Starlink vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Battle of the Broadband Disruptors

Starlink and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plans advertise an expected speed range, meaning the maximum speeds a home receives will vary based on location, network congestion and other factors. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet’s speed range is higher than Starlink (87 to 415Mbps versus 25 to 100Mbps or 40 to 220Mbps), but that doesn’t guarantee it to be the faster provider. 

T-Mobile estimates that “25% of our customers see speeds below and 25% see speeds above” the 133 to 415Mbps range, according to the provider’s FAQ page. The speeds you get with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet will depend on your proximity to a mobile tower and the number of nearby customers who rely on the T-Mobile network for home internet, contributing to network congestion. In some cases, T-Mobile will lean on its 4G LTE network to deliver home internet, which can result in speeds slower than the advertised speed range. 

Starlink says that “a majority of customers [experience] speeds over 100Mbps.” Like with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, Starlink’s available speeds will vary by location and network congestion, but Starlink is more transparent about what speeds you can expect in different parts of the US, as displayed in the map above. With every new Starlink launch, maximum available speeds and resistance to network congestion could continue to improve. 

Starlink’s priority data could come in handy

Those with priority data are less vulnerable to slowed speeds during periods of high activity. Starlink’s Fair Use Policy states, “Priority data is given network precedence over Standard and Mobile data, meaning users will experience faster and more consistent download and upload speeds.”

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet doesn’t offer standard versus priority service tiers, so everyone is at the same mercy of the network’s capacity and capabilities.

What about latency?

Latency, or the time it takes your connection to send data back and forth, is notoriously high with traditional, geostationary satellite internet services, rendering online gaming and other tasks next to impossible. 

Starlink and its network of low-orbiting satellites drastically reduce the time it takes to send data from the sky to your home and back. Advertised latency for Starlink internet is between 25 and 60 milliseconds, a significant improvement over Hughesnet or Viasat (which can hit 400 ms or higher) and low enough to support online gaming.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet signals have a shorter distance to travel, and as a result, expected latency ranges are lower than Starlink at around 16 to 36 ms (24 to 40 when relying on its 4G LTE network).

Still, latency from either provider is low enough that you likely wouldn’t notice a difference between Starlink and T-Mobile. Both ISPs have a latency range that will comfortably support online gaming, so don’t let latency influence your decision too much on Starlink versus T-Mobile 5G Home Internet.

Starlink and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet service terms

Speeds and latency are a toss-up between Starlink and T-Mobile, but the latter has a clear advantage in terms of equipment and accompanying fees. 

There are no equipment fees, upfront or ongoing, with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. Your equipment arrives with free, two-day shipping and setup is simple — just plug in your router, then create your Wi-Fi network (and don’t forget to take these steps to secure it).

Starlink recently hiked its equipment purchase fee to $349 in most locations but may run as much as $100 more (or less) in other markets. Equipment fees are due at the time of your order.

That’s a huge upfront cost compared with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. On top of that, a shipping and handling fee of around $20 may apply. Equipment is included at no extra cost for T-Mobile. Just look out for that $35 activation fee when you begin service.

Despite the shipping fee, it will probably take longer to get your equipment than T-Mobile 5G Home Internet — up to two weeks. The setup appears to be fairly straightforward (check it out in the video below), but it will still be more involved than T-Mobile’s.