(Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
T-Mobile is officially a fiber provider after closing a deal to buy ISP Lumos, which serves markets in the Eastern US.
On Thursday, the carrier will launch a "T-Mobile Fiber Home Internet" business, which will initially focus on serving over 500,000 households in the US through Lumos’s existing network. This includes areas of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Although 500,000 is a relatively small footprint, T-Mobile has ambitions to expand its fiber presence to 12 to 15 million US households by 2030. The company started piloting its fiber business in 2021, starting in New York City.
The goal is offer the fiber business alongside T-Mobile's 5G Home Internet service, which has grown to nearly 7 million customers and currently has a waitlist for another 1 million+ would-be users. 5G Home Internet uses signals from cell towers to supply moderately fast broadband, making it an attractive option, especially for homes out of reach of traditional ground-based internet. However, T-Mobile’s fiber service can deliver even faster speeds at up to 2 Gigs.
The company has now announced plans and pricing for T-Mobile Fiber:
- Fiber 500, which delivers 500Mbps download speeds, will cost $75 per month with autopay, or $60 per month when purchased with a T-Mobile voice line.
- Fiber 1 Gig will cost $90 per month with autopay or $75 per month with a T-Mobile line.
- Fiber 2 Gig will cost $105 per month with autopay or $90 per month with a T-Mobile line.
To stand out from other providers, T-Mobile says its fiber business will also come with a five-year price guarantee while featuring "no monthly equipment fees, installation charges or annual contracts." The carrier is also offering an enticing, but limited-time 2 Gig deal for early adopters, called the Fiber Founders Club, that'll cost just $70 per month with a 10-year price guarantee.
(Credit: T-Mobile)No voice line is required either. But T-Mobile hasn’t listed the exact locations where the Fiber Founders Club deal will be offered yet.
When we brought up concerns about price hikes, the carrier also told PCMag that “nothing is changing for existing customers." Previously, Lumos offered the Fiber 500 and 1 Gig plans for $20 and $10 cheaper, respectively.
The carrier also said: “The 1Gig plan now includes additional benefits including Whole Home Wi-Fi mesh devices and weekly perks and freebies with T-Mobile Tuesdays, in addition to the guarantee the price of the plan won’t change for 5 years. We set our plan pricing to be competitive in the market and deliver customers the best possible value, which is what we’re doing with these new plans. And we’ll continue finding ways to give customers more to ensure they’re getting the best value alongside benefits they love at T-Mobile.”
Interested users can check for availability by visiting T-Mobile's Fiber site or the Lumos page.