T-Mobile made headlines by partnering with Starlink for a direct-to-cell mobile service -- effectively broadening T-Mobile's reliability and availability as a cellphone carrier. But in terms of broadband, how do these providers compare?
T-Mobile and Starlink are some of the biggest names in rural broadband. T-Mobile's 5G Home Internet is a crowd-pleaser, and is often favored in customer satisfaction surveys, and Starlink has effectively revolutionized satellite internet with its fleet of low Earth orbit satellites.
So, what makes Starlink and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet solid options for rural communities? One word: Availability.
Locating local internet providers
Starlink and T-Mobile offer some of the most extensive coverage nationwide, unlike most cable and fiber internet service providers. Since both ISPs often overlap in coverage, there's a good chance you'll have to choose one or the other. Beyond availability, speeds and prices are equally important when trying to pick a new internet provider. Let's take a closer look at what these ISPs have to offer.
Is Starlink or T-Mobile 5G Home Internet better?
CNET recommends T-Mobile 5G Home Internet over Starlink, if by just a hair. Here's why: Although Starlink is available virtually everywhere -- even on the go -- T-Mobile 5G Home Internet offers much more competitive prices. Starlink's internet services come at a steep price. Service ranges from $80 to as much as $250 monthly, not including the steep up-front equipment costs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, on the other hand, is significantly cheaper than Starlink: service starts at $50 monthly, with an option to lower that cost by bundling with a mobile plan. Plus, T-Mobile regularly offers perks and deals, making it the better choice in areas where the two ISPs are available.
Locating local internet providers
Though T-Mobile is the leading 5G home internet provider in the country, many rural Americans may find themselves on T-Mobile's long wait list (which currently has over 1 million people in queue) to sign up for service, which gives Starlink a slight edge over T-Mobile Home Internet in terms of availability. Still, while Starlink ditched its nationwide waitlist in 2023, it has reported that several cities could still be waiting to sign up for service.
Though Starlink may be more broadly available than T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, if both options are available at your address, T-Mobile will likely be the better option. Both providers offer maximum speeds of over 200 megabits per second, unlimited data and latency low enough to support online gaming. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet recently announced speed boosts across all plans, thanks to new gateway devices. That means you may find faster average speeds with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet than Starlink, though that depends on other factors like network congestion.
... continue reading