Verizon 5G Home Internet: Can It Handle Your Home Broadband? – CNET

Verizon 5G Home rating

How we calculated our rating

Value

7.5/10

Since Verizon 5G Home Internet first launched in 2018, its availability has surged. Verizon unveiled its 5G Ultra Wideband network in January 2022, making Verizon 5G Home Internet available in approximately 900 cities. Though Verizon Fios, the company’s 100% fiber-optic internet service, typically scores well in customer satisfaction studies, it’s available only in the Northeast. So 5G’s wider availability significantly expands Verizon’s broadband reach.

Bundling Verizon 5G Home Internet with mobile offers superb savings

Verizon could offer the best value if your average speeds are high enough, but it’s difficult to say with such a wide range of possibilities. With Starry, $50 per month for speeds of 200Mbps comes to about 25 cents per Mbps. With T-Mobile, your average cost per Mbps would be approximately 20 cents, assuming you’re routinely hitting those max speeds of 245Mbps. 

As for Verizon, the company says that 5G Home customers should typically expect downloads between 85Mbps to 300Mbps. So if your average is 193Mbps (the midpoint), you’re paying about 26 cents per Mbps monthly. If you have a strong connection and average download speeds are closer to 300Mbps, that cost per Mbps falls to 17 cents, but if the connection is weak, and your average sits at around 85Mbps, the number shoots up to 59 cents. As I said, your mileage may vary.

If you opt for 5G Home Plus, your monthly figures will be slightly different: Verizon’s value figures come out to 11 cents per Mbps for average speeds at 650Mbps, 23 cents at 300Mbps and 7 cents at 1,000Mbps. Those numbers dip even lower if you apply the Verizon mobile plan discount.

That stacks up pretty well with the top cable providers, who typically charge at least 25 cents per Mbps. However, fiber still offers the best value, with most plans typically coming in between 9 and 17 cents per Mbps. If you have a choice between fiber and 5G, I will lean toward fiber in most cases.

Verizon 5G Home Internet: Deals and perks

Remember I mentioned that 5G home internet providers are trying to lure customers away from other ISPs? That’s certainly the case with Verizon. The company currently offers many sweeteners for anyone thinking about making the switch.

If your provider charges an early termination fee for ditching it before your contract ends, Verizon will cover that cost when you switch (up to $500). On top of that, new Verizon 5G Home Internet customers get a 30-day satisfaction guarantee: If you’re not happy with your service, you can get a full refund. 

Additionally, Verizon 5G Home Plus customers will score their choice of a Verizon Stream TV Soundbar or a $200 Home Depot gift card.

What’s the bottom line on Verizon 5G Home Internet?

On paper, there’s not much to criticize. Verizon 5G Home Internet offers some genuinely outstanding terms, and the download speeds could potentially match what you’d expect from cable or fiber. And don’t forget that Verizon is consistently ranked as a top ISP for customer satisfaction by organizations like the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. We wish the uploads were faster than 50Mbps, especially given that Starry promises uploads as high as 100Mbps, but that might also indicate that there’s room for Verizon to improve over time as its 5G network expands.

That expansion of 5G infrastructure will be the key to bringing availability to more people and strengthening the signal for Verizon’s existing customers. If Verizon can continue growing its service map at a fast clip, and its simple, straightforward approach to pricing proves popular, Verizon’s 5G Home Internet service might be a potential game-changer.

Verizon 5G Home Internet FAQs