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T-Mobile’s 5G home internet service has matured quite quickly since its launch in 2021. In early 2024, the company began offering Wi-Fi mesh nodes to accompany the new Gen 4 gateways, allowing customers to have broader coverage in their homes.
With the launch of the Gen 5 gateway in late July, we were left wondering if T-Mobile would release new mesh hardware to go alongside it. Now we have an answer.
A few internal sources have given us information and images of a new Gen 5 mesh node. The device appears to be made by Sercomm, with model number G5SEM. You may remember Sercomm as a brief manufacturer of the Gen 4 gateway devices.
The G5SEM Wi-Fi Extender
The new mesh extender is a rectangular device this time around, instead of the previous circle shape, and matches the overall aesthetic of the G5AR.
The new mesh node is designed to be paired with the G5AR, but is also backwards compatible with the Gen 4 gateways as well. The mesh offers the same 4×4 antennas for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, except this time around it has Wi-Fi 7 support. Interestingly, the mesh does not broadcast 6GHz. It’s unclear why, but one theory is that it may try to use the 6GHz channel as a backhaul to connect to the main G5AR gateway when available.
Along the back, it features 2x 2.5g ethernet ports, a USB-C for power, and a reset button.
Yes, by the way, you read that right. The new mesh includes 2.5g ethernet ports. When the matching gateway, the G5AR, launched, we made note of the fact that it was odd that it didn’t include 2.5g ports. So why would the mesh node for that gateway include them? Your guess is as good as ours.
As for why Sercomm would be making these, it might seem odd at first. We’ve actually found evidence that Sercomm was planning to make Gen 5 gateways as well, but that never seemed to come to fruition. Instead, T-Mobile seems to be relying on Sercomm to make all of the mesh nodes, while relying on Arcadyan to make the main gateways themselves. Distributed manufacturing, so to speak.
G5SEM Availability
As of now, our sources say the device is exclusive to the All-In plan, which matches how the Gen 4 mesh nodes were distributed. That plan starts at $55/mo if you also have a T-Mobile postpaid phone plan and have autopay enabled.
It’s unclear if existing customers will be able to request the new mesh to replace their existing one. We assume so, though it may not be available for existing customers until the units are fully stocked and ready to go everywhere.
The new mesh devices apparently began going out to new All-In customers on November 4th via customer support for new orders, and as for others it launches today, November 10th, in stores.
T-Mobile has actually added a (barebones) guide for the new mesh device, which they’re naturally calling the “T-Mobile Mesh Wi-Fi Extender (V2)”, to their home internet support site.
Other tidbits
Interestingly, we’ve also been told that the QR code option for setting up the mesh Wi-Fi node has been removed as of T-Life app version 11.1. From now on, customers will be guided through the manual mesh setup in the T-Life app.
We’ve also been told that the mesh gateways are now being serialized and recorded when given to customers, reportedly due to issues receiving mesh nodes back from customers once they cancel their plan. By having unique identifiers, they can begin charging customers who fail to return the equipment alongside their gateway.
The new mesh should be available from today for new All-In customers.
