Home internet is a necessity for many, and an expensive one at that. The average cost of home internet is $78 per CNET. That's right in line with my experience, as I pay $80 for a 1-gig fiber internet plan with Frontier.
If you want to cut costs, there's a new internet provider on the block. Mint Mobile recently announced its home internet service, called MINTernet.
I'll break down how the service works. Additionally, I'll compare its service with other cellular providers offering home internet plans to determine if Mint Mobile's service is worth the switch for you.
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Mint Mobile's new service keeps things simple and affordable
When searching for an internet provider, costs and ease of use are at the top of my list. And these are two things Mint Mobile does exceptionally well.
Let's start with costs. If you have a Mint Mobile cellular plan, you can save $10 off its home internet service, bringing the initial cost down to $30 for the intro three-month period. If you don't have cell service with Mint Mobile, you can still get the plan for $40 for three months, which is about half of what the average internet bill is:
After the first three months, the service costs depend on a few factors. This table breaks them down:
Months prepaid | With Mint Mobile cellular | Without Mint Mobile's cellular |
|---|---|---|
3 months | $40 | $50 |
6 months | $35 | $45 |
1 year | $30 | $40 |
Along with costs, ease of use is imperative. Unlike other internet providers, where you have to schedule an installation appointment, then another one for them to bury the line in your yard, Mint Mobile simplifies the process. They'll send you a wireless gateway (with expedited shipping) that you plug in, connect your devices and the service is ready to go.
How does Mint Mobile's service work?
Mint offers 5G internet connection through T-Mobile's network. That means before signing up for service, you'll want to check T-Mobile's coverage map to ensure you'll receive the higher speeds.
Next, you'll want to see if the service is in your area. You can visit Mint Mobile's website and enter your address to see if coverage is available. If it is, you can sign up for service online within minutes. Also, if you want to cancel service later on, there are no early termination fees.
What happens if you try out the service and dislike it? No worries, you have a 14-day money-back guarantee, making it a risk-free way to see if its connection speeds are adequate for your online needs.
How fast is the network? It depends on where you live. Mint Mobile says you can experience download speeds between 133-415 Mbps, with upload speeds of 12-55 Mbps. The download speeds are comparable to what you probably receive through your service provider now.
How does Mint Mobile compare to other internet providers?
Here's a breakdown of how Mint Mobile's home internet compares to other services:
Provider | Price | Download speed | Usage before speeds throttle |
|---|---|---|---|
Mint Mobile | $30-$50 | 133-415 Mbps | 1.0 TB |
T-Mobile | $50 | 87-415 Mbps | 1.2 TB |
Verizon | $50 | Up to 25 Mbps | 150 GB |
Every mobile internet provider has a data cap. How it works is if you reach the data threshold for the month and there's network congestion during peak usage, they'll lower the connection speeds of the users exceeding it.
Also, to be fair to Verizon, my location only qualified for the Lite plan. But as you can see, even the Lite plan pales in comparison to what you receive in terms of value, data allowance and download speeds Mint Mobile offers.
Is Mint Mobile's home internet a good deal?
It depends on your needs. If you're looking to cut costs and you're in their service area, it makes sense to give them a try.
Their download speeds are favorable to other cellular providers offering home internet, and even without the phone plan discount, you're still paying well below what you would with a regular internet provider. The only issue is you'll have to pay at least three months in advance, and the best savings force you to prepay for a year of service.
The good news is that you have a risk-free way of trying it out. You can test speeds for two weeks, and if it doesn't work for you, you can return the gateway and get your money back. For the price and the features, this is one of the better buys I've come across, if it works for your needs.
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