T-Mobile has launched its new wireless Home Internet across the US, expanding the pilot program into an actual product that customers can purchase. According to their live stream announcement, 30 million households are now eligible for the service, including 10 million in rural areas. For $60 a month, the new 5G plan will include download speeds of 50 to 100Mbps and upload speeds of 10 to 25Mbps.
“No added taxes or fees. No equipment fees. No contracts. No surprises or exploding bills,” T-Mobile claims. However, there is one caveat: while there is no data cap, customers will face slower speeds during times of high traffic. “During congestion, Home Internet customers may notice speeds lower than other customers due to data prioritization,” T-Mobile admitted. “Customers receive the same network prioritization as Heavy Data Users, but should be less likely to experience congestion because the equipment is stationary and available in limited areas.”
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Heavy Data Users are T-Mobile subscribers who face slower speeds when they approach a specific limit, which is usually 50GB per month on most T-Mobile plans. While Home Internet plans do not have the 50GB cap, they could face slowed down speeds during high congestion times.
According to the T-Mobile FAQ, “We anticipate most new T-Mobile Home Internet customers will see average download speeds in excess of 100Mbps, and all eligible households are projected to see average download speeds of 50Mbps or more. Speeds can vary depending on location, signal strength and availability, time of day, and other factors.” Plus, “most new T-Mobile Home Internet customers can expect average upload speeds between 10 and 25Mbps,” with latency usually between 21 and 35ms.
There currently is no option for customers to upgrade to a better plan, so all customers will receive “the max speed the network is able to offer at their home location.” CNET writer Rick Broida signed up for the service while it was in its pilot program and reported his experiences. “I’ve streamed hours of 4K video, participated in Zoom meetings, downloaded big games to install and so on, all without a hiccup to report,” Broida wrote. Additionally, T-Mobile told Ars Technica “that its typical home Internet speeds far exceed the bandwidth needed to stream 4K video.”
