T-Mobile 5G Home Internet vs. CenturyLink: Which Internet Provider Is Best for You?
Each provider has great, low prices and decent speeds, but fiber is always the better option
Oct 31, 2026 | Share 
Brand Guides, Provider Comparisons (Versus)
Starting price:
$50/mo.* w/ Auto Pay plus taxes and fees
Speed range:
Up to 498Mbps
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See T-Mobile Home Internet disclaimers | CenturyLink disclaimers.
Compare T-Mobile 5G Home Internet and CenturyLink head-to-head
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet and CenturyLink both have plans within similar price ranges, though they vary in speed and connection type. T-Mobile caps out at about 500Mbps, while CenturyLink offers nearly 1Gbps in speed.
For fixed wireless and 5G home internet, T-Mobile has been a reigning champion for years, though fiber internet has really shaken up the game. CenturyLink offers fiber plans with low latency and symmetrical upload and download speeds; fiber is always the better choice when it’s available.
Services at a glance
| Provider | Services |
|---|---|
|
| |
 |
Pros and cons: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet vs. CenturyLink
Pros
Easy sign up and installation
Straightforward pricing
Free equipment rental
Cons
Inconsistent connection reliability
Actual speeds may vary
Pros
Excellent speeds on fiber plans
No data caps or contracts
Affordable prices
Cons
Limited fiber availability
In this comparison:
Plans and pricing | Deals and promotions | Up-front costs | Recurring fees | Customer ratings | Final call | FAQ | Methodology
In this comparison:
Plans and pricing: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet vs. CenturyLink
You can find a low monthly price and decent speeds with both providers, but CenturyLink is the only one offering nearly 1,000Mbps. Though most households really only need 300 to 500Mbps.
One of the biggest factors you’ll want to look at here is the connection type. Fiber internet is one of the best internet connection types on the market, so if you have the choice for fiber at a decent price, that should always be the first choice.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plans and pricing
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Plans
| Plan | Price* | Download Speed | Connection Type |
|---|---|---|---|
$50/mo. w/ AutoPay, plus taxes & fees. | Up to 354Mbps | 5G Home Internet | |
$60/mo. w/ AutoPay, plus taxes & fees. | Up to 498Mbps | 5G Home Internet | |
$70/mo. w/ AutoPay, plus taxes & fees. | Up to 498Mbps | 5G Home Internet | |
$110/mo. w/ AutoPay | Up to 292Mbps | Fixed Wireless | |
$160/mo. w/ AutoPay | Up to 361Mbps | Fixed Wireless |
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See T-Mobile Home Internet disclaimers.
Our favorite plan: Rely Internet
This plan is on 5G technology, which has fairly widespread availability. For speeds up to 354Mbps, you will have plenty for streaming, gaming, and other online activities. See our methodology for more information.
T-Mobile Home Internet’s plans are all solid options with the perfect speeds for the average household. You can choose between fixed wireless and 5G, depending on what is available in your area, though neither connection rivals fiber internet available through CenturyLink.
CenturyLink plans and pricing
Centurylink Internet Plans
| Plan | Price* | Download Speed | Connection Type |
|---|---|---|---|
Simply Unlimited Fiber Internet Up to 500 Mbps | $50/mo. | Up to 500Mbps | Fiber |
Simply Unlimited Fiber Internet Up to 940 Mbps | $75/mo. | Up to 940Mbps | Fiber |
Simply Unlimited Internet Up to 140 Mbps | $55/mo. | Up to 140Mbps | DSL |
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See CenturyLink disclaimers.
Our favorite plan: Simply Unlimited Fiber Internet Up to 500 Mbps
Fiber provides symmetrical speeds with low latency, and 500Mbps is more than enough speed for online gaming and streaming on multiple devices. See our methodology for more information.
CenturyLink has a pretty limited selection, but makes up for it with high-speed, low-price fiber plans that knock T-Mobile Home Internet’s plans out of the water. For about the same price on the cheapest plan, you can get more speed and a more reliable connection.
Deals and promotions: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet vs. CenturyLink
Get $50–$100 for you and a friend when you refer them to CenturyLink. Terms apply
Up-front costs: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet vs. CenturyLink
Neither CenturyLink nor T-Mobile Home Internet has an activation fee, but you might encounter installation fees depending on what internet plan you decide on.
Installation cost
| Installation fee | |
|---|---|
T-Mobile Home Internet | |
CenturyLink |
Installation is incredibly wallet-friendly with T-Mobile Home Internet and CenturyLink fiber plans that won’t charge you a dime, but you’re going to have to pay if you choose a DSL plan. To cut costs, you can choose to self-install, or professional installation is available too.
Want to know if T-Mobile 5G Home Internet or CenturyLink is in your area?
Find out if T-Mobile Home Internet and CenturyLink are available where you live by entering your zip code below.
Recurring fees: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet vs. CenturyLink
| Equipment fee | Other fees | |
|---|---|---|
T-Mobile Home Internet | ||
CenturyLink |
T-Mobile is hard to beat when it comes to recurring fees, but CenturyLink offers decent competition. The only equipment fees you will see are if you are on a DSL plan, but other connection types have free equipment rentals. With most providers, you will see a late fee or a charge for non-returned equipment, so everything here is reasonable.
Price hikes
T-Mobile Home Internet offers a five-year price guarantee on all internet plans, but expect to see an increase to the standard pricing once that period ends. For CenturyLink, there is no price lock, and you can expect to see occasional increases in pricing as technology and plans adjust, though this isn’t often.
Customer ratings: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet vs. CenturyLink
| T-Mobile Home Internet | CenturyLink | |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | 4.7/10 | 5.2/10 |
| Most reliable | 8.5/10 | 8.3/10 |
| Customer's choice | 7.3/10 | 7/10 |
| Best value | 3.9/10 | 4.9/10 |
| Fastest | 153Mbps | 137Mbps |
Data based on our Annual Internet Service Provider Review.
CenturyLink and T-Mobile are neck-and-neck in most categories, with great scores in reliability and customer satisfaction. Both providers fall a bit below the national average when it comes to speed, but only by a little.
Ready to switch to T-Mobile 5G Home Internet or CenturyLink?
Enter your zip code below to see if these two providers are available to you.
Final call: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet vs. CenturyLink
If CenturyLink has fiber internet available in your area, that is the clear winner. But if your neighborhood isn’t set up for fiber yet, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a solid choice with widespread availability and fast speeds for a reasonable price.
Both providers have great customer ratings when it comes to pricing, reliability, and satisfaction, so you can’t go wrong either way.
More about T-Mobile 5G Home Internet and CenturyLink
FAQ about T-Mobile 5G Home Internet vs. CenturyLink
Is CenturyLink or T-Mobile Home Internet better for gaming?
Is T-Mobile Home Internet cheaper than CenturyLink?
Does T-Mobile Home Internet have data caps?
Is CenturyLink fiber better than T-Mobile Home Internet?
Methodology
Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our Annual Internet Service Provider Review, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.
Our favorite plan
The average household needs internet speeds of at least 300Mbps but not more than a gig (1,000Mbps), so the best plan we recommend for each provider is always within that range. We also consider plan specifics, like added costs or included perks, and compare all the options from each provider to national averages. Finally, we account for tech type differences, since you might not need as much speed on a fiber plan as you would on a less-reliable fixed wireless or cable plan. Learn more about how much speed you need, and enter your zip code in our provider lookup tool to see what you can get in your neighborhood.
A note about pricing
The prices you see may not reflect the standard rates these providers could charge after an introductory period. You’ll see the standard rates on broadband nutrition labels displayed during checkout, along with equipment fees, installation fees, contract requirements, and data caps (if any). Always view this information before you sign up for internet service.
Plans disclaimers
CenturyLink internet plans
Centurylink Internet Disclaimers
| Plan | Disclaimer |
|---|---|
Simply Unlimited Fiber Internet Up to 500 Mbps | Limited availability. Service and rate in select locations only. Paperless billing required. Taxes and fees apply. |
Simply Unlimited Fiber Internet Up to 940 Mbps | Limited availability. Service and rate in select locations only. Paperless billing required. Taxes and fees apply. |
Simply Unlimited Internet Up to 140 Mbps | Paperless billing or prepay required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 140 Mbps). |
T-Mobile Home Internet plans
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Disclaimers
| Plan | Disclaimer |
|---|---|
w/AutoPay. Guarantee exclusions like taxes and fees apply. | |
w/AutoPay. Guarantee exclusions like taxes and fees apply. | |
w/AutoPay. Guarantee exclusions like taxes and fees apply. | |
with AutoPay, taxes and fees included. | |
with AutoPay, taxes and fees included. |
Deals Disclaimers
T-Mobile Home Internet, Get Hulu and Paramount+ — Offer subject to change. Receive Hulu (With Ads) while you maintain a qualifying All-In Internet line in good standing. One Hulu offer per eligible T-Mobile Internet line. Max 2 redemptions per eligible T-Mobile account; requires eligible e-mail address per redemption. Offer available to new and returning Hulu subscribers only. Use of the Hulu service is subject to the Hulu Subscriber Agreement. Any Hulu plan switch after redemption of this offer will result in offer forfeiture. Like all plans, features may change or be discontinued at any time; see T-Mobile Terms and Conditions for details. As a T-Mobile All-In Home Internet customer in good standing, get Paramount+ on us when you subscribe to a Paramount+ Essential monthly plan as a new or former Paramount+ subscriber. One claim per eligible line and max of two per account. Open to residents in the 50 United States. Cancel any time, effective at end of billing period. 18+. Your subscription to Paramount+ will be subject to the Paramount+ Subscription Terms (https://pplus.legal/subscription) (https://pplus.legal/subscription) and the Paramount Global Privacy Policy (https://pplus.legal/privacy)(https://pplus.legal/privacy). Like all plans, features may change or be discontinued at any time; see T-Mobile Terms and Conditions for details.
CenturyLink, Refer a Friend; Get $100 Each — Customer Referral Program (“program”) is available to current and new residential customers of CenturyLink or non-customer individuals (“referrers”) referring new, potential customers (“referees”) to CenturyLink for residential internet service. Referrers must meet eligibility requirements described at https://centurylink.aklamio.com (“website”) and receive referral code in order to participate; current employees/representatives, sales agents/leasing agents or partners/affiliates of CenturyLink and Lumen are not eligible for this program. Referrers must complete the registration process at website prior to the first referral that results in a completed sale. Qualified referrals for internet for all speeds up to 99Mbps are eligible for a $50 cash reward; qualified referrals for internet for all speeds ranging from up to 100Mbps to up to 940Mbps are eligible for a $100 cash reward. Referrers and referees will receive payment (a deposit to PayPal) after the referral has been qualified and audited and service activated for 60 consecutive days. Program maximum payout is a total of $500 for the referrer per calendar year and $100 for the referee per calendar year. Once the referrer has received the $500 maximum payout in the calendar year, no additional qualifying referrals will be rewarded or rolled to the following calendar year and includes referrals made for Quantum Fiber internet. Only registered referrers with qualifying referral and completed sales that include the referrer’s referral code will be eligible for cash reward; any referrals outside of the process or missing referral code are void. Participation in more than one referral program through Lumen is prohibited. Duplicate referrals of same person and address will only be paid one-time and to the first referrer to refer that referee/address. CenturyLink may change, cancel, or substitute the program, or vary it by service area, at its sole discretion without notice. Enrollment, cash reward and payment details, and terms and conditions are located at Website, executed by Aklamio. Additional restrictions apply.
Author - Morgan McDougal
Editor - Jessica Brooksby
Jessica loves bringing her passion for the written word and her love of tech into one space at HighSpeedInternet.com. She works with the team’s writers to revise strong, user-focused content so every reader can find the tech that works for them. Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in English from Utah Valley University and seven years of creative and editorial experience. Outside of work, she spends her time gaming, reading, painting, and buying an excessive amount of Legend of Zelda merchandise.
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