T-Mobile has announced a new plan for its 5G home internet service that won’t require applicants to pass a credit check. The prepaid service will be branded T-Mobile Metro and customers will be able to subscribe to it at Metro outlets. This adds a prepaid option to T-Mobile’s $50/month service that has no data or contract caps, which could be attractive to users who don’t have the great internet experience available from traditional ISPs.
It’s good to see T-Mobile offering an option that doesn’t require credit approval (especially given the state of US credit reporting). However, there are a few significant pitfalls to watch out for if you’re learning about the service. With the non-Metro postpaid plan, the T-Mobile router is included in the price of $50 per month (with automatic billing), but with the Metro option, you’ll have to pay $99 for it up front. You must also have “one or more voice lines” , which is not a requirement for the postpaid option.
The service has multiple stars, no matter which plan you choose.
There are also several other asterisks that are used in Metro versions and other versions of T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. The biggest problem is that you have to live at the right address, and not everyone will do that. You may also see slower internet speeds if T-Mobile’s network gets busy, and you’ll have to pay an extra $5 per month if you don’t want to use auto pay.
According to an email sent to The Verge by T-Mobile spokeswoman Elizabeth Silinger, in terms of internet speed, hardware and pricing, Metro customers will get the same experience as T-Mobile customers with postpaid 5G home internet.
T-Mobile’s 5G home internet certainly has its detractors. Comcast’s CEO laughed at this, though it’s easy to imagine some ulterior motive. It also didn’t work for me when I tried it for a month, though it’s entirely possible that others will have better luck with it than I do – indeed, many commentators have sung its praises.
Trying 5G home internet for Metro is not so convenient
In my review, I suggested that people go and try it to see if it works for them, as T-Mobile doesn’t force you to sign a contract or pay an activation fee. Both of these things are true for the Metro version as well, but the $100 fee for a gateway tethered to T-Mobile’s network makes the transaction much less of a “just try it” transaction. This prevents me from fully praising T-Mobile for this new offering; I wouldn’t want someone to switch to it, find it doesn’t work very well for them, and then get into trouble.
However, in the end, I’m glad to see traditional ISPs getting some competition, even if it’s from companies that dominate another very consolidated market. And it’s nice to see that T-Mobile provides an option for those who can’t pass a credit check or don’t want to go through the process – I just wish there weren’t so many stars.
Update March 10, 6:55 pm ET: Added comment from T-Mobile confirming that Metro and postpaid subscribers should receive the same internet speed.