Your Internet Service Provider (ISP), like everyone else, may experience issues every now and then, which is why you can’t rely on any one company to be online at all times.
Don’t take our word for it. According to CivicScience, 20 percent of Americans report their internet bailing on them at least a few times a month. And as any work-from-home professional or anyone who can’t cook without looking up a recipe will tell you, having your internet go out is not unacceptable, even if it happens only a few times a month.
Keeping those concerns in mind, T-Mobile has launched a new Home Internet Backup plan for customers who aren’t ready to ditch their ISP for 5G home internet but want a fallback option for times their wired connection blacks out.
It’s not supposed to be your primary service. Instead, this is a backup option to ensure you don’t miss that important meeting or deal just because your internet isn’t working. I mean, we are all for having some me-time, but only on your own terms. Not being able to work on a project because your connection is wonky? That’s so dial-up!
Home Internet Backup will be available beginning tomorrow, June 6 in stores and online.
With AutoPay, it’s $30 a month. If you happen to have an eligible T-Mobile voice line, you can get it for only $20 a month for a limited time.
The plan will get you 130GB of 5G data, which T-Mobile says would be enough for keeping a typical household connected for up to seven days when your primary connection is not working. After you use up all your data allotment, speeds will be downgraded to 600Kbps.
Unlike wired connection, 5G internet relies on cellular data service to work, which is why you need a gateway that converts those signals into 5G. T-Mobile will bundle in a 5G gateway for free, so you won’t have to spend anything on the equipment, but there will be a one-time device connection charge.
The installation process is pretty straightforward, and you will need 15 minutes tops to set everything up.
In March, T-Mobile introduced a similar plan for business customers, and it’s good to see that backup solutions are no longer limited to commercial users.