T-Mobile has announced two new home internet plans: Home Internet Plus and Away. Well, technically that’s one home internet plan and one anywhere-but-home plan. These new flavors of T-Mobile’s 5G-powered internet service aim to address different customers, but both serve the same goal: leveraging that sweet 5G spectrum to do more than just keep our phones connected.
T-Mobile’s new 5G internet plan lets you take your Wi-Fi on the road
There’s a new premium option, too, including 24/7 support and a mesh access point.
There’s a new premium option, too, including 24/7 support and a mesh access point.
Allison Johnson is a reviewer with 10 years of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview.
The new Away plan, importantly, does not allow for “extended use in the same location,” according to a footnote in T-Mobile’s press release. It’s basically a Starlink competitor designed for campers and RV owners, but instead of using satellite connectivity, it’s more like a supercharged cellular hotspot. It can connect up to 64 devices at a time, which seems like way more than an RV can actually hold and comes in two data capacity options: up to 200GB for $110 per month or unlimited for $160 per month (both prices with autopay enabled). It’ll be available starting on May 8th.
Home Internet Plus includes all the features of T-Mobile’s standard plan, starting with a gateway router to turn cellular signal into home Wi-Fi. On top of that, you get a mesh access point to help bring the signal to more corners of your home — an extra 2,200 square feet worth of corners, according to T-Mobile’s press release. You also get access to around-the-clock tech support from Assurant. Home Internet Plus will be available on April 26th for $70 per month with autopay.
As we enter the middle innings of the 5G era, fixed wireless services like T-Mobile’s home internet have emerged as the real moneymakers for carriers. T-Mobile was the first to offer it on a large scale, and Verizon has been pushing into the space as its mid-band 5G spectrum comes online. Even fiber-centric AT&T eventually, reluctantly, got in on the action. Like Verizon, they’ve got some big 5G bills to pay. In any case, T-Mobile’s latest efforts to package up this service for different customers look like something we’re only going to see more of in the near future.
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