Best 5G Home Internet Service of 2024: Get Fast, Affordable Internet With Our Expert Picks

Yes, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is good for streaming. The Unlimited and Plus plans both get unlimited data and 72–245Mbps download speeds, so you’re set to stream videos and TV shows. 

Yes, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet has truly unlimited data. However, if you use over 1.2TB of data, T-Mobile classifies you as a “Heavy Data User” and may deprioritize your data, which slows down your internet speed. This is especially the case for high-bandwidth activities like streaming and downloading large files.

Yes, 5G is fast enough for home internet. T-Mobile offers up to 245Mbps download speeds on its 5G Home Internet plans, so you get fast speeds for streaming, working from home, and browsing the web. 

T-Mobile AWAY is a 5G home internet plan catered towards rural dwellers or RVers who want reliable internet wherever they go. The T-Mobile AWAY plan includes a Wi-Fi gateway that you can plug into power in a moving vehicle, so you can have high-speed internet while you travel.

Yes, AT&T is good for streaming. It gets up 75–225Mbps of download speed, which is plenty of speed for streaming 1080p HD video.

No, AT&T Internet Air is not the same as fiber. AT&T Internet Air is a fixed wireless 5G home internet plan, which works wirelessly over a 5G cellular network.

Fiber internet works using fiber-optic cables to send data using light signals. It’s a faster and more reliable technology than fixed wireless connections. AT&T also offers fiber internet.

You can connect multiple devices to AT&T Internet Air through the All-Fi Hub gateway. While you can connect as many devices as you’d like, speeds may slow down because all your devices share the available bandwidth. To get the best speeds, reduce the number of connected devices and connect via Ethernet directly to the All-Fi Hub rather than using Wi-Fi.

Yes, Starry Internet is a good service. Starry offers fast download and upload speeds that support 4K streaming, gaming, and working from home.

Starry costs between $30 to $75 per month for the first year, before it goes up by $10 to $15 per month. The Starry Connect plan costs $15 per month for families living in public and affordable housing communities.

No, Starry Internet is not free, but there is a 30-day “Happy Interneting Guarantee,” so you can get a full refund if you aren’t enjoying your service. 

Verizon offers download speeds up to 100Mbps or 300Mbps on its 5G Home plan, or up to 300Mbps or 1,000Mbps on its 5G Home Plus plan. Verizon offers different speeds depending on your area, so make sure to check what’s available for your specific address.

Yes, Verizon 5G Home Internet works for streaming. For the 5G Home plan you get 1080 HD video streaming, and with the 5G Home Plus plan you get ultra HD 4K video streaming.

Yes, you do need a router for Verizon 5G Home Internet, but Verizon supplies its 5G Internet Gateway to you at no extra charge as part of your internet plan.

Of the 5G providers, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, Verizon 5G Home, and AT&T Internet Air offer similar services, but customer feedback suggests a clear winner. Reputable surveys—including the 2024 ACSI survey and J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study—rank T-Mobile at the top followed by Verizon and then AT&T. Although we wouldn’t rule out cable altogether, both surveys rank the three 5G fixed wireless connections higher than wired providers, so they’re definitely worthy alternatives.

Starry doesn’t appear on most customer satisfaction studies because it has a much smaller footprint compared to big brands like T-Mobile and Verizon. But it offers some of the fastest download and upload speeds for a fixed wireless provider, so if you can get it, you may get better value than any rival 5G providers.  

Even with the 5G providers’ great rankings, customers may notice their internet fluctuates in speed. “If you can deal with variable speeds from time to time, then 5G is a fair option for home internet.” says fellow Reviews.org staff writer, Brianne Sandorf, in her review of Verizon 5G Home Internet.

AT&T is the priciest of the 5G providers, offering a single 5G home internet plan for a flat $60 per month, including autopay. On the other hand, T-Mobile and Verizon's 5G home internet plans have the same monthly cost, even with the “Plus” versions of the plans. At first glance, it looks like T-Mobile offers the cheapest 5G home internet prices compared to Verizon, however, T-Mobile factors in its autopay discount into the displayed monthly price, hereas Verizon doesn’t.

Although the price is the same, the speed offerings are different. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet download speeds range from 72–245Mbps for both its Home Internet Unlimited and Home Internet Plus plans, whereas Verizon splits its speeds into tiers for its 5G Home and 5G Home Plus plans. In some areas, Verizon even offers up to 1,000Mbps maximum speeds, so it’s a better deal than T-Mobile if you can snag Verizon’s highest speeds.

When it comes to latency, Verizon offers less than 30ms ping. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet gets a range of 19–37ms, and AT&T Internet Air gets 30–60ms. Verizon is the winner here, but speed and latency vary widely from house to house due to external factors. Things like inclement weather, distance to a 5G tower, and physical obstructions affect the stability of a 5G home internet connection.

Chances are, one of these best 5G internet providers is available where you live. If not, aim to sign up with a fiber or cable internet provider that gives you speeds of 300Mbps or faster for a price that fits your budget. Home internet costs about $81 a month on average, but you can get decent Wi-Fi for less in many parts of the country. In a rural area, try a fixed wireless or satellite internet provider.

You can also run a search with your zip code below to see what internet options are available in your area.

There are only three major 5G internet providers in the United States, but these other top-notch fixed wireless, satellite, and LTE internet providers make great alternatives. All of the providers below have performed well in our reviews and get high ratings across speed and reliability, dollar value, and customer experience.

You can also check out the best cable or best fiber internet providers on our website too, if you’re not quite ready to cut the cord.

Since you might have a few different options for 5G home internet, let’s give you some context to help you pick the best 5G internet provider. The main things to consider when buying internet are availability, speed, and price. We also list the pros and cons of 5G home internet, so you can consider all the benefits and drawbacks of 5G home internet before making your decision.

Although 5G internet providers are known for their widespread availability, they aren’t available everywhere. According to the Federal Communications Commission’s broadband availability map, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is available for about 60% of households, Verizon 5G Home Internet covers just under 20%, and AT&T Internet Air has the least availability covering about 9%.

To see which provider is available for your neighborhood, type in your zip code below.

You want at least 25Mbps of download speed per person in your household—ideally 100Mbps. For 5G home internet plans with under 300Mbps of download speed, you’re looking at potentially slower internet that can’t quite handle a large family streaming shows, gaming, or working from home at the same time. It’s more suitable for a single person, couple, or small family that doesn’t have several people relying on the internet for important work tasks.

However if you need more speed, Verizon offers its 5G Home Plus plan with up to 1,000Mbps download speed in some areas.

You can find out more specifics on how to choose an internet speed in our “How Much Internet Speed Do I Need?” guide.

You should expect to pay about $50–$70 per month for your 5G home internet plan. One of the biggest bonuses with 5G home internet is that T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T all offer discounts when you either have an existing wireless mobile plan or want to sign up for one.

With T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, you get a $15 monthly discount on your Home Internet Unlimited plan or a $20 monthly discount off Home Internet Plus when you also have a postpaid voice line (if you take out the autopay discount first).

Verizon customers also get a discount: $5 to $25 off your internet with an unlimited phone plan. 

AT&T customers get 20% off their monthly Internet Air bill (without the autopay discount) with an unlimited wireless mobile plan. Once you include the autopay discount, Internet Air ends up costing $47 per month.

Customers who get a wireless 5G home internet service report greater satisfaction with their service than those with wired internet, according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study. As with all good things, there are some drawbacks to be wary of. We’ve listed the top pros and cons of 5G home internet service so you know what to expect.

Pros of 5G home internet:

• Increased access to affordable high-speed internet
• Wide availability, even in rural or underserved areas
• Transparent and stable prices (no planned price increases after one year of service)
• Discounted internet when you bundle with a mobile plan from the same provider
• Included gateway with your plan (acts as both a modem and router)

Cons of 5G home internet:

• Network management slowdowns during congestion/busy times
• Signal interference from rain, trees, and other physical obstructions