During the UBS TMT Summit, T-Mobile Consumer Group President Jon Freier said that more than a million people were waitlisted for its 5G home internet.
We have a million people on our waitlist right now for 5G broadband at T-Mobile — a million people that want to be a part of us, but we don’t have a slot open for them right here right now based on where they live.
Jon Freier, T-Mobile Consumer Group President, December 2024
T-Mobile uses its mobile network to offer wireless internet connectivity. The company has limited spots for 5G home internet customers to avoid overwhelming its network. Customers are served on a first-come, first-served basis to ensure a smooth experience for everyone.
Even though T-Mobile‘s 5G network blankets large swathes of the US, its 5G home internet is not available everywhere. That’s why, there are places where you can get 5G service on your phone, but not broadband service.T-Mobile‘s 5G home internet runs on the excess capacity of its wireless network. That’s why, it’s only available in areas where it has extra capacity. To be more specific, 59 percent of the US population can sign up for T-Mobile‘s 5G home internet.
Our fixed wireless Home Internet runs on the extra capacity on our wireless network. In some areas, we have extra capacity on the network, but in others, we don’t. So, we allocate access to Home Internet on a sector-by-sector, home-by-home basis.
T-Mobile spokesperson, December 2024
T-Mobile had previously revealed that after Lumos and Metronet’s acquisition, it would be able to serve 12 to 15 million customers with its fiber network by the end of 2030. The carrier will acquire these two companies through a joint venture.
T-Mobile recently introduced three new home internet plans, with the lowest-tier plan starting at $35. Though the company continues to add new subscribers, the rate of growth has slowed recently.
