T-Mobile Home Internet Review

The Breakdown: T-Mobile’s Home Internet Plan

What we really love about T-Mobile’s approach to home internet is how easy it is to understand. With many internet providers, just trying to figure out the plan is a headache, so much so that the Federal Communications Commission has adopted new rules to make internet providers more transparent about their pricing through the use of broadband labels (like FDA food  labels).2 Here’s our breakdown of T-Mobile’s offerings:

Internet Only Plans

Internet and Voice Plans

The Basics

With T-Mobile’s 5G service, you get unlimited data for $60 per month with AutoPay (including taxes) and no data caps. Unlike most internet providers, such as Cox and Xfinity, there are no equipment rental fees. Plus, there are no annual contracts, which means no early termination fees. There’s a trade-off for that straightforward simplicity, however. T-Mobile’s 5G internet isn’t as fast as some other providers we’ve reviewed. T-Mobile guarantees download speeds between 72 and 245 Mbps. While there are much faster plans, this is still a decent speed for the average user.

You may even experience higher download speeds than advertised. We ran several speed tests using T-Mobile’s internet service, and there were multiple occasions when our download speeds were over 400 Mbps. That increased the value of T-Mobile’s service in our book, as we got more than 150 Mbps of extra speed for the same price.

Taking a speed test using T-Mobile's internet connection

For comparison, Spectrum boasts higher speeds and bundled savings. And though T-Mobile and Spectrum offer internet for about $60 per month with AutoPay, T-Mobile doesn’t lock you into an annual contract to get the best rates.

T-Mobile Speeds in Context

While 72 to 245 Mbps is a good deal faster than an entry-level Hughesnet satellite plan — and more than covers moderate browsing, emailing, and (standard-definition) streaming needs — T-Mobile can’t hit the heavy-duty speeds of some of our top-rated internet providers for seniors, like Xfinity, Cox, and AT&T. If you or a grandchild enjoys online gaming, T-Mobile may not have the juice to support it. However, the speeds were fast enough to connect to several devices simultaneously. For instance, we could work from home, take Zoom calls, and stream shows concurrently without issue.

Expert Insights

From Taylor Shuman, Senior Tech Expert

You don’t need blazing-fast downloads to do everything. According to Netflix, you don’t need more than 5 Mbps to stream your favorite movies and series in HD. That’s only 4 Mbps more than you need to send emails.

For example, for about the same price as T-Mobile’s $60 per month plan (with AutoPay), you could be cruising the internet with AT&T’s Internet 1000 plan, which gives you super-fast downloads up to 940 Mbps. (Check out our AT&T Internet review for the whole story.) CenturyLink Gigabit Fiber Internet is another prime contender for older Americans still going full steam online, even if it’s a little more pricey at $65 per month. The silver lining here for any T-Mobile holdouts is that T-Mobile has the best 5G cell phone coverage in the nation to date.

The silver lining here for any T-Mobile holdouts is that T-Mobile has the best 5G cell phone coverage in the nation to date.

Easy Setup

T-Mobile delivers its service via its own “5G Gateway” device using the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology. Wi-Fi 6 is a significant advance over previous generations of Wi-Fi technology, with double the channel width and much faster connections — fast enough to stream 8K videos!

That Gateway device — which looks a little like a first-generation Amazon Alexa — serves as your router and should be able to cover your entire house.

Using our T-Mobile Gateway

Our installation experience was a breeze. We visited the T-Mobile store, and the representatives were kind and helpful. They gave us equipment and everything we needed to set up our connection when we got home. We simply plugged in the device near a window, and it was ready. It only took 30 minutes to get our connection up and running!

One thing to note? The location of the device matters. Placing it, for example, near our workstation gave us a stronger signal. We only moved it occasionally when we needed a faster signal in certain parts of the house. Since it’s a small tower, we could quickly move it around, which wasn’t much of a hassle. We could view our connection and equipment status in the mobile app to ensure everything was running properly.

We could easily view our connection and equipment status in T-Mobile's mobile app.

However, if you live in a larger home or just don’t want to deal with moving your equipment regularly, we’d recommend upgrading to the Home Internet Plus plan. It includes a Mesh Access point for extended coverage. Since the equipment relies on T-Mobile’s network and we have strong coverage in our area, we had consistent speed and didn’t experience any outages during testing.

Using the T Life App

After setting up our 5G Gateway, we downloaded the T Life mobile app. The app, available for iPhones and Android devices, is your command center. We could see our signal strength and speed, share our Wi-Fi password, restart our equipment, view data usage, and more.

Viewing our equipment status and settings in T-Mobile's T Life app

If you’ve got grandkids around regularly, you can set up “grandparental” controls to limit screen time. We found using the mobile app was very easy and convenient. We could do things like control who was logged in, adjust the password, and see usage.

Does T-Mobile Offer a Senior Discount for Internet?

T-Mobile isn’t running any senior discounts at the moment. However, the $60 per month plan with AutoPay and no data caps feels designed as an alternative to expensive plans with more fine print. Remember that the $60 per month offer is only available if you enroll in AutoPay. Without AutoPay, your bill will run $65 monthly. That may not sound like a sharp increase, but that $5 adds up!

AutoPay is one way to save with T-Mobile, but that isn’t the only way. You don’t have to pay the monthly equipment rental fees you would with, say, AT&T. Those fees add up. Because there are no annual contracts, you won’t be charged any extra cancellation fees. So, again, this is a plan with value baked in.

New customers who bundle select phone plans can have the $60-a-month with AutoPay fee slashed to $35 per month with AutoPay. New customers who bundle can also have Home Internet Plus ($70 per month with AutoPay) for $50 per month with AutoPay with certain phone plans. These deals also include a subscription to Apple TV and/or Netflix. Remember these deals change throughout the year, so check what’s available when you sign up!

T-Mobile also offers perks and discounts for customers through the T Life mobile app. You can save on live events, win prizes, and score free stuff or deals from many brands every Tuesday.

Viewing T-Mobile's discounts and perks in the T Life app

Is T-Mobile Available in My Area?

Availability is the first thing you should check if you’re considering switching to T-Mobile. Enrolling in a T-Mobile 55+ Unlimited cell phone plan means you get access to nationwide service. They now cover 326 million people in over 9,100 cities and towns across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

The good news is that it’s easy to find out if you’re eligible for T-Mobile internet. Just head on over to the T-Mobile website and enter your home address. They’ll tell you quickly if there’s coverage in your area.

T-Mobile Bundles to Get the Best Deal

You’re in luck if you’re searching for a senior phone plan to go with your home internet. T-Mobile offers an internet and phone bundle. Add any T-Mobile 55+ package to your T-Mobile Home Internet plan to decrease the cost of your internet bill. You’ll save $10 each month with an Essentials 55 plan, and you can save $20 if you opt for the Go5G Plus plan. T-Mobile’s 55+ plans start at $45 monthly for one line or $60 monthly for a two-line plan. All three of T-Mobile’s senior phone plans come with unlimited talk, text, and data, plus other great perks. Head to our T-Mobile review to learn more about T-Mobile’s cell phone plans for seniors.

Using an iPhone on T-Mobile's service

How Does T-Mobile Compare to Other Internet Providers?

T-Mobile’s no-nonsense internet service isn’t a one-stop entertainment shop. You’re essentially paying for an internet connection. So, if daily entertainment means surfing hundreds of TV channels, you might want to look at Spectrum’s internet plans or AT&T’s internet deals. You can bundle TV and internet to get the most bang for your buck. The downside to both options is that the freedom to surf so many channels comes with price hikes after the first year, contracts to sign, and equipment rental fees.

If you don’t need hundreds of channels, and your idea of a perfect Saturday night is popcorn and Netflix, signing up for a T-Mobile plan makes more sense, especially if you aren’t a heavy internet user. For $60 and change — Netflix’s “Standard” plan will run you about $15 monthly without ads — you’re good to go.

If you are looking for a new internet provider but need help understanding what to look for, check out our 2024 internet buyer’s guide for seniors. It’s got links to reliable reviews and plenty of other resources for seniors — from food delivery guides to advice on how to speed up your internet connection.