Spectrum Internet and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet are surprisingly well matched, making either a great option
Spectrum Internet vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
Best cable provider
Overall Quality ⁃ 3.7/5
3.8/5 - Speed and reliability
3.2/5 - Dollar value
4.0/5 - Customer experience
Best for budget users
Overall Quality ⁃ 3.8/5
3.5/5 - Speed and reliability
3.7/5 - Dollar value
4.2/5 - Customer experience 
6 min readIt’s not easy to pick between Spectrum and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. These providers are neck-and-neck, just for different reasons.
Traditional cable provider Spectrum offers more plans, higher speeds, and a stable connection, while T-Mobile’s wireless 5G home internet service costs less money overall and has better customer support.
Ultimately, the best provider for you depends on your household’s unique internet needs. For stability, go to Spectrum; to save a buck, try T-Mobile.
“[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,” says Steve Abbott, a customer in Mission Viejo, California.
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Spectrum vs. T-Mobile—plans, pricing, and speed
| Provider | | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per month | $24.99-$79.99 | $50-$70 |
| Download speeds | 50-1000 Mbps* | 75Mbps–245Mbps |
| Upload speeds | 4-35 Mbps | 15Mbps–31Mbps |
| Details | View Plans | View Plans |
Data as of 04/05/2023. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
*
Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter.
Spectrum is the faster service, with speeds reaching up to nearly a gig. Its monthly prices for cable internet range from $49.99 for 300Mbps speeds to $79.99 for 1,000Mbps (that’s between eight and 17 cents per Mbps). However, that’s before the 12- or 24-month price hikes kick in, which bring the average up to between 10 and 23 cents per Mbps.
Spectrum’s prices also include an initial installation fee and a monthly equipment rental fee.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile 5G prices range from 20 to 97 cents per Mbps. However, there are no price hikes or fees with T-Mobile. Also, in many cases, you end up paying less overall for the T-Mobile 5G service—although with that reduced price, you also get slower and less reliable wireless internet.
Spectrum vs. T-Mobile: fees for modem and installation
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 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 Spectrum and T-Mobile customers to get their first-hand 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 Spectrum vs. T-Mobile
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 Spectrum review and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet review.
Speed and reliability
Spectrum: 3.8/5.0 | T-Mobile: 3.5/5.0
For speed and reliability, we recommend Spectrum over T-Mobile 5G Home Internet.
Spectrum is a mostly-cable service provider, and cable internet is one of the best options for a fast and steady connection. The copper cable creates a physical bond between your home and Spectrum’s wider network.
As a wireless provider with lower-than-typical speeds, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet isn’t entirely on Spectrum’s level in terms of speed and reliability. Its maximum speed is just a quarter of Spectrum’s and the wireless-only connection makes things a bit more shaky (especially in areas with weak cell service). T-Mobile gets the job done but may fall short in certain online activities, like gaming.
Dollar value
Spectrum: 3.2/5.0 | T-Mobile: 3.7/5.0
These providers both give you an equal bang for your buck—even though Spectrum initially looks like the better deal.
After the first 12 to 24 months, Spectrum’s prices automatically jump, while T-Mobile has a Price Lock guarantee. And each Spectrum bill includes additional rental fees, something T-Mobile 5G Home Internet doesn’t have.
However, even though you ultimately pay more with Spectrum, you’re also getting a faster and more stable internet experience than with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. So in the end, with either service, you pay for what you get.
Customer experience
Spectrum: 4/5.0 | T-Mobile: 4.2/5.0
T-Mobile’s highly rated customer service beats out Spectrum’s by a long shot.
Spectrum customer service isn’t bad by any means. “They seem to respond quickly and take care of problems pretty fast,” says Conrad Burnham of Los Angeles.
However, there seem to be more issues with Spectrum personnel: A customer in New York City, Sakia Anwar, told us that she had a bizarre encounter when she contacted Spectrum to get her internet back up before a work call. The support person barely listened to her and instead tried to sell her a cable TV package.
“I think he was reading off a script or something,” says Anwar. “He was like, ‘Oh, okay, thank you for your feedback,’ and he would keep going on. I wanted to punch him in the throat.”
In contrast, Steve Abbott has had a near-perfect experience with T-Mobile support.
“It’s always been easy to get to a real person on the phone when I call T-Mobile,” says Abbott. “I had some questions when I first set up my home internet connection, and the agent I talked to had no problem answering them.”
Overall quality: Which internet provider should you pick?
Spectrum: 3.7/5.0 | T-Mobile: 3.8/5.0 (average of previous scores)
When we put Spectrum and T-Mobile toe-to-toe, it's quickly apparent that they’re options of similar value, just with different strengths.
As a cable internet provider, Spectrum is faster and less likely to experience outages. But as a disruptor on the ISP scene, T-Mobile costs less money overall and has a more customer-friendly approach.
Spectrum vs. T-Mobile—what deals and promotions can you get?
Many Americans prioritize lowering internet costs. To help with that, here are some deals, add-ons, and perks to reduce or offset your internet costs with Spectrum or T-Mobile.
Free Unlimited Spectrum Mobile phone line for 12 months
Get Advanced WiFi and a free Unlimited Mobile line for 12 months when you sign up for a 300Mbps Spectrum Internet plan.
Get $200 back when you sign up for T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
Get a $200 Virtual Prepaid Mastercard when you sign up for T-Mobile internet services.
Spectrum add-ons and perks
Sign up for a qualifying Spectrum Internet plan
Sign up for a 300Mbps+ plan
Sign up for Autopay
T-Mobile add-ons and perks
Get your money back if you cancel T-Mobile 5G Home internet within the first 15 days
Get your last month of service for free if you experience a price hike with T-Mobile
5G Home Internet comes with free trials of several audio streaming services:
- ViX Premium for 12 mos.
- SiriusXM Streaming for 6 mos.
- Pandora Premium for 4 mos.
The T-Mobile Tuesdays app features deals on food, gas, and entertainment
Spectrum vs. T-Mobile: What do customers think?
Many customers are satisfied with Spectrum
With minimal fees and speeds of up to 1,000Mbps, Spectrum is one of the best cable internet options. Customers aren’t exactly parading in the streets for Spectrum, but they’re content. “It’s totally fine. It’s fast, and we’ve never had an outage,” Anna Harsanyi told Reviews.org when we interviewed her for our review of the service. Meanwhile, Sakia Anwar in Queens described it to us as “standard and reliable.”
“They’re very affordable, and if I’m having an issue, they’re very good about troubleshooting.” -Sakia Anwar, Spectrum customer in Queens, New York
Still, Spectrum has a fraught relationship with some customers. Not everyone wants cable internet, and some customers wish they could switch to other providers but live in a Spectrum-only area.
“It’s been competent—and compulsory,” jokes customer Sean Huntley. When Huntley and his girlfriend looked at internet options for their Glendale, California apartment, Spectrum was the only provider that offered speeds faster than 100Mbps, making it their pick by default. “What, are you going to go to a different water company? It’s a water company.”
Robyn Straw of St. Cloud, Minnesota, has been frustrated with repeat outages and a slow response from technical support—to the point that she’s considering switching to Starlink. “Just hope you don’t need help from customer service,” she sighed.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is known for its customer-friendly approach
Nearly everything about T-Mobile 5G Home Internet—from the straightforward pricing to its disruption of traditional internet monopolies—benefits customers.
“We launched T-Mobile 5G Home Internet to bring a reliable, affordable alternative to traditional broadband—and largely, to give people choice,” says T-Mobile spokesperson Katie Brinton. That approach seems to work well: T-Mobile 5G provides a faster and more solid connection than satellite or DSL providers.
California customer Steve Abbott had DSL internet before moving to T-Mobile, and the difference is night and day. “We could barely stream Lakers and Dodger games, let alone shows on Netflix,” says Abbott. “[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.”
“It’s worked pretty well for me. The speeds feel a little up and down sometimes, but it generally does everything I need it to,” -Rick Francis, T-Mobile 5G customer in Charlottesville, North Carolina
However, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet isn’t as fast as a fiber or cable provider, and because of its wireless nature, T-Mobile connectivity can be so-so at times. According to T-Mobile customer Jordan Rivera in Las Vegas, that's especially true when customers are gaming.
“I honestly gave up trying to game on this internet,” states Rivera. Rivera’s 5G internet connection is so slow that “I would die before knowing anything hit me.”
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