T-Mobile's home internet uses the extra capacity on its 5G network, which is why it's careful about not compromising the experience for mobile customers by adding too many internet subscribers. The company has now come up with a new way to open the service up to more customers without increasing the load on its network.
T-Mobile's fixed wireless access (FWA) service or home internet customers get a 5G gateway device that converts 5G signal to Wi-Fi. The company has apparently decided to terminate service for those with inactive gateways.
T-Mobile has started terminating service for home internet customers with inactive gateways. | Image Credit - The Mobile Report
T-Mobile will cancel your home internet line if you are subscribed to the service but don't actively use it. The company began notifying customers on December 9 about the cancellation and started enforcing the change on December 23.
While T-Mobile doesn't mention restricted capacity as the reason behind this new change, that's bound to be it. Otherwise, what does the company care whether or not you are using the service as long as you are paying for it every month?
Recommended For You
The move may anger customers who never intended to cancel service, regardless of their reliance on it. However, if you only use T-Mobile's home internet occasionally, you might want to consider its backup plans.
Otherwise, if you'd like to keep it, you can email T-Mobile to restore service if yours is canceled.
Overall, it appears to be a win-win decision for most parties involved. For starters, if you never use home internet, it doesn't make sense for you to pay for it every month. At the same time, you'll be freeing up capacity for someone who will actually be using it.
If you want to read between the lines, The Mobile Report has hinted at the possibility that T-Mobile is coming after customers who use third-party gateways or those who purchased a second-hand gateway on resale websites. Also, it will relieve unsuspecting customers who were sold service by pushy T-Mobile salespersons without their knowledge of unnecessary monthly charges.
Holiday special: Iconic Phones is now 10% off!
Our new coffee table book, Iconic Phones, is a stunning visual tribute to the legends in the world of phones, featuring exclusive high-resolution photography, stories, quotes and fun trivia. Save 10% by using this code at checkout: XMAS10. Offer lasts until 1 January 2026.
Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: