Is Anyone In Center City Using 5G Internet Service? (home, promotional)

[mitchmiller9]

My XFinity promotional plan's period expires at the end of next month. The customer service rep told me the service will jump in price from $40 to $60/month. My download speeds is 200mbps, which is WAY more than I need. So I asked to downgrade to their 75mpbs plan. The agent told me the cost for that plan would be $65/month, higher than the 200mbps plan!

So I'm wondering if anyone has had any success using T-Mobile or Verizon 5G internet service. I think Verizon requires you to bundle home internet with a cell phone plan, so I doubt it would be cheaper, considering my current cell provider is Ting and I pay $11.36 per month. As of last year, you could get T-Mobile internet without a cell phone plan.

[FindingZen]

I tried T-Mobile's 5G service about two months ago. For the first couple days - the weekend - the service was pretty good. Even the following weekday, when I was unexpectedly home, was pretty decent. Things went downhill fast at night when, presumably, everyone else with T-Mobile cell and internet service came home to use their products. By the end of the week, I returned to Xfinity with my rate reset to the newbie level.

It all comes down to how well the signal from your device is able to carry to your PC/laptop and streaming TV. My experience turned out to be rather disappointing; however, your own mileage may well vary.

[mitchmiller9]

Thanks. I guess I'm stuck with Xfinity. This is probably why when I search for information on T-Mobile internet in this area, I always get a message it is not available now or to act quickly because spots are limited. I think they are running at capacity.

I see Xfinity has raised its rates for new customers. This is what the customer agent was telling me; basically my current plan is no longer being sold (it is, but they've raised the pricing terms). Xfinity 200mbps (which when I subscribed last year was 100mbps but they amped up the download speed a few months ago) now costs $84/month. He said my plan would jump to $60, then $67 the following year (although most of these plans allow for changes in price).

So, for now, I'll stick with Xfinity since it is only $10 month less than T-Mobile and I bought my own Xfinity modem last year. Perhaps I'll look into switching next year as T-Mobile and Verizon upgrade their 5G networks.

For new customers, beware of promotional offers that push you to subscribe to higher rates than you really need because the monthly price after the promotional period ends, could be significantly higher than the rate for a slower speed.

https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/x...ternet-review/

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by mitchmiller9

For new customers, beware of promotional offers that push you to subscribe to higher rates than you really need because the monthly price after the promotional period ends, could be significantly higher than the rate for a slower speed.

https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/x...ternet-review/

The salesperson was kind enough to tell me when the rates would slowly rise and return to what I had been paying before I briefly switch, with it peaking in 2025. I told them, "See you in three years!" when I briefly go offline again for a day or two. They laughed in sympathy.