If you have a good non-wireless home internet service, you probably think that there’s no reason for anything else. After all, it gives you reliable speeds with relatively low latency, and it works pretty well for your needs. The one small problem, however, is that sometimes service needs to be taken down for maintenance, or it might go down occasionally due to technical issues. When that happens, it’s always good to have a backup connection.
What better connection as a backup than 5G? At least, that’s what T-Mobile thinks, as they now offer a “backup” internet service specifically for that use.
T-Mobile has introduced Home Internet Backup, a new plan designed to provide a reliable 5G internet connection as a backup for customers who primarily use traditional internet service providers (ISPs) like cable and fiber. Launched June 6, this service aims to keep users connected during unexpected outages, addressing a common issue where apparently nearly 20% of U.S. internet users experience frequent disruptions.
If you follow us here at The Mobile Report, the plan might sound familiar. It’s essentially a consumer version of T-Mobile’s recently-launched business backup service, and it looks pretty good.
The service is available for $30 a month with AutoPay, or $20 a month for eligible T-Mobile voice line customers, so it’s a notable savings over the regular Home Internet price. Notably, the website says “any nationally available postpaid plan” receives the $10 discount, so hopefully that includes legacy plans too.
The plan comes with a quite reasonable 130 GB of 5G data each month. That’s actually pretty great for just $20/mo, and accounting for the fact it includes a free modem, nearly puts the secret $10/mo hotspot plan to shame. T-Mobile says this amount of data can keep a typical household connected for up to seven days in the event of an outage. It includes a 5G gateway provided at no extra cost, with no monthly equipment fees, and promises a quick and easy setup, allowing users to go from unboxing to browsing in 15 minutes or less just like the full-fat 5G Home Internet.
This solution ensures that when a primary internet service fails, users can swiftly switch to T-Mobile’s 5G network to maintain their connectivity and productivity (especially for power users with a network featuring automatic failover capabilities).
The new backup plan is available now, and details can be found here on T-Mobile’s website. As of publishing, the plan is only available via support, and not available for sign-up online.
