BELLEVUE: T-Mobile is massively expanding its Home Internet pilot service to give another option to an additional 20 million households in parts of 450 cities and towns — many in rural America — being abandoned by AT&T in the middle of a pandemic when connectivity has never been more important.
With this move, the Un-carrier is also expanding its Home Internet pilot to non-T-Mobile customers in these areas.
T-Mobile has been piloting Home Internet on its LTE network, as the Un-carrier prepares to launch 5G Home Internet across the country. And it’s clear the service is badly needed. 61 percent of rural households have no choice when it comes to high speed home broadband.
“We can’t stand idly by while AT&T leaves potentially millions with fewer home Internet options at a time when our connection to the Internet is so vital — for work, remote school, connection with family and friends. That’s why we’re undertaking this massive expansion,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile.
“The Carriers and the Cableopoly have consistently over-promised and under-delivered when it comes to broadband access. Thanks to our merger with Sprint, we can end this and give millions in underserved communities more choices and competition for high-speed home broadband.”
T-Mobile Home Internet originally launched last year as an invite-only pilot for select T-Mobile customer households, including many in underserved and rural areas. Customer feedback should leave old-school ISPs quaking in their boots.
Examples: customers give T-Mobile Home Internet an average Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 42, compared to -75 (that’s a negative 75!) for their previous provider. 73 percent report saving money with T-Mobile Home Internet, and of those saving money, 78% report saving more than $20/month and more than 50% report saving more than $30 per month or $360 annually.
T-Mobile recently expanded the Home Internet pilot to non-T-Mobile customers in several Western Michigan counties including the Grand Rapids area. The reaction to the rollout paints a message that’s crystal clear: consumers desperately want, or even NEED, better Internet access. It also provides T-Mobile the confidence for today’s significant expansion.
The Home Internet pilot provides home broadband on the Un-carrier’s LTE network. With additional capacity unlocked by the merger with Sprint, T-Mobile is preparing to put its massive network capacity to use, in part by launching 5G Home Internet nationwide, covering more than 50% of U.S. households within six years and providing a desperately needed alternative to incumbent cable and telco ISPs.
T-Mobile Home Internet service is available on a first-come, first-served basis based on equipment inventory and local network capacity, which is expanding all the time.