A comparison of home internet costs from 2001 to 2026 shows that monthly prices have remained roughly similar over the past two decades, even as speeds and reliability improved dramatically. The analysis attributes gains to fiber-optic infrastructure, better routers, and new wireless standards like Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7, alongside major latency improvements. Unlike PCs and game consoles, which have risen in price partly due to the RAM shortage, broadband costs per megabit have actually fallen sharply.
engadget.com
· 2026-11-14
New York Attorney General Letitia James found T-Mobile violated the state's Affordable Broadband Act by capping low-cost home internet plans at 50GB before throttling speeds to 650 kbps, limiting availability to areas with 5G coverage, and hiding plan details from search engines. T-Mobile has agreed to remove the data caps, expand the plans to all areas where it offers home internet, and make plan information searchable online.
engadget.com
· 2026-11-11
T-Mobile has added a Fiber 5 Gig tier to its home internet lineup starting Nov. 3, priced at $90 a month with AutoPay before taxes and fees. The plan offers symmetrical upload and download speeds, unlimited data, an optional mesh Wi-Fi extender, and a 10-year price guarantee, making it the only T-Mobile Fiber plan with such a guarantee. The company is also offering a limited-time promotion of two free months and $300 in prepaid cards.
cnet.com
· 2026-11-02
Independent testing finds Starlink's Residential Max plan averaging 145-170 Mbps in recent rural Idaho trials, with 2025 results ranging as widely as 20-250 Mbps. Meanwhile, Opensignal and Ookla measurements put T-Mobile 5G Home Internet between roughly 249 and 314 Mbps, with AT&T and Verizon slightly behind, and Starlink reports median peak-hour latency around 25.7ms.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-26
A tech advisory piece explains why home Wi-Fi speeds often fall short of advertised ISP speeds, citing interference, signal degradation through walls, and bandwidth overhead from multiple connected devices. It recommends using wired Ethernet connections for devices needing consistent high performance, while reserving Wi-Fi for mobile devices and smart home gadgets that lack Ethernet ports.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-17
Anthropic issued a report warning that advanced AI models could soon develop malware capable of infiltrating WiFi-connected household gadgets like TVs, cameras, and appliances. These AI worms would self-replicate across devices on the same network, potentially turning everyday hardware into vectors for broader cyber threats. The threat is considered imminent if current AI development trends continue.
futurism.com
· 2026-10-13
The comparison explains that wired internet delivers a physical connection via fiber, cable or DSL lines into a modem, while fixed wireless internet uses a gateway that connects to a provider's 4G LTE or 5G network instead of a cable. Once inside the home, both setups function similarly, distributing internet through a router or all-in-one gateway that can support Wi-Fi and Ethernet-connected devices alike.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-21
A tech reviewer who had been happily using Visible switched to Spectrum Mobile after being offered two unlimited lines plus 1Gbps home internet for $100 a month total. After roughly four months of activation errors, a broken eSIM setup, and unhelpful live chat support, he canceled the service and returned to Visible.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-18
Cricket Wireless has introduced a 5G home internet service running on AT&T's network, offering unlimited data for $60 a month plus a $50 gateway modem purchase. Bundling with a mobile line costs $75 for new customers or $45 for existing Cricket subscribers, and the service includes taxes in its advertised pricing with no contract required.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-16
CNET's latest survey finds that more than 63% of US adults experienced a year-over-year increase in their home internet bills, largely due to promotional rates that quietly expire after an introductory period. Providers often lure customers in with discounted pricing and bundled perks like free streaming subscriptions, only for bills to jump—sometimes doubling—once those terms end. The report outlines common pricing traps and offers strategies consumers can use to avoid unexpected bill hikes.
cnet.com
· 2026-08-25
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