T-Mobile Is Launching New Fiber Internet. Here’s How to Get It.

T-Mobile already made a big splash with its 5G Home Internet service, but now the cellular carrier is also offering fiber internet.

After months of rumors circulating about its plans, T-Mobile Fiber officially opened for business at the beginning of April 2023. Right now, you can find 500Mbps and 1,000Gbps fiber plans from T-Mobile in parts of New York City and the Colorado cities of Northglenn and Pueblo. Prices start at $55 per month, making the service competitive with T-Mobile’s main rivals, AT&T and Verizon.

Fiber internet is fast and reliable, but building a fiber network is a huge investment. Here’s a look at what T-Mobile Fiber is all about and where you can get it.

Ask the experts: Why is T-Mobile embracing fiber?

T-Mobile probably wants to sell fiber internet because, well, fiber is the best kind of internet. Fiber-optic cable connects vast networks worldwide, and residential fiber-optic plans give customers incredibly fast speeds over a reliable network.

Despite the hype around 5G, the bandwidth capabilities of 5G home internet don’t come close to what fiber can do. The fixed wireless connection of 5G home internet also makes it more susceptible to slowdowns and outages, especially in areas with poor cell service.

T-Mobile’s two big competitors in the cellular space, AT&T and Verizon, already maintain fiber networks and sell fiber internet. Verizon regularly sweeps to the top-five list on our Fastest Internet Providers report, while AT&T offers plans with speeds of up to 5,000Mbps in some areas. Both providers get excellent ratings in our annual customer satisfaction survey, largely thanks to their fiber offerings.

These days, the lines have begun to blur between phone companies and internet providers as they aim to win over customers in an increasingly connected world. It makes sense that T-Mobile would want to stake a claim as a fiber internet provider to stay competitive. By offering fiber internet alongside more budget-friendly 5G Home Internet plans, T-Mobile can offer its customers a wider array of choices and faster speeds.

Compare T-Mobile Fiber plans

According to T-Mobile’s website, T-Mobile Fiber plans include unlimited data and a Wi-Fi 6 router at no extra cost. You get 24/7 customer support, and you don’t have to sign an annual contract, so you can cancel at any time without having to fork over early termination fees. Also, if you preorder now, you get the first month free.

What’s better—T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T?

T-Mobile’s baseline fiber plan gives you faster speeds for a lower price compared to the lowest-tier plans from Verizon and AT&T. Its gigabit plan is also $10 to $20 cheaper per month, making it the same price as Google Fiber’s gigabit plan.

On the other hand, Verizon and AT&T have much larger networks—and proven track records for providing fiber service. Both have multi-gigabit plans and do away with data caps and extra fees, like T-Mobile.

Ultimately, the fiber provider you choose depends most of all on what’s available in your area: it’s rare to find more than a single fiber provider anywhere. If you can get T-Mobile Fiber on your block, it’s well worth trying out.

Where—and when—can you get T-Mobile Fiber?

You can get T-Mobile Fiber right now in three cities:

• New York City
• Northglenn, Colo.
• Pueblo, Colo.

It’s unclear when you’ll be able to find it elsewhere. Bloomberg reported that T-Mobile’s efforts at building its own network may require an investment of as much as $4 billion. Launching a fiber network can be time-consuming and fraught with technical challenges, so rollouts can take months or even years.

Right now, T-Mobile Fiber is using the networks of two regional internet providers to get customers connected: Pilot Fiber in NYC and Intrepid Fiber in Colorado. It’s relatively common for smaller internet providers to rent out the fiber infrastructure of larger companies to expand their offerings, so this may be the route that T-Mobile takes in the future.

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