Summary
- Over 22M Americans work remotely and rely on internet, and T-Mobile offers a 5G backup for $30/month.
- 130GB data backup should be good for a week, but requires T-Mobile coverage and voice line.
- T-Mobile’s Home Internet plan offers more data at 1.2TB for just $10 more; it coulbe be a better option for backup service.
Keeping connected to the internet is kind of a big deal. Over 22 million Americans work exclusively from home, and when the internet goes out, no work gets done. You can certainly use your hotspot data in a pinch, but those allotments tend to be small and you can chew through your data if you’re not careful. Other than hopping over to a cafe and hoping it has internet, there’s not much you can do, but T-Mobile thinks it might have a solution.
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What’s in T-Mobile’s Home Internet Backup plan?
Earlier today, T-Mobile announced a Home Internet Backup service that gives subscribers a 5G internet alternative for when their ISP drops the ball. For $30 per month, users will get 130GB of 5G data and a 5G gateway with no extra monthly fees. T-Mobile estimates that 130GB is enough data to get a household through about a week of internet use. Most online statistics put average monthly household internet use between 500GB and 700GB, so that sounds about right. T-Mobile’s Home Internet Backup service will be available starting tomorrow, June 6.
There is a bit of fine print to go over, but it’s not too onerous. First, it’s “not available in all areas,” which basically means if the local T-Mobile coverage sucks, you probably won’t be able to sign up. You will also need to have a T-Mobile voice line, so Verizon and AT&T users will just have to sit this one out. Additionally, there’s a one-time $35 device connection charge you’ll have to pay at sign up. Oh, and that $30 price? That’s only available if you use autopay, otherwise the price bumps up to $35 per month. Although, if you have a qualifying voice line, you might be eligible to pay $20 per month, but that $10 savings will show up as a credit on your bill, you won’t see it right away, and it can disappear at any time.
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On the face of it, this doesn’t sound like a terrible deal, but for just $10 more per month, you can get T-Mobile’s Home Internet plan that doesn’t throttle its data until you hit 1.2TB. If you’re a qualifying AT&T customer, you can get unlimited data for $35 per month. Verizon offers a similar plan for the same price. If the thought of having a backup internet service appeals to you, there are likely better ways to spend your money than spending it on this plan.
