T-Mobile has announced two new home internet plans: Home Internet Plus and Away. Well, technically, it’s one home internet plan and one anywhere-but-home plan. These new flavors of T-Mobile’s 5G Internet service aim to appeal to different customers, but both serve the same goal: harnessing that sweet 5G spectrum to do more than just keep our phones connected.
The new Away plan, importantly, does not allow for “extended usage at the same location,” according to a footnote in T-Mobile’s press release. It’s basically a Starlink competitor designed for campers and RV owners, but instead of using satellite connectivity, it’s more like a preloaded cellular hotspot. It can connect up to 64 devices simultaneously, which seems like a lot more than the RW can hold, and comes in two data capacity options: up to 200GB for $110 per month or unlimited for $160 per month (both prices with autopay enabled). It will be available from May 8.
Home Internet Plus includes all the features of T-Mobile’s standard plan, starting with a gateway router to turn your cellular signal into home Wi-Fi. On top of that, you get a mesh hotspot to help bring your signal to more corners of your home—an additional 2,200 square feet of corners, according to a T-Mobile press release. You also get access to 24/7 technical support from Assurant. Home Internet Plus will be available on April 26 for $70 per month with automatic payment.
As we enter the middle phase of the 5G era, fixed wireless services like T-Mobile’s home internet have emerged as a real moneymaker for carriers. T-Mobile was the first to offer it at scale, and Verizon has been pushing into the space as its midrange 5G spectrum comes online. Even fiber-focused AT&T eventually got in on the act, begrudgingly. Like Verizon, they have some big 5G bills to pay. In any case, T-Mobile’s latest effort to package this service for different users looks like something we’ll only see in the near future.
Source: TheVerge
