-profile companies keep dropping out, there may not be a conference to save.
T-Mobile is yet another company that is backing out of CES, and CEO Mike Sievert is canceling his keynote appearance.
CES is one of the biggest electronics trade shows, giving smartphones and device makers an opportunity to show off their new product lines. Many were hoping for more of a return to normal with CES 2022 in January, but the surge of omicron COVID cases is putting a dent in that. Meta, Twitter, and Pinterest already announcedthey would be pulling out of the event.
T-Mobile is also altering its plans for CES, significantly limiting in-person participation. CEO Mike Sievert also will not be giving one of the keynotes, either in-person or virtually.
I’m sorry we’ll miss seeing everyone at CES this year, but we are prioritizing the safety of our team and other attendees.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is warning that Verizon and AT&T’s 5G rollout would be catastrophic for the airline industry.
Verizon and AT&T spent over $68 billion on C-band spectrum for their 5G networks. C-band spectrum is squarely in the mid-band range, making it ideal for 5G. Unfortunately, the spectrum is very close to the same frequencies airline altimeters use. Although T-Mobile spent $9 billion, it was largely to fill out its existing spectrum, spectrum that poses no danger to the airline industry. Verizon and AT&T, in contrast, delayed their rollout of the new spectrum before agreeing to throttle back the power in an effort to avoid issues.
Unfortunately, Kirby doesn’t think that will be enough. According to The Independent, Kirby warned Congress in a US Senate Commerce Committee meeting, that the C-band rollout “would be a catastrophic failure of government.”
Not everyone agrees Kirby’s fears are warranted, with the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CITA) saying concerns about interference amount to fear-mongering.
“The aviation industry’s fear-mongering relies on completely discredited information and deliberate distortions of fact,” says CTIA.
At the same time, Kirby was quick to point out the consequences of the FAA’s new directive aimed at addressing the 5G issue, in which the agency prohibits the use of altimeters in low-visibility conditions.
“Unless something changes – we will not be able to use radio altimeters at 40-something of the largest airports in the country,” Mr Kirby said. “It is a certainty. This is not a debate.”
The debate between 5G and the airline safety looks to be far from over, but one thing is clear: Until the issue is resolved, airline passengers will likely experience more delays as the industry accommodates the FAA’s new directive.
Ookla, the make of the popular Speedtest app and service, has acquired RootMetrics.
RootMetrics and Ookla are on two different ends of the network performance monitoring spectrum. While Ookla uses crowdsourced data, thanks to its popular app, RootMetrics relies on more traditional, controlled driving and walking tests of wireless provider coverage.
Ookla has acquired RootMetrics, combining the two companies and bringing their respective network analysis paradigms under one roof.
“Ookla plus RootMetrics fully enables the network assessment trifecta of crowd measurement, controlled testing and consumer perception—with a sustainable business model that should thrive through the privacy revolution,” says Ookla CEO and co-founder Doug Suttles.
“Becoming part of Ookla completes the vision that Doug and I shared when we first met years ago,” says RootMetrics CEO Kevin Hasley. “With our combined experience and expertise we can better help our customers overcome challenges, optimize their networks and create opportunities. I am very excited to see our joint future unfold.”
The combination of the two companies will hopefully help provide more transparency in network analysis. It’s no secret that T-Mobile touts Ookla’s network measurements, while Verizon prefers RootMetrics. The combined companies should help provide a more standardized method of testing wireless carrier performance.
Despite a deal being reached between Verizon, AT&T and the FAA, the carriers’ 5G may still cause problems with aircraft in low-visibility conditions.
Verizon and AT&T spent billions purchasing mid-band spectrum for their 5G rollouts, only to have the FAA raise concerns about the spectrum interfering with aircraft altimeters. The issue stems from the spectrum being in the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz range, considered a sweet spot for 5G, but relatively close to the spectrum altimeters use in the 4.2 to 4.4 GHz range.
Verizon and AT&T came to an agreement with the FAA to limit the power of their 5G signals, but the FAA is warning pilots that may not be enough. In a statement on 5G, in which the FAA declares its belief that 5G and aviation can safely coexist, the agency does provide a warning about possible interference.
The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all transport and commuter category airplanes equipped with a radio (also known as radar) altimeter. This AD was prompted by a determination that radio altimeters cannot be relied upon to perform their intended function if they experience interference from wireless broadband operations in the 3.7-3.98 GHz frequency band (5G C-Band).
The interference will especially be a concern in low visibility situations.
This AD requires revising the limitations section of the existing AFM to incorporate limitations prohibiting certain operations requiring radio altimeter data when in the presence of 5G C-Band wireless broadband signals as identified by NOTAM. These limitations could prevent dispatch of flights to certain locations with low visibility, and could also result in flight diversions.
The only carrier unaffected by the FAA’s concerns is T-Mobile. The magenta carrier’s mid-band 5G spectrum falls in the 2.5 GHz range, a range that is no threat to altimeters.
Verizon and AT&T have volunteered to limit their 5G networks in an effort to address concerns over air traffic safety.
Verizon and AT&T spent a small fortune — to the tune of nearly $69 billion — to purchase C-Band spectrum for their 5G networks. C-Band, falling in the mid-range of available spectrum, is considered the sweet spot for 5G, offering a solid blend of speed, range and penetration.
Unfortunately, the spectrum Verizon and AT&T purchased is in the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz range, relatively close to the 4.2-4.4 GHz range that airline altimeters run on. As a result, there have been concerns that Verizon and AT&T’s 5G could negatively impact airline safety, leading both companies to delay their C-Band rollout.
Verizon and AT&T are now voluntarily offering to limit their rollout of the C-Band 5G spectrum in an effort to mitigate potential issues.
“We have voluntarily agreed to certain precautionary protection measures for 5G networks in the C-band while additional evidence from radio altimeter manufacturers is evaluated,” AT&T said in a statement, according to The Hill. “Though there is no credible evidence that a legitimate interference problem exists, we agreed to take these additional steps to alleviate any safety concerns from the FAA.”
Despite their willingness to cripple their 5G, as Telecoms.com points out, it’s obvious by the wording of their statement that Verizon and AT&T are not happy with the current state of affairs. Their statement is a not-so-subtle way of pointing out that, after spending tens of billions, they shouldn’t have to take the steps they’re taking.
“Wireless carriers, including AT&T and Verizon, paid over $80 billion for C-band spectrum—and have committed to pay another $15 billion to satellite users for early access to those licenses—and made those investments in reliance on a set of technical ground rules that were expressly found by the FCC to protect other spectrum users.”
Verizon and AT&T’s issues are yet another win for T-Mobile, which has already established itself as the 5G leader in the US market. T-Mobile’s mid-band spectrum falls in the 2.5 GHz range, which is still in the sweet spot for 5G but far enough away from the spectrum airline altimeters use to not be a concern. As a result, T-Mobile has been unaffected by the issues Verizon and AT&T are facing.
T-Mobile has reached its goal of covering 200 million people with its Ultra Capacity 5G by the end of 2021.
Ultra Capacity 5G is the term T-Mobile uses for its 5G running on the mid-band 2.5 GHz spectrum. Unlike the faster mmWave, which is in the 6 GHz range, T-Mobile’s Ultra Capacity can reach farther and penetrate obstacles better. Despite being slower than mmWave, T-Mobile has achieved speeds in excess of 1 Gbps with its mid-band spectrum.
The company had set a goal of reaching 200 million people by the end of 2021, a goal it has already achieved.
“We’re delivering game changing Ultra Capacity 5G to people across the country at an unprecedented pace, putting us in a network leadership position with a two-year head start on the competition. And that gap is only getting wider as we speed up,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “Only T-Mobile is delivering a 5G network capable of truly transforming the smartphone experience – 5G’s first killer app – and that’s just the beginning. With Ultra Capacity 5G nationwide, we’re unleashing innovators across the country to build new 5G applications that will change the world.”
In the meantime, Verizon and AT&T have both paused their mid-band spectrum rollout over concerns of interference with aviation altimeters. Verizon and AT&T’s mid-band spectrum is in the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz range, relatively close to the 4.2 to 4.4 GHz range of altimeters. In contrast, T-Mobile’s 2.5 GHz spectrum is far enough away to not pose any concern.
Concerns over possible interference between mid-band 5G and aviation altimeters has caused Verizon and AT&T to delay their 5G deployment.
Verizon and AT&T recently spent billions to acquire mid-band spectrum, specifically the C-Band, in the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz range. The spectrum is considered the sweet spot for 5G, offering a combination of speed, range and building penetration. Unfortunately, radar altimeters run in the 4.2-4.4 GHz range, making them dangerously close to the C-Band spectrum.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has voiced concern over whether a nearby cell tower could negatively impact altimeters, potentially causing major safety issues for the airline industry.
As a result of the concerns, both Verizon and AT&T have pushed back deployment of their C-Band spectrum by a month, to allow time to address the concerns.
The big winner in the entire situation is T-Mobile. While the second-largest carrier bought some C-Band spectrum at the latest auction, the bulk of its 5G spectrum is in the 2.5 GHz range, far enough for there to be no concerns about interfering with altimeters.
Some experts are already predicting the month-long delay on the part of Verizon and AT&T will only serve to help T-Mobile grow its 5G lead even more.
T-Mobile has announced it is giving users a free year of Paramount+, the latest effort by the carrier to add value to its services.
Wireless carriers have been aggressively bundling various streaming services, adding value and trying to prevent churn — the industry term for customers switching carriers. As part of its latest efforts, T-Mobile is bundling Paramount+ for all new and existing T-Mobile and Sprint customers.
“At T-Mobile, EVERYONE means EVERYONE. And now, every one of our postpaid consumers can get a mountain of awesome entertainment with Paramount+ Essential on Us for a full year. That’s true whether you have a consumer or a home internet plan and whether you have a new Magenta MAX plan or are on a plan from 10 years ago,” said Jon Freier, President, Consumer Group at T-Mobile. “With Paramount+, in addition to all our other streaming benefits, customers can truly watch virtually anywhere, anytime, on any smartphone and all at no extra cost with T-Mobile.”
The partnership provides customers with live sports, original programing and a deep catalog of content, including from ViacomCBS.
“The partnership with T-Mobile is a key part to our growth strategy as we continue to scale Paramount+ to become a global leader in streaming,” said Jeff Shultz, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Business Development Officer, ViacomCBS Streaming. “This incredible offer is available to T-Mobile’s full suite of postpaid consumers, exposing Paramount+ to a massive new and diverse audience that will have the opportunity to experience the service’s unmatched content portfolio and unique value proposition as a total household product.”
The deal is available to customers starting November 9 and lasts for 12 months. At the end of 12 months, the subscription will renew for $4.99 a month.
Verizon and Amazon have announced a partnership to use the latter’s Project Kuiper satellites to deliver internet access to underserved communities.
Many companies and organizations are working to address the US “digital divide,” the difference in available internet access for rural vs urban areas. Verizon has been rolling out its Home Internet solution, which uses the company’s wireless service to provide internet access.
In its latest move, Verizon is turning to Amazon’s Project Kuiper to help extend its existing network and serve as the backend for its efforts. Project Kuiper will deliver broadband internet via a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The company received FCC clearance in July 2020 to launch as many as 3,236 satellites. The approval was conditioned on the company launching at least half that number by July 2026. To date, however, not a single satellite has been launched.
Despite that, it appears Verizon has confidence in Project Kuiper.
“Project Kuiper offers flexibility and unique capabilities for a LEO satellite system, and we’re excited about the prospect of adding a complementary connectivity layer to our existing partnership with Amazon,” Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg said. “We know the future will be built on our leading 5G network, designed for mobility, fixed wireless access and real-time cloud compute. More importantly, we believe that the power of this technology must be accessible for all. Today’s announcement will help us explore ways to bridge that divide and accelerate the benefits and innovation of wireless connectivity, helping benefit our customers on both a global and local scale.”
“There are billions of people without reliable broadband access, and no single company will close the digital divide on its own,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said. “Verizon is a leader in wireless technology and infrastructure, and we’re proud to be working together to explore bringing fast, reliable broadband to the customers and communities who need it most. We look forward to partnering with companies and organizations around the world who share this commitment.”
Verizon is already struggling to play catchup to T-Mobile’s 5G network. It remains to be seen if hitching its rural endeavors to a company that has yet to deliver will pay off.
T-Mobile has announced it will delay the planned shutdown of Sprint’s CDMA network by three months.
T-Mobile purchased Sprint in April 2020, and quickly began integrating the carrier’s spectrum into its own network. T-Mobile had originally planned on shutting down Sprint’s CDMA network effective January 1, 2022, but the company now says it will delay the shutdown till March 31, 2022.
“To build out our revolutionary network that will deliver the broadest and deepest 5G experience FOR ALL across the country, we need to sunset outdated CDMA technologies as soon as possible so every consumer, no matter their circumstances, will have access to the best connectivity and best experience,” the company writes in a blog post. “This is why we have aggressively executed on plans to take care of transitioning our impacted Sprint CDMA customers by the end of this year and provided our partners plenty of time and resources to take care of their customers as well.
“Recently it’s become increasingly clear that some of those partners haven’t followed through on their responsibility to help their customers through this shift. So, we’re stepping up on their behalf. We have made the decision to extend our deadline for the CDMA sunset by three months to March 31, 2022.”
The company says the delay will have no impact on its 5G rollout and, at the same time, called out its partners for dragging their feet.
“There should be no more room for excuses. We have provided even more time and those partners can follow suit with the effort that is needed to ensure no one is left on the wrong side of the digital divide.”
T-Mobile has been making headlines for its industry-leading 5G network, but how does its 5G Home Internet offering stack up?
We take a look at T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet solution to see how it stacks up against traditional broadband, and whether it provides a viable solution for customers.
Why 5G Home Internet Matters
Reliable, high-speed internet access is front-and-center on the minds of consumers and regulators alike. The COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly turned millions of homes into offices, complete with videoconferencing, file-sharing, meetings and more.
Unfortunately, the United States has long suffered a “digital divide,” a major disparity between the internet access available in urban areas, versus what is available in sparsely populated rural regions.
A couple of years ago, just before the pandemic, my wife and I bought a house in the country, away from the conveniences of urban life. While not being able to get a pizza delivered is unfortunate, the complete lack of any high-speed internet or TV service (barring satellite) was a major issue.
We initially tried several services that buy up unused cellular data and resell them as home internet solutions. We used both Blazing Hog and UnlimitedToGo, but both services were expensive and it was virtually impossible to watch streaming TV, since the data packages both services provided seemed to throttle video.
When T-Mobile began offering their 5G Home Internet solution, we jumped at the opportunity.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: The Lowdown
T-Mobile is widely viewed as the 5G market leader in the US. The company has a wealth of spectrum at its disposal, thanks to wise purchases at FCC spectrum auctions and its acquisition of Sprint.
Thanks to the spectrum at its disposal, the company is offering its Home Internet service as a way of tackling the digital divide that impacts so many. In typical T-Mobile fashion, the company is also offering the service with a degree of panache, offering it at a rock-bottom, no-fees price that is a slap in the face to the rest of the internet service provider industry, an industry that made $9 billion from fees in a single year.
T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet is available for $50 per month, no equipment fees, all other taxes and fees included. $50 is all the customer pays. Best of all, the company promises there are no data caps.
It is possible for data to be de-prioritized, if a tower is struggling with heavy demand. After months of use, however, I personally have yet to see this happen.
Real-World Results
So exactly how fast is T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet?
It’s important to have reasonable expectations. While the fastest flavor of 5G is capable of delivering speeds measures in gigabits, there’s almost no chance of getting those speeds with the company’s 5G Home Internet. The spectrum capable of delivering those speeds has extremely limited range — just a couple of hundred meters per base station — meaning it wouldn’t work for the vast majority of T-Mobile’s customers.
Instead, the company is largely using its low and mid-band 5G spectrum to power 5G Home Internet. That means customers will see speeds ranging from roughly equivalent to 4G LTE on up to 300 Mbps.
My house is located roughly 1.5 miles from the closest T-Mobile tower, separated by acres and acres of forest. In spite of that, my speeds are consistently over 100 Mbps. Here’s a breakdown of my last five Speedtest.net results:
138 Mbps download, 51.3 Mbps upload, 28 ms ping
124 Mbps download, 55.7 Mbps upload, 25 ms ping
133 Mbps download, 54.9 Mbps upload, 28 ms ping
140 Mbps download, 41.7 Mbps upload, 27 ms ping
126 Mbps download, 52.6 Mbps upload, 28 ms ping
In contrast, the median speeds for traditional broadband in the US is 115.22 Mbps down, 17.18 Mbps up and 14 ms latency. While T-Mobile 5G Internet may have slightly higher ping, it’s still low enough for everything from streaming TV to videoconferencing to video gaming. In terms of speed, it easily beats traditional broadband, at least in my case.
The Router
The T-mobile 4G Home Internet router (which I used before the 5G version was available at my address) was nothing to write home about. Each WiFi band — 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz — only supported 10 clients each. Going past, or even hitting, the limit would cause the service to crash.
The router’s WiFi range was also very limited, making it hard to reach the entire house, depending on where it was placed. The admin features also left a lot to be desired, and the router didn’t have the processing power or memory to support multiple devices very well, leading to slowdowns. I ultimately ended up turning off WiFi and plugging a wireless access point directly into the 4G router.
Fortunately, the 5G router fixes all of the shortcomings of its predecessor. By default, each WiFi band supports 128 clients, although it can be set higher. The WiFi range is strong enough to be accessible over 200 feet away from the house, through trees no less. The new router also includes enough processing power to handle two computers, three iPhones, an Apple TV, an Air TV and an iRobot vacuum, all without slowing down. The 5G router is so powerful, I no longer use a dedicated access point with it, relying directly on the router instead.
Setup was also a cinch. The router has a QR code on the bottom. Simply download the T-Mobile Home Internet app and point your smartphone’s camera at the QR code to start the setup process.
That being said, the first router I received died unexpectedly. While irritating, T-Mobile quickly sent a replacement free of charge. Unfortunately, a look at T-Mobile’s forums show that the problem is not an isolated one, with numerous customers needing their devices replaced.
The Fine Print
There are some issues with the router and service, although they are workable.
The biggest, and really only, major problem is interference. Because mid-band 5G doesn’t have the same ability to penetrate buildings as well as low-band 5G, or 4G LTE, the 5G router is more sensitive to where it’s placed and the construction of the building it’s placed in.
For example, placing the router in my garage — metal roof and vinyl siding — yielded similar speeds to those listed above. Unfortunately, my garage is not insulated, which means the router can’t stay there in the summer.
Moving the router to the kitchen window, nearest the tower, yields the above results, with one big caveat: the kitchen window must remain open. If it’s closed, speeds drop to 20 or 30 Mbps, indicating the router is likely pulling a 4G signal instead of the faster 5G. Because the house is brick, putting it next to a wall doesn’t work any better, unlike being in the vinyl-sided garage.
Obviously, leaving the window open all the time isn’t an option, anymore than being in an uninsulated garage. As a result, I will need to install an electronics enclosure designed to allow electronics to be mounted on the outside of a building, while still maintaining an acceptable internal temperature.
In areas where a customer may be closer to a 5G tower, with fewer obstructions and a stronger signal, there may not be the same issues with achieving perfect router placement. On the plus side, at least the router will fall back to 4G internet if 5G is unavailable.
Alternatives
The main alternative to T-Mobile’s solution, especially for rural clients, is Starlink satellite internet service. Unfortunately, the service is twice the cost of T-Mobile’s offering, coming in at $99 per month — after paying a $500 deposit.
In addition, Starlink requires clear line of sight to the satellites. Because the satellites are in low Earth orbit, it doesn’t take much for something to block the signal.
The company provides an app so you can test how the service will work at your location before paying for the service. In my case, the Starlink app predicts that my service would drop every one minute, due to the trees on my property.
In comparison, although trees may interfere with the signal to a degree, T-Mobile’s service is a much better option than Starlink for many customers.
Conclusion
All-in-all, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a game-changer for customers like me, ones who have limited options for high-speed internet. At only $50 per month, the service is a bargain compared to the third-party solutions I was previously using, and is competitive with traditional broadband — if that was even an option at my location.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet easily supports multiple devices being on Zoom simultaneously, streaming Sling TV at the highest quality setting, video gaming and more, all without slowing down.
Obviously, each customer’s mileage will vary, depending on how close they are to a 5G tower and the construction of their home/building. Nonetheless, T-Mobile is providing a game-changing solution that rivals traditional broadband at a competitive price.
Pros
High-speed comparable with broadband
Low price with taxes and fees included
Powerful router
Excellent WiFi range
Router will fall back to 4G LTE if 5G is unavailable
Cons
5G reception can be weak
Questions about the long-term reliability of the router
Verizon has expanded its 5G Home Internet solution, providing the service in 60 cities across the US.
5G Home Internet is a popular option for areas that do not have traditional internet options, such as rural and remote locations. Yours truly relies on T-Mobile 5G Home Internet at a location that would otherwise be restricted to dial-up.
Verizon is now offering its 5G Home Internet solution in 60 cities, touting the speed its network provides.
“Our mmWave build is a critical differentiator, and we remain focused on our rapid expansion of 5G Ultra Wideband using mmWave spectrum even as our teams prepare to offer 5G Ultra Wideband service to millions of customers using our C-band spectrum license,” said Kyle Malady, Chief Technology Officer for Verizon. “We will continue to expand our mmWave footprint to deliver game changing experiences for the densest parts of our network.”
Verizon says Home Internet speeds can reach up to 1 Gbps, with typical speeds around 300 Mbps. Customers with qualifying plans pay $50 a month for Home Internet, while those without a plan pay $70 a month. Verizon will also cover up to $500 in early termination fees for customers leaving another internet provider.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is auctioning off a new round of mid-band spectrum for 5G.
Mid-band spectrum is the most coveted type of spectrum for 5G. Low-band — below 1 GHz — offers coverage on par with 4G LTE, but provides only marginally better speeds. High-band mmWave — over 6 GHz — offers speeds measured in gigabits, but has extremely limited range. Repeaters and base stations must be placed every couple of hundred meters to maintain coverage.
Mid-band, in contrast, offers speeds in excess of 1 Gbps, and provides far better coverage than mmWave. T-Mobile gained a wealth of mid-band spectrum when it purchased Sprint. Verizon and AT&T spent over $68 million at the last mid-band spectrum auction, while T-Mobile only spent $9 billion to round out its existing spectrum.
The FCC is now auctioning off a new round, specifically 100 MHz of the 3.45 GHz band. Starting Tuesday, October 5, the auction has a reserve price of $14,775,354,330 that must be met. There’s almost no chance the reserve price won’t be met, as Fierce Wireless says the final price is estimated to be $31 billion, with a reasonable chance of reaching $40 billion. Verizon and AT&T are both seen as the most likely big spenders, as both companies still have a ways to go before they catch up to T-Mobile’s spectrum holdings.
“We are moving with record speed and collaboration to free up more mid-band spectrum for 5G,” said FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “These airwaves are a critical part of unlocking the 5G promise everywhere in the country. I want to thank the FCC staff who have worked so hard to start this auction this year. And I want to thank our partners at NTIA and the Department of Defense for working with us to free up this spectrum for 5G.”
