Optimum Internet delivers faster speeds, but T-Mobile 5G Home Internet has stable prices and no extra fees.
Optimum Internet vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Which One Is Worth Your Money?
9 min readOptimum Internet delivers fast speeds with its cable and fiber internet services. The provider offers discounted plans for the first year, followed by annual price hikes up to the rate card price. Here's what you can expect from Optimum Internet:
- Internet, mobile, and TV bundle discounts
- Router included
- Unlimited data
- Symmetrical speeds with fiber internet
- No contracts
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet offers affordable internet plans that deliver fast speeds over T-Mobile's 5G network towers. Besides affordability, T-Mobile is well-known for its transparent billing, high customer satisfaction, and nationwide availability. Here's what you can expect from T-Mobile 5G Home Internet:
- Price Lock guarantee
- Router included
- Unlimited data
- 15-minute self-installation
- No contracts
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is an excellent option for a budget-conscious household. However, Optimum offers wired cable or fiber internet plans, which provide a more reliable, stable connection compared to a wireless 5G plan with T-Mobile. This means Optimum may provide a better service for playing games or other real-time activities.
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Want to know if Optimum or T-Mobile 5G Home Internet are available where you live? Run a search with your zip code below to find out.
Optimum Internet vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Plans, pricing, and speed
Optimum Internet plans and prices
Provider | Plan | Price | Download speed | Details |
| 300 Mbps Internet | $40/mo.* | Up to 300 Mbps | View Plans | |
| 500 Mbps Internet | $60/mo.* | Up to 500 Mbps | View Plans | |
| 1 Gig Internet | $70/mo.† | Up to 940 Mbps | View Plans | |
| 300 Mbps Fiber Internet | $40/mo.* | Up to 300 Mbps | View Plans | |
| 500 Mbps Fiber Internet | $60/mo.* | Up to 500 Mbps | View Plans | |
| 1 Gig Fiber Internet | $70/mo.† | Up to 940 Mbps | View Plans | |
| 2 Gig Fiber Internet | $90/mo.‡ | Up to 2000 Mbps | View Plans | |
| 5 Gig Fiber Internet | $120/mo.‡ | Up to 5000 Mbps | View Plans | |
| 8 Gig Fiber Internet | $280/mo.^ | Up to 8000 Mbps | View Plans |
*
w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Terms apply.
†
w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection up to 940 Mbps. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Terms apply.
‡
w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 12 months at then prevailing rate (currently $16.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply.
^
w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 12 months at then prevailing rate (currently $16.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply. 8 Gig Fiber Internet is currently available in portions of NY, NJ & CT. Fiber Internet is not available in all areas.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plans and prices
Provider | Plan | Price | Download speed | Details |
| Rely Internet |
$50/mo. w/ AutoPay
| Up to 318 Mbps | View Plans | |
| Amplified Internet |
$60/mo. w/ AutoPay
| Up to 415 Mbps | View Plans | |
| All-In Internet |
$70/mo. w/ AutoPay
| Up to 415 Mbps | View Plans |
Optimum Internet offers both cable and fiber internet plans. Optimum's cable internet plans include speeds from 300 to 1,000Mbps for $40 to $70 monthly for the first 12 to 24 months of service. Optimum's fiber internet plans include speeds from 300 to 8,000Mbps for $40 to $280 monthly. Optimum fiber plans come with a price lock for one to five years, depending on the promotional deal you receive. All Optimum plans include a router and unlimited data.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet offers fixed wireless internet plans from 318 to 415Mbps for $50 to $70 monthly. T-Mobile internet plans are all-inclusive, so the price covers rental of a gateway router, unlimited data, shipping, and a $5 AutoPay discount. You can also get a $15 monthly discount if you bundle with a T-Mobile voice plan.
Optimum vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: Fees for modem and installation
Optimum Internet plans come with unlimited data, a router, and a $5 monthly discount for Autopay and paperless billing. You can also get limited-time deals such as gift cards and price-lock guarantees, depending on the area and time of year.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plans also include unlimited data, a router, and a $5 Autopay discount. The 5G provider is known for its top internet deals, such as a $15 monthly discount when you bundle with a voice line, gift cards, and a Price Lock guarantee.
Optimum Internet add-ons and perks
Sign up for a 1 Gig Optimum Fiber Internet plan and get an Optimum Prepaid Mastercard with $100 in value (not available in all areas)
Sign up for an Unlimited Mobile line with your Optimum Internet plan
Add Unlimited Mobile and trade in your device for iPhone 16.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet add-ons and perks
Sign up for Amplified or All-In Home Internet plans
Sign up for any T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plan
Bundle with your postpaid T-Mobile voiceline
Sign up for Autopay bill payments
Included with the All-In Home Internet plan
Who offers the best internet and mobile bundle?
Both Optimum and T-Mobile offer great internet and mobile bundles. Price-wise, you get a cheaper deal with Optimum to start, but there are price increases after your first year of service. If Optimum offers fiber internet, the fiber internet and Optimum Mobile bundle is a better deal.
However, if fiber isn't available, T-Mobile provides a price-locked internet and mobile bundle, so T-Mobile is our winner here with its solid $20 monthly discount on your 5G Home Internet plan with any unlimited postpaid wireless mobile plan.
What makes this review legit?
Our fact-based research process centers on interviews with internet customers across the country, helping us understand how internet services hold up against diverse needs and challenges.
To put together this review, we looked at results from our internet speed test, pulled data from customer satisfaction surveys, and pored over the fine print to compare prices and speeds between the two providers. To flesh out our analysis, we also interviewed Optimum and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customers to get their firsthand insights. We let their experiences guide our research and shape our conclusions. We also speak with ISP spokespeople and industry experts to get insights into connection types, speed capabilities, and other technical issues related to internet service.
The matchup: How we rate Optimum vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
For all our internet reviews, we give a rating based on three main criteria—speed and reliability, dollar value, and customer experience—which we then average to make an overall score.
Here, we compare those ratings face to face. We then offer some analysis and context for important factors to keep in mind.
Want to know more? Read our full-length Optimum review and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet review.
Speed and reliability
Optimum: 3.3/5.0 | T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: 4.0/5.0
Optimum offers faster plans than T-Mobile. Optimum’s plans speed up to 8Gbps, while T-Mobile’s plans only reach download speeds of up to 415Mbps.
There’s much more to it than that—hence why T-Mobile scores higher in this category. Optimum offers both cable and fiber-based plans. Optimum’s fiber plans are the ones that reach those massive speeds and offer symmetrical download and upload speeds. The vast majority of Optimum customers, however, only have cable plans available to them.
In fact, according to a shareholders' report, 92% of Optimum customers have cable connections, which have a maximum speed of 1Gbps. Even then, most customers don’t get the speeds that are advertised to them. One customer, Geoffrey Turbeville, for example, pays for a 500Mbps cable plan but gets speeds of only 80Mbps.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a whole different beast. T-Mobile's Rely Home Internet advertises up to 318Mbps download speeds, but typical download speeds could range anywhere from 87 to 318Mbps. This is fast enough for small households, but not that fast in the grand scheme of things, especially for things like online gaming.
As far as reliability goes, customers claim T-Mobile is seemingly far ahead of Optimum, which is impressive considering wired connections like Optimum’s are usually more consistent and stable than wireless.
HighSpeedInternet.com’s customer satisfaction survey ranked T-Mobile as second overall in reliability, with Optimum ranking second to last—out of 15 providers.
Dollar value
Optimum: 4.0/5.0 | T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: 4.8/5.0
T-Mobile offers better dollar value than Optimum. Optimum’s pricing varies widely, and after a year of being a customer, you can expect your rate to go up from the promotional price to a standard rate.
Optimum notes that most customers should expect their price to go up by $15 at a time. For fiber customers, the new pricing may still be worth it, but it’s still a bitter pill to swallow, especially when you compare the final pricing to something like Google Fiber or Xfinity. You can try your hand at lowering your Optimum bill, but you might not be able to get out of the extra fees like the router rental fee, network enhancement fee, professional installation fee, and more. On the plus side, there is a low-cost internet plan that may be a good fit for students, seniors, or low-income families who may qualify for it called Optimum Advantage. This plan offers up to 50Mbps internet for $14.99 per month.
T-Mobile, on the other hand, charges a flat rate starting at $50 monthly with no additional fees, with the Amplified and All-In Home Internet plans offering up to 415Mbps and a high-performance premium 5G gateway. T-Mobile also offers customers a $15 discount on cellular plans that they bundle with home internet plans and use AutoPay. That said, these rates may not offer the best bang for your buck if there’s a solid fiber provider in your area. So if Optimum Fiber is available, it would provide a superior experience.
Customer experience
Optimum: 4.3/5.0 | T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: 5.0/5.0
Customer service is an area where T-Mobile is head and shoulders above Optimum. Optimum has a terrible reputation, and several customers we talked to expressed their frustration with the service. Optimum scored poorly on HighSpeedInternet.com’s customer satisfaction survey and dead last in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) amongst non-fiber providers. Additionally, Optimum charges a service fee to send a technician to your location—$80 for a call.
T-Mobile customers, however, are very satisfied with their 5G home internet service overall. It’s at or near the top of both surveys we noted above, and much of that likely has to do with how easy it is to use T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet service from the beginning.
Setting up T-Mobile’s service is simple: When the gateway arrives, simply download the app and follow the on-screen instructions. Customers note that it was easy to get in touch with customer service when issues came up, and technical issues were resolved quickly.
Overall quality: Which internet provider should you pick?
Optimum: 3.9/5.0 | T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: 4.6/5.0 (average of previous scores)
Optimum and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet serve very different purposes. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet offers solid reliability and reasonable speeds, and its speeds are close to being as advertised. However those speeds also aren’t that fast—and if you’re looking for a provider for things like online gaming, heavy video streaming, and so on, then T-Mobile probably isn’t fast enough.
Optimum fiber plans are fast and reliable, even if speeds sometimes aren’t as advertised. However Optimum’s customer service is severely lacking. Basic users who want a provider for web surfing, basic video streaming, and so on, should go for T-Mobile 5G Home Internet—it’s more reliable and easier to deal with. But those who need super-fast speeds should consider Optimum instead, despite its poor overall customer satisfaction scores.
Optimum vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: What do customers think?
Optimum customers generally have mixed views of the cable and fiber provider
As we were researching our full Optimum review, we spoke to a number of Optimum customers and found a majority feel that the provider hit them with price hikes too often—and could often get away with it because the customers had no realistic alternative in their area. In general, this is a fundamental issue in the internet service provider space. Approximately 41% of Americans have felt ripped off by their ISPs hidden fees, but it’s never good to see a company taking advantage of the problem.
“I don’t have any bargaining power,” says Geoffrey Turbeville, who has been an Optimum cable customer in Brooklyn for six years only because it's the sole high-speed internet provider available. Turbeville told Reviews.org that he felt resigned to his fate as a reluctant customer. “We really only have one option.”
Other customers have similar experiences. Luther Shoultz, a business executive in New Jersey, expressed frustration for having few options. “If there were multiple providers available, companies could really start on really making sure customers are happy instead of making promises they can’t keep.”
“Once Verizon Fios came to my street, it changed things,” –Josh Michael, an eight-year Optimum customer in Brooklyn
Customers say T-Mobile offers a great alternative in many cities
Steve Abbott, a T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customer in Mission Viejo, California, told us in a recent interview that until T-Mobile showed up, he and his wife were stuck with a DSL plan that uses dated technology.
“We could barely stream Lakers and Dodger games, let alone shows on Netflix,” Abbott said of his previous DSL plan in a chat for our review of T-Mobile’s 5G internet service. Abbott says that T-Mobile 5G Home Internet “took us from low-quality streaming on a single TV to being able to stream two different shows in two different rooms with high definition.”
Customers do note that the 5G home internet services are better for basic use cases and not for those who need high-speed, low-latency connections for things like online gaming. “I honestly gave up trying to game on this internet,” says Jordan Rivera, a T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customer in Las Vegas, Nevada. “I would die before knowing anything hit me. I mostly play single player games now, ha. Overall it’s pretty solid, especially if you don’t have other options,” Rivera adds. “But online gaming is rough.”
“Overall it’s pretty solid, especially if you don’t have other options. But online gaming is rough.” –Jordan Rivera, a T-Mobile customer in Las Vegas.
Want Optimum or T-Mobile 5G Home Internet? Find it in your area.
For those who want reliability and a better customer service experience, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is the way to go. It’s a better overall service, and generally more reliable. However, those who want higher-speed connections with lower latency should avoid a 5G-based service for now and instead go for a wired fiber or cable internet service. Again, small households who just want decent internet for basic tasks should go for T-Mobile, but larger households with power users may find Optimum's speeds are worth the subpar customer service.
Find Optimum or T-Mobile 5G Home Internet in your area
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