The Pros and Cons of Getting WiFi From Your Cell Phone Provider—Is It Right for You?

As Americans face inflation and rising costs everywhere they turn, many are looking for ways to cut costs. One increasingly popular option is cellular home internet, which delivers adequate speed and reliability at a lower monthly rate than cable or fiber services. The 2024 J.D. Power ISP Satisfaction Study reveals that customers using cellular internet report higher satisfaction with both service quality and plan affordability compared to those with cable or fiber.

So, is cellular home internet right for you? Read on to learn more about this home internet option with help from engineer and tech enthusiast Nate Sumner.

What Is Cellular Internet Service?

Cellular home internet, also known as fixed wireless, connects to nearby cell towers just like a smartphone. “The carriers provide a 5G Gateway to pick up the cellular signals and provide ethernet and wifi to your home similar to what you would get from a cable or fiber provider,” Sumner says.

Instead of using wired cable or fiber connections, most cellular internet companies provide customers with a dedicated device that functions as both a modem and router, often at no extra cost.

How Is Cellular Internet Different From Cable or Fiber?

Besides the differences in the way internet service is delivered to your home, fiber and cable internet are less widely available than cellular internet, especially in rural areas, due to labor-intensive connectivity challenges. Cellular internet is also much quicker to set up, as it doesn’t require a service line to be installed at your home. However, cable and fiber typically provide faster and more reliable service once they’re in place.

Cellular Internet Pros and Cons

Pros

Inexpensive: Cellular internet costs $50 to $70 per month with little to no startup or equipment fees, while cable and fiber range from $50 to $110 per month. “Fixed wireless is rapidly growing and competitive, so carriers often have deals, price locks and other benefits for new customers, so it can often be one of the cheaper internet options for users,” Sumner says.

Provides access for rural homes: Cellular is available in many rural areas where cable or fiber internet is limited or non-existent.

Faster setup: “Cable and fiber require a physical wired connection from the carrier to your house so, generally, fixed wireless is quicker to deploy, especially in rural areas,” Sumner says.

Cons

Slower speeds: With top speeds of 1 Gbps, but most in a 50 to 400 Mbps range, cellular internet cannot compete with the speed of cable or fiber. However, the speeds cellular internet offers can handle typical home internet activity.

Deprioritization: “The carriers put the [fixed wireless plans] as lower priority data on their network so that means there is a chance your home internet slows down when the cell network is busy (typically weekday evenings),” Sumner says.

Cellular Internet Service Providers

There are several providers to choose from for wireless home internet service. The prices listed below do not reflect discounts for bundled services.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

For $50 to $70 per month, T-Mobile 5G offers speeds up to 415 Mbps.

Verizon 5G Home Internet

For $50 to $70 per month, Verizon 5G offers speeds up to 1 Gbps.

Verizon LTE Home Internet

Rural customers will likely use Verizon’s 4G LTE Home internet for $60 to $80 per month, with speeds up to 50 Mbps.

AT&T Internet Air

Customers can expect speeds up to 300 Mbps for $60 per month.

Is Cellular Internet Right for My Home?

Cellular internet can be a great solution for lowering internet costs or for those who live in areas without access to cable or fiber service. “For some users (like me) with no other broadband options and semi-poor cell signal inside my house, I went from DSL service as my only real option to now having fast AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile fixed wireless at speeds up to 1 Gbps download and 150Mbps upload,” Sumner says.

FAQ

Why aren’t cellular internet providers available in my area?

If you live in an area with low population density or extreme terrain, you may not have cellular internet service.

Why is my cellular internet so slow?

Network congestion, router position or the distance and terrain from your home to the cell tower can all impact internet speeds.

Is cellular internet good for gaming?

While cellular internet can be sufficient for some gaming activity, it generally has high latency and can be slow during high usage times. “Just like the speed, latency can be hit or miss with fixed wireless,” Sumner says. “That being said, there are many folks using fixed wireless and do online gaming regularly.”

About the Expert

Nate Sumner is an engineer and host of the Nater Tater channel on YouTube, where he shares content about smart home tech, 5G home internet and lifestyle projects on his 47-acre property.

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