So, what makes Starlink and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet the biggest names in rural broadband? One word: Availability. Both providers offer solid options for rural communities.
While Starlink has effectively revolutionized satellite internet with its fleet of low Earth orbit satellites and has reportedly doubled its speeds compared to two years ago. We would still recommend T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. Not only is it a crowd-pleaser, but it's also often favored in customer satisfaction surveys. According to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index survey, for the first time ever, T-Mobile's 5G internet service matched in score with fiber giant AT&T. Here at CNET, we consider fiber internet to be the gold standard of broadband, so T-Mobile matching AT&T Fiber's score is quite impressive.
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.
Locating local internet providers
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 and slightly faster speeds. Starlink's internet services come at a steep price. Service ranges from $80 to as much as $2,150 monthly, not including the steep up-front equipment costs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, on the other hand, is significantly cheaper than Starlink. Currently, T-Mobile has a limited-time deal, lowering your monthly price to $40. T-Mobile doesn't specify when this deal will end, but you can 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.
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.
Locating local internet providers
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.
CNET’s reviews of each provider further suggest that T-Mobile 5G Home Internet may be a better option if it's available. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet scored 7.4 out of 10, one of the highest ratings of all 40-plus ISPs CNET has reviewed. (Verizon Fios has the best overall score at 7.6.) Starlink, on the other hand, earned a 6.5, well below T-Mobile 5G Home Internet but still higher than competing satellite internet providers Hughesnet (6) and Viasat (6.1).
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