What is T-Mobile Home Internet for Metro? All Your 5G Home Internet Questions Answered

T-Mobile Home Internet for Metro is a prepaid fixed wireless internet plan with unlimited data. It runs on T-Mobile’s 5G cellular network. It comes as a package deal with a line or two on a T-Mobile Metro phone plan. Apart from that, there are no credit checks, no contracts, and no hidden fees. Score!

The T-Mobile Home Internet for Metro plan is only available in-store, so you might need to make the trip to the store a couple times.

Prepaid internet lets you pay for service ahead of the next month, opposed to postpaid plans where you pay for the previous month’s service.

The prepaid aspect sets this plan apart from the other T-Mobile Home Internet plans. It’s especially useful for those who are on a budget, have a low credit score, or live in a short-term housing situation that makes it harder to commit to a long term internet plan.

“Prepaid plans are a good option for budget-restricted families, offering a cost-effective way to have access to the internet,” says Scott Lieberman, founder at Touchdown Money, a website that provides strategies for running an online business and gaining financial freedom. “Prepaid plans have no contracts, so budget-minded families like the control they have of their internet usage.”

T-Mobile Home Internet for Metro is different from T-Mobile’s standard 5G Home Internet service in the following ways:

• Cheaper monthly fees
• Prepaid service
• No credit checks
• Needs an active cellular voice line with Metro
• A one-time $24.99 payment for the standard 5G gateway (with 14-day trial)
• The first month free with instant rebate
• Wi-Fi mesh access point not included

The beauty of T-Mobile Home Internet for Metro is that it gives you the same unlimited internet service as T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. Since Metro is part of the T-Mobile family, you also get access to tons of free stuff and perks on the T Life app with T-Mobile Tuesdays. 

Since you pay for the service before the month it applies, you have a better idea of outgoing costs and can easily cancel. If you don’t pay, you don’t have to worry about a mountain of late fees, Metro simply suspends your internet service temporarily until payment is made.

If you’re not on autopay, you don’t get automatically charged for the next month of service, either. However, if you don’t want to run the risk of your service stopping, autopay is a nifty solution which shaves off $5 each month. 

T-Mobile is available across the United States, but there are some pockets here and there where it isn’t available. Eligibility is on a household-by-household basis and depends on network capacity. Check if T-Mobile Home Internet for Metro is available in your area below. 

First things first—you need to be a Metro by T-Mobile customer for at least 30 days in order to unlock this great home internet bundle. If you’re not already a Metro by T-Mobile customer, you can sign up for a cellular plan by going into a brick-and-mortar Metro store.

If you already have an active Metro voice line, follow the following steps to get T-Mobile Home Internet for Metro:

• Check availability for your address on Metro’s website.
• Head over to your local Metro store to sign up for the plan and purchase the T-Mobile Gateway.
• Follow instructions in the T-Mobile Internet app and get connected within 15 minutes.

Setup is simple, and if you ever move, you can call customer service to check if your Gateway will work at your new address. If it is, you can use it as soon as you move.

T-Mobile competitors Verizon, Xfinity, and Cox all offer prepaid plans with no credit checks and unlimited or ultra-high data caps.

Xfinity NOW internet and Cox StraightUp internet pack greater value than T-Mobile Home Internet for Metro because they include all the equipment and both utilize cable networks instead of a 5G cellular network. Cable is a wired connection, which is an all-round more stable and reliable internet service than 5G, which experiences more inconsistency. Xfinity does require you to enroll in autopay, but you can pause or cancel service at any time. 

Total by Verizon 5G Home Internet is also a fixed wireless prepaid plan. The downside is you do have to purchase Verizon’s pricy Home Internet Router for $99.99 and enroll in autopay.

For Metro by T-Mobile customers, T-Mobile Home Internet for Metro is worth the money if you are looking to bundle your plan with an affordable 5G home internet service that doesn’t have any extra fees or price hikes. You get the most value out of it if you’re someone who wants to know exactly what you’re paying for for an upcoming service and don’t want a credit check.

Even though 5G gets fast speeds, it experiences more fluctuations in service because of its wireless connection, and your local cell tower may get congested when usage is high in your area. Customers that use more than 1.2TB of data in a month may also be deprioritized until the next month.

So if reliability and speed hold the most value for you, then you might want to consider fiber or cable for a more consistent connection.