Big wireless companies want you to believe "5G" Home Internet is all new, but the technology itself has existed for decades. It’s just cell phone Internet with clear disadvantages over cable Internet networks. Cell phone Internet providers are simply rebranding existing technology.

The problem is that cell phone Internet relies on cell phone towers and can be inconsistent during periods of network congestion.

This article uncovers the truth about why cell phone Internet speeds can be slow and unstable.

How Does Cell Phone Internet Work?

Before diving into the problems with cell phone Internet, it’s helpful to understand how it works.

Cell phone Internet uses the same cellular network smartphones use. Cell towers and/or small cell nodes use radio frequencies to send Internet signals to an outdoor antenna or indoor gateway receiver at each customer’s home. Unlike an outdoor antenna, the Internet gateway device not only communicates with the cell tower/node, but it also serves as a WiFi router to connect your wireless devices to the Internet.

How Fast Is Cell Phone Internet?

Verizon and T-Mobile claim their cell phone Internet plans can reach certain speeds, but the reality is cell phone Internet is prone to speed fluctuations during peak hours. Based on Ookla® Speedtest Intelligence® data, cell phone Internet may not consistently maintain speeds over 25 Mbps during peak times.^[1]

How Does Cell Phone Internet Compare to Spectrum Internet?

T-Mobile and Verizon boast about their large cell phone Internet networks, but network size doesn’t matter when there’s high traffic to a single cell tower/node – that’s when T-Mobile and Verizon may limit their cell phone Internet customers’ speed.

Another disadvantage is that cell phone Internet service can be affected by obstructions due to physical barriers such as walls, floors and other building materials.^[6]

T-Mobile Cell Phone Internet vs. Spectrum Internet

Tucked away in the fine print, T-Mobile admits new cell phone Internet customers who exceed 1.2TB of data usage for the current billing cycle are prioritized  last  on the T-Mobile network.^[4] Additionally, cell phone Internet customers "may notice reduced speeds in comparison to customers with a higher priority during network congestion."^[4]

T-Mobile also notes cell phone Internet customers’ video streaming may be more frequently impacted, depending on the extent of network congestion.^[4] For many, Spectrum Internet may be a better choice because all customers have equal priority on the network and Spectrum does not limit customers’ Internet speeds, bandwidth or video quality.

Verizon Cell Phone Internet vs. Spectrum Internet

Verizon’s network management practices reveal that on certain plans, Verizon "may prioritize your 5G and 4G LTE data behind other traffic. If the cell site you are connected to begins experiencing high demand during the duration of your session, your 5G and 4G LTE data speeds may be slower than the other traffic's."^[3]

If you want fast, reliable Internet speeds, you can count on Spectrum Internet.Spectrum offers three home Internet plans with speeds up to 100 Mbps, 500 Mbps and 1 Gig, plus Advanced WiFi with WiFi 7 technology for 5x the network capacity.

AT&T Cell Phone Internet vs. Spectrum Internet

AT&T states their cell phone Internet solution, Internet Air, is “your connection to everything,” but its limitations are similar to T-Mobile and Verizon's. AT&T’s fine print reveals they may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy, and that service may be slowed, suspended or contribute to increased latency in order to provide quality service to others.^[5] Compare that to Spectrum, which prioritizes all customers equally for the best connection.

The Spectrum Network Is Expanding

The good news is Spectrum continues to grow the network, with nearly $43 billion^[2] in infrastructure and technology invested to bridge the digital divide. Now more people than ever can experience the fast, reliable Internet. You can learn more about the Rural Broadband Build-out program here.