Google Fiber’s gigabit speeds and fair prices make it a prime pick, but T-Mobile’s home internet is super affordable and easy to set up.
Google Fiber vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: What’s Better?
Speed and reliability
5.0 / 5
Dollar value
4.8 / 5
Customer experience
4.5 / 5
Speed and reliability
3.5 / 5
Dollar value
3.7 / 5
Customer experience
4.2 / 5
8 min readGoogle Fiber’s speed, reliability, and pricing make it a no-brainer for those who live in its service areas. While the straightforward pricing structure is slightly more expensive than other providers, Google Fiber’s speed and service are second to none.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is readily available for users in almost all 50 states, offering affordable plans that deliver solid download speeds. The simple pricing structure, unlimited data and simple setup make T-Mobile a great option for those looking to ditch their cable internet service.
“I’ve never had a problem with it. In fact, it’s the first internet provider I haven’t had an issue with.” - Google Fiber customer Chance Carter
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Google Fiber vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Plans, pricing, and speed
| Provider |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Price per month |
$70-$150
|
$50-$160
|
| Download speeds | 1000-8000 Mbps | 72Mbps–245Mbps |
| Upload speeds | 1000-8000 Mbps | 15Mbps–31Mbps |
| Details | View Plans | View Plans |
Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change. Data verified as of the article's publication date.
Google Fiber provides high-speed fiber internet for as low as $70 a month for 1Gbps, and it offers speeds up to 8Gbps. There are no contracts, additional fees, or data caps, so you’re free to roam the web to your heart’s content.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a fixed wireless service starting as low as $50 per month for speeds averaging between 72 and 245Mbps. The service uses T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G cellular network and doesn’t come with data caps or annual contracts.
“I honestly gave up trying to game on this internet.” — Jordan Rivera, a T-Mobile customer in Las Vegas
Google Fiber vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Fees for modem and installation
What makes this review legit?
Our fact-based research process centers on interviews with internet customers across the country, helping us understand how internet services hold up against diverse needs and challenges.
To put together this guide, we looked at results from our speed test, pulled data from customer satisfaction surveys, and pored over the fine print to compare prices and speeds between the two providers. To flesh out our analysis, we also interviewed Google Fiber and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customers to get their firsthand insights. We let their experiences guide our research and shape our conclusions. We also speak with ISP spokespeople and industry experts to get insights into connection types, speed capabilities, and other technical issues related to internet service.
The matchup: How we rate Google Fiber vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
For all our internet reviews, we give a rating based on three main criteria—speed and reliability, dollar value, and customer experience—which we then average to make an overall score.
Here, we compare those ratings face to face and offer some analysis and context for important factors for you to keep in mind.
Want to know more? Read our full-length Google Fiber review and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet review.
Speed and reliability
Google Fiber: 5.0/5.0 | T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: 3.5/5.0
Even the slowest tier of Google Fiber is crazy fast. Its basic 1Gbps plan packs enough punch to keep an entire household of TVs, smart devices, and other gadgets up and running at peak speeds.
Downloading 4K movies, livestreaming on Twitch, or scrolling through TikTok are all no problem for Google Fiber. Fiber-optic internet connections are not only fast, but they are more reliable and better-maintained than other types of connections like cable or DSL.
T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet allows for decent download speeds, but it’s in the middle of the road in terms of reliability. T-Mobile says its service speed ranges between 72 and 245Mbps—which is enough to support a few internet users, but likely not enough for more users than two or three.
Do you only stream music and surf the web? Then sure, T-Mobile’s service would suffice. But activities like streaming 4K video or gaming might lead to buffering and laggy experiences. Because it relies on a wireless 5G connection—as opposed to a fixed wired connection, which is more sturdy and reliable—T-Mobile’s internet might not be your best choice if you have spotty cell phone service at your home.
Dollar value
Google Fiber: 4.8/5.0 | T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: 3.7/5.0
Customer experience
Google Fiber: 4.5/5.0 | T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: 4.2/5.0
Google Fiber’s $70 a month price tag might be a bit steep for some users, especially compared to other providers that offer internet service for half that price. However, Google Fiber’s straightforward pricing structure avoids saddling you with extra fees, data caps, monthly equipment rentals, or pricey setup costs. So you end up getting a solid deal in the end for superior internet.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is much more affordable. Customers can save $10 a month on the internet plan by bundling home internet with a T-Mobile cell phone plan. For a limited time, you can even get deals when you switch to T-Mobile. Like Google Fiber, T-Mobile has a consistent pricing model and doesn’t surprise you with fees later on down the road.
Google Fiber certainly provides more value for what you get, and the lack of fees and data caps is an added plus. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is more budget friendly and also doesn’t tack on extra costs, but its slower speeds mean you get what you pay for. Google Fiber is the better deal here.
In interviews with Reviews.org and in public surveys, customers rave about Google Fiber. In 2023, customer satisfaction surveys from groups like J.D. Power and the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) found Google Fiber customers ranked it among the best internet service providers in the country. HighSpeedInternet.com’s 2023 customer satisfaction survey also found Google Fiber was ranked highest for customer service.
Which provider was second in that survey? T-Mobile. The home internet provider was also ranked near the top of the ACSI study—above more established providers like Xfinity. Online reviews indicate that T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is not only simple and easy to set up, but it also provides prompt customer service if an issue does arise.
This is a close call, but we’re giving the slight advantage to Google Fiber. Still, it’s safe to say you're in good hands with T-Mobile’s customer experience.
Overall quality: Which internet provider should you pick?
Google Fiber: 4.8/5.0 | T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: 3.8/5.0
As long as it's available in your area, Google Fiber’s speed and reliability make it a clear winner. With a huge streaming capacity and great customer service, Google Fiber can supply all your internet needs—whether you’re trying to stream 4K video or even if you’re running a cloud server out of your home.
However, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet certainly has its advantages. The service is available in 49 states (sorry Alaska) and Puerto Rico, according to T-Mobile communications manager Katie Brinton, and its plans make it more affordable than Google Fiber. Though download speeds aren’t as quick as Google Fiber, T-Mobile packs plenty of power to fuel your home internet needs.
Google Fiber vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: What deals and promotions can you get?
Unlike many internet service providers, Google Fiber doesn’t normally offer deals or promotions. Instead, Google Fiber focuses on emphasizing the value of its services.
As for T-Mobile, it offers deals aplenty. For a limited time, you can get a free upgrade to T-Mobile Home Internet Plus when you switch to T-Mobile 5G Home Internet and add any voice line. T-Mobile also lets you try its 5G internet service free for 15 days with a money back guarantee, and you can get a $10 monthly discount when you bundle your internet with a cell phone plan. It also offers no annual contract and the Price Lock guarantee, which lets customers get their last month of service for free if their T-Mobile bill increases.
Get ultra-fast internet with Google Fiber
Google Fiber offers 1Gbps internet speeds starting at $70 per month.
T-Mobile offers discounts to bundle cell phone and home internet services
T-Mobile offers a discounted monthly rate when you bundle home internet and a cell phone plan.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet add-ons and perks
Try T-Mobile’s 5G home internet in your home. If you don’t like it, you can get your money back.
If your price increases, you get your last month of service for free if you choose to cancel service.
If you sign up for T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, you can get access to these streaming options:
- ViX Premium for 1 year
- Sirius XM for 6 months
- Pandora Premium for 4 months
Download the T-Mobile Tuesdays app to receive weekly deals on daily essentials.
Google Fiber vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: What do customers think?
Given its elite speeds, simple pricing, and effortless setup, it’s easy to see why Google Fiber has lots of satisfied customers. R.J. Bass, a Google Fiber user and IT specialist in the Kansas City area, tells Reviews.org that having the fiber network has been a requirement during multiple moves around the area.
“I used to be a semi-popular Twitch streamer, and the upload speeds I got from Time Warner were not good enough for me to stream to Twitch while my sons were hosting game servers,” Bass says. “With Google, we got more than enough bandwidth to do anything we needed online.”
Andy Phillips, a network architect in Austin, Texas, pays for Google Fiber’s 8Gbps plan, and his home network uses every bit of that 8,000Mbps capability—and then some. A recent test showed Phillips had a download speed of 8,156Mbps—a truly staggering speed, especially considering that tested internet speeds often fall short of an internet provider’s max advertised capabilities.
Phillips says he runs a constant VPN connection to his parents’ home in Ohio to run tech support at any time of day. He also maintains an online server to store movies, music and anything else his family and friends would need to access. He says there aren’t many people who can take full advantage of Google Fiber’s speeds, but he can reach its full potential with a hardwired Ethernet connection between his router and his internet devices.
“Most people struggle because they only use Wi-Fi, or have hardware limited to 1Gbps,” Phillips says. “But if you have the hardware, Google is not going to hold you back.”
“If you have the hardware, Google is not going to hold you back.” —Google Fiber customer Andy Phillips
If you have good cell phone service near your home, chances are your home Wi-Fi speeds would be just as good with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet.
Steve Abbott, a T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customer in Mission Viejo, California, told Reviews.org that he and his wife opted for 5G internet instead of DSL—an outdated internet type that uses landline phone cables. The DSL connection often caused issues for the Abbotts, preventing them from streaming live sports or the latest shows.
“We could barely stream Lakers and Dodger games, let alone shows on Netflix,” Abbott says. Switching to T-Mobile 5G Home Internet “took us from low-quality streaming on a single TV to being able to stream two different shows in two different rooms with high definition.”
But having an internet service that relies on 5G service also has its drawbacks. If you don’t have good cell service nearby, you might have issues—just ask Jordan Rivera, a T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customer in Las Vegas.
Rivera ultimately gave up trying to play multiplayer games while using the T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, saying he had too many issues with lag while playing Apex Legends.
“Overall [T-Mobile 5G Home Internet] is pretty solid, especially if you don’t have other options,” Rivera says. “But online gaming is rough.”
“Overall it’s pretty solid, especially if you don’t have other options.” —T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customer Jordan Rivera
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