T-Mobile launches unlimited 5G Home Internet service

The T-Mobile Home Internet companion app allows for setup and personalization

The service launches Wednesday, with more than 30 million U.S. households eligible to sign up. It only includes one plan, costing $60 per month without added taxes, fees, contracts, or equipment charges.

The carrier says most new customers will enjoy average speeds of up to 100 megabits per second. However, real-world 5G speeds on today's mobile devices — including the iPhone 12 — often fall far short of those lofty claims.

T-Mobile says Home Internet also lacks data caps, allowing for truly unlimited use.

The "Un-Carrier" will send a gateway router to customers who sign up for the service. The device has a simple setup, requiring only a power outlet and a central location.

The router includes a pre-installed SIM card, which will pick up a 5G connection and relay it as a local WiFi network. It also has a built-in battery, allowing users to move it around their homes to find the spot with the best signal.

The gateway device supports the WiFi 6 standard. The company says it can support up to 64 simultaneous device connections, and it includes two built-in Ethernet ports. The router will fall back to LTE speeds if it loses its 5G signal.

Not everyone can sign up yet. Availability depends on network capacity, something T-Mobile plans to increase over time. Users can enter their home address on T-Mobile's sign-up page to find out if they're eligible.

The Federal Communications Commission has estimated that 19 million Americans — 6 percent of the population — lack access to fixed high-speed broadband service. T-Mobile hopes its home broadband rollout will help fill in some of those gaps, combined with other wireless carriers and SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband.

A group of U.S. senators recently called on the FCC to "establish a 21st century definition of high-speed broadband" of 100 Mbps for both uploads and downloads.

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