Tmobile Home Internet Vs ATT: Which ISP Is Better?
Home Internet services have become a smart alternative to traditional cable services. It might hit the big time soon in the wireless service world. Tmobile and AT&T have already come into the spotlight. Why not!
Chances are, you have been a user of one of these giants. Now looking to find the ginormous among Tmobile home internet vs ATT. It goes without saying that both Tmobile and AT&T have taken home internet beyond urban areas.
Tmobile has announced a significant expansion of its LTE fixed wireless home internet into several new locations. AT&T is no less in any respect. It’s an established competitor in the home internet market.
Millions of subscribers can now enjoy fiber and DSL-based internet services, thanks to Tmobile and AT&T. They both continue to bring new innovations to achieve subscribers.
Tmobile and AT&T both seem pretty similar in using the GSM1 network. But actually, are they? Let’s bring Tmobile and AT&T to the fore and break down their differences. Ready to find the best one for you? Let’s get started.
In a hurry? Below are a few critical points for deciding which is better AT&T or T Mobile:
Brief Overview of Tmobile Home Internet
Tmobile home internet is a fully wireless internet solution. But does T mobile do home internet? Yes, it uses the same 4G LTE or 5G cellular network to deliver high-speed home internet service.
As expected, it uses the same cellular network as the Tmobile smartphone. However, Tmobile home internet offers more than its cell phone coverage. It is one of the widely available 5G home network services with coverage in 49 states.
Tmobile is expanding its coverage to over 20 million households in 450 cities. A 5G Gateway or two-in-one router/modem device converts the 5G signal to WiFi. The setup can be done by yourself.
You can move it around your home to adjust signal strength. Last but not least, clarity is the name of the game for T-Mobile’s offerings. It has only one plan with AutoPay and one without AutoPay.
What to Expect from Tmobile Home Internet? (Unbiased Opinion)
- You can expect to get download speeds between 33Mbps to 182Mbps.
- No data caps or any contracts
- Heavy users can expect a 50GB threshold, after which it may throttle speeds.
- Affordable internet at $50 per month
- When bundled with a smartphone plan, the price reduces to $30/month.
- In case of congestion on the transmitters, speeds may become slow.
- You can expect a 4G LTE network if 5G coverage is unavailable in your area.
Brief Overview of AT&T Internet
AT&T Internet is an AT&T branded broadband Internet service, formerly branded as U-Verse Internet. It offers two services, including AT&T home internet or AT&T DSL Internet and AT&T fiber internet.
AT&T offers different connection types, such as fixed wireless, fiber, and IPBB. It has primarily fiber-based plans. Moreover, AT&T is one of the country’s three top ISPs with the second-best overall coverage.
What to Expect from AT&T Internet? (Unbiased Opinion)
- Download speeds range from at least 10Mbps to 5Gbps.
- Up to 350GB of data for only $59.99/month
- If the data cap exceeds, you’ll have to pay $10 per additional 50GB.
- Data caps are applicable for all non-fiber plans.
- A complete home entertainment experience when bundled with DirectTV
- Fastest internet service at an affordable price
- No contract is needed for the lowest available price.
- DSL plans are comparatively slower than fiber plans.
Tmobile Home Internet vs AT&T: Side-by-Side Comparison
Tmobile and AT&T both offer fixed wireless internet service. Perhaps, that’s the only similarity between these two ISPs. What each of them offers is different.
Knowing the difference between T Mobile Home Internet Vs AT&T is essential if you plan to switch to one. Is ATT or Tmobile better? Let’s find out.
# Comparing Tmobile and ATT Internet Speeds
In comparing two ISPs, it is best to start with their speeds.
T-mobile Internet Speeds:
Tmobile offers pretty good speeds during off-peak hours. But during peak hours, speeds can be lower than expected. Besides, the 5G gateway device can transmit 5G data where it’s available.
You’ll mainly experience 4G LTE with speeds where it’s not. Tmobile usually offers speeds ranging from 33Mbps to 182Mbps. To verify the speed, we performed a speed test.
We found the download speed can be as high as 132Mbps with an average of 79.5Mbps. The upload speed can be as low as 6.8Mbps with an average of 10.7Mbps.
AT&T Internet Speeds:
Conversely, AT&T delivers faster speeds to more than 7 million users. Its variety of plans can deliver speeds ranging from 10Mbps to 5Gbps. Though most AT&T plans claim to provide not over 10Mbps, you may get speed over 25Mbps.
The premium plans can have a maximum download speed of up to 5GBPS. Besides, the upload speed can be as low as 1Mbps and as high as 5Gbps. All these speeds are available only in its service areas.
Who is the Winner?
The download speeds with AT&T tend to be slower than Tmobile but during off-peak hours. Is Tmobile home internet good during peak hours? Not really. They tend to be similar. However, Tmobile has a bit rawer speed than AT&T.
On the other hand, AT&T delivers stable performance with more consistent speeds. It offers lower latency and hence better stability. So, is T mobile or AT&T better? Well, it depends on whether you prefer stable performance or raw speed.
Comparing Plans and Pricing Between ATT vs Tmobile
Both Tmobile and AT&T internet has good deals to offer. Tmobile has a single fixed wireless service with AutoPay and no additional monthly fees. Tmobile has recently introduced a few family plans named Magenta and Magenta Max.
Conversely, AT&T has several plans for customers. The plan starts from 10Mbps and is currently not available. Plans with download speeds ranging from 300Mbps to 5Gbps are available now.
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Regarding pricing, none of these two ISPs doesn’t charge much. Tmobile’s one-cord policy costs you only $50 for a single line with AutoPay. When bundled with their most popular voice plan, Magenta MAX, it costs you $30/mo.
However, the AT&T plans will cost you anywhere from $55 per month to $180 per month. These plans even offer some valued promotions. For instance, the Internet 300 and Internet 500 plans provide a $100 Visa Reward Card.
Check the current plans and pricing of both Tmobile and AT&T:
Tmobile Internet Plans and Pricing:
| Tmobile Internet Plans | Pricing | Perks |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed wireless plan with AutoPay | $50/month | Price lock guarantee |
| A fixed wireless plan without AutoPay | $55/month | No annual contracts No additional monthly fee |
AT&T Internet Plans and Pricing:
| AT&T Internet Plans | Pricing | Perks |
|---|---|---|
| Internet 300 | $55/month plus taxes | $100 reward card Allows to connect 10 devices Best for streaming online games, D videos and sharing large files |
| Internet 500 | $65/month plus taxes | $100 reward card Allows to connect 11 devices Bandwidth for multiple users Best for streaming, Binge and sharing large files |
| Internet 1 GIG | $80/month plus taxes | $150 reward card Allows to connect 12 devices Best for home office users and serious online gamers |
| Internet 2 GIG | $100/month plus taxes | $150 reward card High-speed internet for remote work Allows to connect 12+ devices |
| Internet 5 GIG | $180/month plus taxes | $150 reward card Allows to connect 12+ devices Ultimate edge for elite gaming The highest HD and 4K streaming speed, building content, and more. |
Who is the Winner?
If you prefer it to be basic, Tmobile can be your option. So, is Tmobile home internet worth it? Indeed, the Tmobile plan is more affordable than AT&T. The basic plan doesn’t include any additional fees.
It keeps your low budget low. Even with one Magenta Max line, you get a $20 discount when the plan costs $30/mo. Then with two Magenta Max lines, Tmobile charges only $20/mo, much less than AT&T.
Comparing Coverage and Availability
Regarding coverage, both Tmobile and AT&T are pushing their limits. They are expanding and continues to hit new tower every few days. Tmobile now serves over 30 million households, including 10 million in rural areas.
However, there is a different story to tell as to coverage. As you may know, 4G LTE technology is dominating the country. Most phones are connected to the internet under Tmobile 4G LTE coverage. The percentage is 62%.
Conversely, AT&T covers 21 states across the country. It has a better 4G LTE coverage than Tmobile, covering 68%. Is AT&t better than T mobile here? Absolutely, it.
But, the 5G coverage of AT&T is not as rich as their 4G LTE coverage. Only some people have a 5 G-compatible device till now. That may be the reason for poor 5G coverage.
As a dedicated 5G home internet service, Tmobile has better 5G coverage than AT&T. Tmobile has around 37% 5G coverage in the country, while AT&T has only 16%.
Who is the Winner?
When both 4G LTE and 5G are measured, AT&T gets the win here. The significant 4G LTE coverage makes AT&T win the battle over Tmobile.
Comparing Data Cap between Tmobile and ATT Internet
Tmobile home internet usually has no data caps. But, the unlimited data cap is actually not unlimited. If you are a heavy user and often use 50GB/month, speed may become slower at peak hours.
Tmobile also manages internet traffic utilizing data prioritization. AT&T has a different story in the case of data caps. Most AT&T plans, especially fiber ones, don’t have data caps.
You don’t have to use the internet for fear of data being throttled. However, fiber plans are only available in some places. Hence, for the most part, you can expect to have a 350GB data cap. You also have to pay enormous fees for over usage.
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Who is the Winner?
Actually, it’s a tie because neither of these ISPs offers unlimited usages of data per month.
Considering Hotspot Data Plans
Tmobile comes with several mobile internet plans for WiFi hotspot devices. You get unlimited data on these plans, including high-speed data. If the high-speed data you use cross the plan’s limit, you’ll get an unlimited 3G mobile hotspot.
The Tmobile Hotspot plans are compatible with all WiFi Hotspot devices and a few other devices. They have three Hotspot plans, including:
- Essentials with unlimited 3G data
- Magenta with 5GB data
- Magenta MAX with 40GB data
On the other hand, AT&T also has some good deals. They offer high-speed data but no unlimited data options. Even their starter plan doesn’t include any Hotspot data. However, their mid-level and premium plans are excellent.
AT&T hotspot data plans include:
- Unlimited Starter with no hotspot
- Unlimited Extra with 15Gb data
- Unlimited Premium with 50GB data
Who is the Winner?
When the starter plan is considered, Tmobile has a great, unlimited deal to offer. In the case of the mid-level and premium plans, AT&T prevail over Tmobile with 10GB extra data. Overall, AT&T wins here.
Comparing Customer Service
More or less, every ISPs have a not-so-good record when it comes to customer service. The same applies to Tmobile and AT&T. Still, Tmobile offers better customers than AT&T.
They are aiming to provide an improved customer experience. On that note, Tmobile has dedicated agents for each Tmobile subscriber. On the other hand, AT&T is quite blunt when providing a better customer experience.
Long wait times, lack of flexibility and unresponsive are all people claim about AT&T customer service. AT&T is silent in this matter for some unknown reason.
Who is the Winner?
Both Tmobile and AT&T failed to satisfy customers. So, it’s again a tie.
ATT Internet vs Tmobile Home Internet: Quick Summary
Comparison between T Mobile Home Internet Vs ATT Fiber at a glance.
| Categories | Tmobile Home Internet | AT&T |
|---|---|---|
| Service Type | Fixed Wireless | Fixed wireless, IPBB and Fiber |
| Speed range | 33 Mbps – 182 Mbps | 10 Mbps – 5Gbps |
| Data Cap | Unlimited data, but $50/mo. for heavy users | Up to $350 GB |
| Price range | $50/month | $55 – $180/month |
| 4G LTE coverage | 62% | 68% |
| 5G coverage | 37% | 16% |
| Rural coverage | Poor | Excellent |
| Contracts | No | No |
Final Thoughts
We are at the end of the detailed comparison between Tmobile Home Internet vs AT&T. You have learned about all the significant differences between these two carriers. Now comes the million-dollar question, which is better, AT&T or T mobile?
Long story short, Tmobile can be your option because of its affordable monthly plan. But if you are a gamer, it’s not your thing. AT&T can be a good choice with its premium data plans. However, you also have to be ready for the premium prices.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM ↩︎
