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Internet by City

5G home internet vs cable

Verizon reports fixed wireless home service in 199 of the 200 cities we cover and T-Mobile in 199. Here is how this kind of service differs from cable.

What 5G home internet is

5G home internet is fixed wireless service from a mobile carrier. A receiver at your home connects to the carrier's nearby cell sites instead of a cable or fiber line. Setup is usually a device you place yourself, near a window or wherever the signal is strongest.

Because it shares the same wireless network as phones, the speed you get depends on signal strength at your address, distance from the cell site, and how busy that site is. Carriers can also limit new sign-ups in an area to protect network capacity, so availability is decided address by address.

Where it shows up in the data

At least one of the two carriers reports fixed wireless in 199 of our 200 cities, and both do in 199. Where fixed wireless is the carrier's main service and the data gives its share of homes (177 cities for Verizon 5G Home Internet, 189 for T-Mobile Home Internet), the median share of homes covered is 65.9% and 72.5%.

Counting every fixed wireless provider, 94.9% of homes can get fixed wireless in the median city. The highest shares in our data:

How it compares with cable

Cable is available to 93.9% of homes in the median city we cover, and the fastest cable listing in the median city advertises 2,000 Mbps down. A wired line does not depend on radio signal at your address, while fixed wireless avoids running a new line to the home.

Which one works better for a given home depends on the signal at that address and the plans on offer there. The FCC data shows where each is offered, not how it performs at a specific address.

What to check before you switch

  • Whether the service is offered at your exact address: check your address and then confirm with the carrier.
  • The plan terms for any monthly data limit or reduced priority during busy times. These differ by plan.
  • The return window, in case the signal at your home is weaker than expected.
  • Your city page, which lists every fixed wireless provider reported there with its top advertised speed.

Questions

Is 5G home internet available in my city?

Verizon reports fixed wireless home service in 199 and T-Mobile in 199 of the 200 cities we cover. Availability is decided address by address, so check your address on the FCC map.

How much of a city can get fixed wireless?

In the median city we cover, 94.9% of homes can get fixed wireless from at least one provider.

Is 5G home internet the same as mobile data on my phone?

It uses the same kind of carrier network, but it is sold as a home plan with a dedicated receiver at the address.

Source: FCC National Broadband Map, Broadband Data Collection, availability as of December 31, 2025 (published September 29, 2026). Providers report where they offer service; a listed provider may not serve every address. Advertised speeds are not measured speeds. Check a specific address on the address check page. How we build these pages.