Verizon 5G Home Internet Review

Verizon offers two plans for its 5G Home Internet service:

As with any internet service, the speeds available will vary based on your location—not every area will get the maximum speeds for the plan. This is mostly based on how built-out the provider’s network is in a given area. Verizon's 5G network isn't as broadly available as T-Mobile's 5G Home Internet, for example.

As for the speeds, Verizon's are significantly faster than T-Mobile’s 5G home internet option—kind of. Verizon 5G advertises its up-to speeds, or how fast its network can get. T-Mobile, on the other hand, advertises its average speeds.

With that in mind we’d say that, in terms of raw speed capability, Verizon is likely the best wireless internet provider. But we usually recommend T-Mobile over Verizon because the average speeds its users usually experience are better.  It’s certainly leaps and bounds ahead of satellite, although the latter is still the availability champion—like we mentioned, there are a lot of areas Verizon doesn’t cover.

If you have Verizon wireless cell service, you can get up to 1,000Mbps for only $25 a month. You could also get the Verizon 5G Plus plan for only $35. Those Verizon prices are sweet, for the record. Though T-Mobile Home Internet comes with more perks, admittedly.

If you don't have Verizon wireless service, though, you'll need a bit more space in your budget for Verizon residential internet. The same plans will cost you $60–$80 per month.  That's more than double the price than if you're a Verizon customer. But even then, the price is about right for the speeds and service, especially if you're looking for the best rural internet providers.

So if price is your main decision-making factor, you’re going to have a hard time finding a better value than with Verizon Home Internet.

Verizon’s 5G networks are increasing in coverage all the time, particularly the faster “5G Ultra Wideband” network used to power Verizon’s fastest home internet speeds. The provider has a detailed coverage map available, and areas without any coverage are few and far between. That said, to get the absolute fastest speeds, you’ll want to be near one of the larger metro areas where 5G Ultra Wideband is available.

If you don’t have 5G coverage, you’re not totally out of luck—you can still get Verizon’s LTE Home Internet. This is a similar service based off of the provider’s older 4G LTE network. The only real-world difference you should see here is in speed—LTE is significantly slower than 5G and caps out at around 50Mbps.

Yes! Verizon 5G Home Internet is an excellent option. It’s speedy and affordable, and available in areas that may not have access to fast cable or fiber providers. It’s especially good if you’re already a Verizon Wireless customer—the discount on the monthly price makes it one of the most affordable options available.

Another big win in our book is the simplicity of the service. Like most fixed wireless options, there are only a couple plans to pick from, and the only equipment you need is the wireless gateway. Since the service is based on cellular networks, there are no wires, dishes, or terminals to install—it’s pretty much plug and play, which is great.

The main downside here is that there is wide variance in speed based on the area you’re in. The fastest speeds are only available in areas with Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband service—these tend to be larger metropolitan areas. In the future, this situation should continue to improve as Verizon builds out its 5G networks.

Because of the tech behind Verizon 5G home internet, you have to get Verizon's own 5G home internet gateway and router. No third-party equipment will work in this situation. Fortunately, Verizon doesn't charge any extra equipment fees for its gateway or router, so you're good to go. Plus, Verizon is responsible for keeping it up to date, so you can just sit back and enjoy.

Verizon does still offer its LTE Home Internet service as a separate option. The cost is $60 per month, but can get down to as low as $35 per month with a qualifying cell plan and auto-pay setup. The only functional difference between the LTE and 5G service is the speed—LTE caps out at about 50Mbps, which is less than the minimum speeds you’re likely to get with the 5G home internet.

That said, LTE remains a viable option for users in areas without 5G coverage. It’s still likely to perform better than many satellite internet options, and the price is certainly right.

If you need help with your Verizon 5G Home Internet service, you can start with the excellent support site. It’s got answers to many of the most common questions and issues you have, from ordering and activation to troubleshooting.

If you need further help, you can contact Verizon support directly. The site has a useful directory for routing you to the right department, though it’s a bit difficult to navigate. You do have the option of requesting a call rather than waiting on hold, though, which is nice.

With the 5G rollout, Verizon’s Home Internet service has transformed from a novelty into a truly competitive home internet option. The speed is there—even up to 1,000Mbps. The price is right, especially when you can take advantage of the discount for having a qualifying cell plan. There are no extra fees for equipment, no data overage charges, no contracts—what more could you ask for?

The only catch is that the speeds can vary widely from place to place depending on Verizon’s network infrastructure. This means some areas might be stuck with the slower (but still decent) LTE Home Internet service. But at the end of the day, there’s a lot to like about Verizon’s home offering. We highly recommend it!

Verizon’s 5G Home Internet can reach speeds of up to 1,000Mbps—if you’re in the right area. You’re more likely to see speeds a bit slower than that, but even at the lower end, it performs well above its price point.

Yes, in many areas, Verizon 5G Home Internet can definitely replace your cable service. The speeds are generally on par with most cable services, and with unlimited data, there’s not much holding you back here. The main catch is whether or not you can get those speeds—the absolute fastest 5G speeds still tend to be clustered around larger cities.

No, 5G home internet isn’t quite as fast as Fios or other fiber services. The download speeds can be comparable, at roughly 1,000 Mbps. 

Yes, Verizon 5G Home Internet works great for streaming. There’s plenty of speed here for even several simultaneous HD or 4K streams without buffering. Netflix, for example, suggests at least 5Mbps for HD and 15Mbps for 4K—well under the minimum you’re likely to get with Verizon.