Is T-Mobile Home Internet Really Unlimited?

One of the key selling points T-Mobile has been making with its 5G network has been the promise that it can do more than merely be a phone service provider.

As the name suggests, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet uses the cellular provider's expansive 5G network to bring fast, reliable internet into your home. Although it's designed to act the same as a traditional, wired connection, there are some key differences that you should know before switching to T-Mobile's Home Internet service. Most importantly, you'll say goodbye to the traditional router and ethernet cable that establishes your Wi-Fi network. Instead, you'll use a T-Mobile Gateway that connects to nearby phone towers to create a network you can connect devices to. Think of it like a smartphone's hotspot but much larger and long-term. 

Naturally, if you're already a T-Mobile customer, the company will offer to bundle its 5G home internet to save some money. However, T-Mobile also offers its plan regardless of whether you're an existing customer, and it'll even pay to cancel your old broadband. 

This raises the question of whether T-Mobile internet is truly unlimited. The answer, unfortunately, is that it isn't. 

Let's get into the details of what you're signing up for with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, and what the company means when it's selling you an "unlimited" plan.

It may or may not surprise you that T-Mobile's Unlimited 5G Home Internet isn't truly unlimited. However, the truth is that most people will likely feel like the connection is limitless in terms of internet access and speed, even with the restrictions in the fine print.

Even then, there are times you might feel the pinch. T-Mobile's Unlimited 5G Home Internet has systems in place to throttle your speeds, and during times of congestion, the company says Home Internet customers may experience slower speeds than others. Effectively, the company will deprioritize your access. 

The next limit comes from aggregate data transfers. Customers will see even further speed reductions if they use over 1.2 TB of data in a month. The usage resets at the start of your next billing period, but it's still important to keep in mind.

T-Mobile has three options for Home Internet: $40/month for existing customers with a T-Mobile phone plan, $50/month for existing customers without a voice line, and $60/month for internet only. Unfortunately, T-Mobile applies the same restrictions to every plan, so there's really no escaping them. However, chances are you won't exceed 1.2 TB each month if you stick to web surfing and video streaming.