You can now test T-Mobile’s 5G home internet service

T-Mobile launched its 5G home internet service this time last year with the promise of a low $50 monthly fee, easy setup and data speeds at least as good as high internet. traditional flow. In reality, it’s kind of a mixed bag. This year, it hopes to draw more people away from traditional internet providers with new offers, starting with a 15-day trial period for the service. Customers who cancel within 15 days of the start of service will receive a refund as long as they return the provided internet gateway.

The company also offers to cover early termination fees if you switch from your current internet provider to T-Mobile — up to $500 through a prepaid Mastercard. Home Internet subscribers are also now included in the company’s T-Mobile Tuesdays promotions, and T-Mobile says it’s locking in the current $50 per month cost for current home Internet plans as long as they keep the account. It also offers a better price — just $30 per month — if you’re on a Magenta Max family plan, similar to Verizon’s Fios Double Play offering.

To take advantage of all this, you’ll need to check if your address is even approved by T-Mobile for home internet. The company says 40 million addresses currently are, and determines which homes are good candidates based on a sector-by-sector analysis of available capacity. In theory, this guarantees more reliable service, but, even so, one of its weak points in our tests last year was spotty performance.

T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert somehow dodged a question about it during a Q&A panel after the announcement, saying the company “only approves services in places where we know we can meet customer demands” and reiterating that additional spectrum will become available in the near future. In the meantime, at least there’s an easy fix if your service isn’t all it was supposed to be.