Best Unlimited Wireless Internet
We dig up the best (and cheapest) unlimited data options.
Oct 28, 2024 | Share 
Brand Guides
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Best 5G home internet plan
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Unlimited- $50.00/mo.*
- Affordable price
- Relatively wide availability
- Varying speeds depending on location
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Best 4G LTE home internet plan
Verizon LTE Home Internet- $60.00/mo.† w/ Auto Pay
- Faster speeds than satellite internet
- Cheap price
- Limited availability (except for rural areas)
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Best unlimited cellular plan
T-Mobile Go5G Plus- $95.00/mo. (one line)
- No data caps on high speeds
- 5G connectivity
- High price
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Best for hotspotting
T-Mobile 2GB
- $10.00/mo.
- Cheap price
- Option to add data whenever you need
- Not a lot of data upfront
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Best fixed wireless plan
Starry Internet with Starry 300- $50.00/mo.
- Cheap price with fast advertised speeds
- Unlimited data
- Limited availibility
Data effective 10/04/24. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*w/ Auto Pay. Regulatory fees included in monthly price for qualified accounts. See full terms. Delivered via 5G cellular network; speeds vary due to factors affecting cellular networks, including data prioritization.
† Price per month with Auto Pay & without select 5G mobile plans. Consumer data usage is subject to the usage restrictions set forth in Verizon’s terms of service; visit: https://www.verizon.com/support/customer-agreement/ for more information about 5G Home and LTE Home Internet or https://www.verizon.com/about/terms-conditions/verizon-customer-agreement for Fios internet.
Wireless internet gives you Wi-Fi over a cellular network. Your connection works without the underground wiring of cable or fiber internet, giving you more mobility for working away from home and getting internet while traveling. 5G and 4G home internet setups are also wireless, working much the same way as traditional providers but giving you better prices and internet access in rural areas.
Cellular and wireless providers aren’t equipped to deliver internet at the same capacity as fiber and cable internet providers that operate over wired networks. So wireless speeds tend to be slower and data costs more—and it’s not always easy to find unlimited wireless internet. However, you can still find some great deals, and there are plenty of ways to make wireless internet work for you.
Pros and cons of wireless internet
Pros:
- Flexible plan options
- Connectivity for traveling
- Affordable options for rural users
Cons:
- Higher cost for data
- Slower speeds
- Few unlimited data options
Our pick: Which unlimited wireless internet plan is best?
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Unlimited is the best unlimited wireless internet plan you can get. It’s fast, affordable, and easy to set up.
It costs a straight fee of $50 a month—including installation and equipment—and gives you average speeds of around 159 Mbps. You get unlimited data over T-Mobile’s 4G and 5G connections, , and customers really like it, according to our latest customer satisfaction survey. All in all, it’s the most widely available, cost-effective, and practical wireless internet you can get right now.
Get T-Mobile Home InternetIf you’re looking for something you can use with a cell phone, go for T-Mobile’s Go5G Plus plan. Costing $95 a month for one line, it gives you totally unlimited data, with no throttled speeds after you hit a certain data threshold (as is common with most other unlimited cellular plans). It comes with 50GB of high-speed hotspot data, which is quite generous for the price. And when you sign up for the plan, you can get $20 a month off T-Mobile 5G Home Internet.
How to get wireless internet
| Type of wireless internet | Best for | Data cap | Price | Speed | View providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4G LTE home internet | Wi-Fi access in rural and low-population areas | Unlimited | $25.00–$149.00/mo. | 25–100 Mbps | View Providers |
| 5G home internet | Alternative to cable internet in urban areas | Unlimited | $50.00–$70.00/mo. | 33–1,000 Mbps | View Providers |
| Hotspots | Portable internet for traveling and working away from home | 2–100 GB/mo. | $60.00–$800.00 (flat fee, data plan also required) | 25–1,000 Mbps | View Plans |
| Cellular plan | Portable internet over a cell phone | 15–unlimited GB/mo. | $60.00–$90.00/mo. | 30–1,000 Mbps | View Providers |
| Fixed wireless internet | Rural alternative to satellite internet | 250 GB/mo.–unlimited | $39.95–$99.00/mo. | 1–100 Mbps | View Providers |
Data as of 6/20/23. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
5G home internet
5G home internet is a relatively new internet service, touted most prominently by Verizon and T-Mobile. It delivers solid speeds (ranging from 100Mbps to 1,000Mbps) and it comes at a price competitive with cable providers. 5G home internet plans come with unlimited data, and you get installation and equipment at no extra cost. New customers can also take advantage of promotional offers for reward cards, free trials for streaming services, and more.
Availability is limited mostly to big cities and metro areas nationwide. But 5G home internet will likely expand as 5G gains in wider use. So keep an eye out because this could be an excellent alternative to expensive cable and fiber plans.
4G LTE home internet
While 5G home internet gives you fast speeds in cities and urban areas, 4G LTE home internet is geared mostly toward rural customers. So long as you have good cell service in your area, you can get decent speeds (usually between 25–100 Mbps) and plenty of data for prices ranging from $25 to $100 per month. That means it’s a perfect alternative to satellite internet (another common rural internet option), which is slower and more expensive.
Hotspots and standalone data plans
Most cell phones come with hotspot functions to provide a Wi-Fi connection for computers, gaming consoles, and other networking devices. But you can also buy a separate hotspot to connect more devices, get faster speeds, and preserve your cell phone’s battery life.
You need a data plan to make your hotspot work, and cellular providers sometimes charge an arm and a leg for data. As far as we can tell, you can’t get an unlimited data option for a standalone hotspot, so a hotspot is better for short-term or temporary use than it is for a permanent home-internet solution. Visible’s phone plans are the only cell phone hotspot plans we know of that come with unlimited data—but that data comes with strict limits on speed and connectivity.
Still, you can find some generous data offerings from providers like T-Mobile and AT&T , the latter of which can give you 100 GB for $55 per month.
Cell phone plans
Most cellular providers have upped their game when it comes to speed and data, offering unlimited data plans and much faster connections over 4G LTE and 5G.
Fixed wireless internet
Available primarily in rural areas and places where internet service is limited, fixed wireless internet is the go-to alternative to a pricey satellite internet package. Fixed wireless connections run on cell signals, and your options vary depending on how strong the cell service is in your area. But you can usually get good speeds at a fair price.
Not all fixed-wireless providers have unlimited data options, but many do. Definitely spring for an unlimited data plan if you can; otherwise, you may end up with a relatively small data cap and expensive overage fees to go with it.
Pro tip:
Unlimited data is not always easy to get from a wireless internet provider—some give it freely while others impose strict caps. Take a look at our data caps guide to see if your provider has unlimited data or not.
What to look for in an unlimited wireless internet plan
You want a wireless internet plan that matches your needs and also gives you adequate speeds and cellular coverage. And it’s nice if you can get unlimited data, although that may not always be possible.
There’s a few types of wireless internet out there, and the one you want depends on what you’ll use it for. Here’s a rough breakdown of their different specialties:
- City dwellers: Go for a 5G home internet plan, which gets you fast speeds in densely populated areas.
- Digital nomads: Use a cell phone or hotspot to get Wi-Fi wherever you go, or spring for Starlink Roam Unlimited for faster speeds and more data.
- Rural residents: Pick 4G LTE home internet or a fixed-wireless plan to get faster speeds and more data at a lower price than satellite internet.
What kind of speeds will you get over wireless internet?
Wireless internet reaches speeds ranging anywhere from 1 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps.
A wireless connection uses 4G LTE and 5G radio waves. How fast your speeds will be depends on the following:
Factors that impact wireless internet speed
- How close you are to the nearest cell tower
- What network provider you have
- Whether you have priority data or not
- Whether there are any obstructions from nearby trees or buildings
Once you have your wireless internet connection, you can take a speed test to see what kinds of speeds you’re getting throughout the day. That will help you figure out if there’s anything that impacts how fast your internet is going and whether you can address it.
As you shop around for wireless internet plans, it’s important to know what kind of internet you can find in your area—be it wireless or broadband. That way you can get a sense of different prices and speeds based on what’s available. Type in your zip code below to get more information.
5G home internet
Best 5G home internet plans
T-Mobile Home Internet
Price: $50.00–$70.00/mo.‡
- Download speed: 72–245Mbps
- Contract: Month-to-month
- Installation: Included with monthly price
See Verizon disclaimers.
T-Mobile Home Internet is the most widely available 5G–based home internet service out right now. It taps into 4G signals when 5G isn’t available, so speeds will be a bit slower but still good enough for a household of three to five people. Costing $50 per month—or as little as $40 per month for T-Mobile phone customers—it gives you speeds ranging from about 72Mbps to 245Mbps.
Verizon 5G Home Internet is another great option. Verizon’s service primarily draws from its millimeter-wave and C-band 5G network, rather than both 4G and 5G like T-Mobile. It also gives you a great deal: you get $25 off per month when you’re also signed up for a qualifying Verizon unlimited phone plan.
Not to be outdone by its competitors, AT&T has recently stepped into the 5G ring as well with Internet Air. This fixed-wireless service operates in pretty much the same way as Verizon and T-Mobile’s versions of 5G home internet, but availability is limited to customers who previously had AT&T’s DSL internet.
If you’re looking for a low price and zippy speeds, Starry Internet is another great home internet option that uses technology similar to T-Mobile and Verizon’s services. Costing $50 per month, it’s available mostly in apartment buildings and gets you speeds of up to 200 Mbps.
| Plan | Price | Speed | View Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon 5G Home | $60.00/mo.‡ w/ Auto Pay | Up to 300Mbps | View Plans for Verizon Home Internet |
| Verizon 5G Home with select 5G mobile plans | $35.00/mo.‡ w/ Auto Pay | Up to 300Mbps | View Plans for Verizon Home Internet |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus | $80.00/mo.‡ w/ Auto Pay | Up to 1,000Mbps | View Plans for Verizon Home Internet |
| Verizon 5G Home Plus with select 5G mobile plans | $45.00/mo.‡ w/ Auto Pay | Up to 1,000Mbps | View Plans for Verizon Home Internet |
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Unlimited | $50.00/mo.† | 72–245Mbps | View Plan |
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Plus | $70.00/mo.† | 72–245Mbps | View Plan |
| AT&T Internet Air | $55.00/mo. | 75–225Mbps | |
| Starry 300 | $50.00/mo.# | Up to 300Mbps | View Plans |
Data effective as of 10/04/24. Pricing and speeds are subject to change. Not all offers available in all areas.
†w/ Auto Pay. Regulatory fees included in monthly price for qualified accounts. See full terms. Delivered via 5G cellular network; speeds vary due to factors affecting cellular networks, including data prioritization.
‡Available in select areas only. Price per month with Auto Pay & without select 5G mobile plans. Fios plan prices include taxes & fees.
#Plan availability varies. Check availability at starry.com/internet. New customers save $10/mo off select plans for their first year of service. Terms & Conditions Apply.
‡ Price per month with Auto Pay & without select 5G mobile plans. Consumer data usage is subject to the usage restrictions set forth in Verizon’s terms of service; visit: https://www.verizon.com/support/customer-agreement/ for more information about 5G Home and LTE Home Internet or https://www.verizon.com/about/terms-conditions/verizon-customer-agreement for Fios internet.
How much speed do you have?
You can keep track of the speeds you’re getting by downloading our speed test app. Try running it at different points in the day to see if the speeds go up or down, and consider repositioning your router if you’re not getting a strong enough signal.
How much speed do you have?
You can keep track of the speeds you’re getting by taking our speed test. Try running it at different points in the day to see if the speeds go up or down, and consider repositioning your router if you’re not getting a strong enough signal.
4G LTE home internet
Best 4G LTE home internet plans
Verizon LTE Home Internet
Price: $60.00/mo.‡ w/ Auto Pay
- Download speed: 25–50 Mbps
- Contract: Month-to-month
- Installation: Included with monthly price
‡See Verizon disclaimers.
T-Mobile and Verizon are the two biggest names when it comes to 4G LTE home internet. They both have plans with affordable prices, great speeds, unlimited data, and no extra costs for installation or equipment.
If you can’t get T-Mobile or Verizon in your area, we recommend UbiFi. An MVNO available in many rural parts of the country, it gives you unlimited data and an LTE modem/router capable of connecting up to 200 devices. The only drawback is that its plan costs more than Verizon or T-Mobile—but it’s still cheaper than satellite internet.
And then there’s Nomad Internet, which gives you a portable internet connection that you can take anywhere—the most practical choice if you’re living out of an RV or regularly traveling cross-country. With Nomad, you get a hotspot-looking router that essentially works like a hotspot but gives you unlimited data, which is something a hotspot can’t do.
If you don’t like how Nomad is working, you have 14 days to try it out before returning it for a refund.
| Plan | Price | Speed | View Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon LTE Home | $60.00/mo.‡ w/ Auto Pay | Up to 50 Mbps | View Plans for Verizon Home Internet |
| Verizon LTE Home Plus | $80.00/mo.‡ w/ Auto Pay | Up to 50 Mbps | View Plans for Verizon Home Internet |
| T-Mobile Home Internet (works over 5G when available) | ($40.00–$50.00/mo. for qualifying T-Mobile phone subscribers) or $60.00/mo. | 33–182 Mbps | View Plan |
| UbiFi | Starting at $109.99/mo. | 12–25 Mbps | View Plan |
Data as of 10/04/24. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
‡ Price per month with Auto Pay & without select 5G mobile plans. Consumer data usage is subject to the usage restrictions set forth in Verizon’s terms of service; visit: https://www.verizon.com/support/customer-agreement/ for more information about 5G Home and LTE Home Internet or https://www.verizon.com/about/terms-conditions/verizon-customer-agreement for Fios internet.
Hotspots and hotspot data plans
Best hotspots
Verizon Inseego MiFi M2100 5G UW
Price: $399.99
- Number of devices it connects: 30
- Speeds: 84Mbps on average
The Inseego MiFi M2100 5G UW is by far the most powerful and versatile hotspot you can get. A 5G hotspot connects a lot more devices and has Wi-Fi 6 capability to keep your connection strong while serving multiple users. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but you get a ton more power and reliability. Read our best hotspots guide for more recommendations.
Pro tip:
You can get free Wi-Fi at many restaurants, libraries, and municipal facilities. If you can’t afford a hotspot, then look for a reliable public Wi-Fi hotspot in your area instead.
| Device | Price | Max devices | Speeds* | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile Inseego 5G MiFi M2000 | $336.00 | 30 | 150 Mbps (on average) | View on T-Mobile |
As far as plans go, T-Mobile has by far the best data plan—you can get 2 GB for $10 a month and then buy more data as you go. But AT&T has a more robust option, with a standalone data plan that gives you 100 GB for $90 per month. Verizon also has some great hotspot plans, with lots of data and discounts for phone customers.
You can also get a hotspot plan from Visible, an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) that gives you talk, text, and data over Verizon’s nationwide network. Visible’s Visible+ phone plan doesn’t work for a standalone hotspot, but it gives you unlimited data over your phone’s hotspot.
There are some glaring limitations to Visible’s plan: you can only connect one device at a time (most hotspots let you connect 15 or even 30) and your speeds will max out at 5 Mbps. And you may experience slowed speeds after using 50GB of data. So it’s not an ideal option for a group of users, but it will work great if you have simple hotspotting needs.
Best hotspot data plans
| Plan | Price | Data cap | Speeds* | View plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile 2GB | $10/mo. | 2 GB/mo. | 798–186 Mbps (on average) | View Plan |
| Visible+ phone plan | $45.00/mo. | Unlimited (max speed 5 Mbps, connects one device only, speeds slow after 50GB) | 5 Mbps | View Plan |
| Verizon Pro | $60.00/mo. (w/ existing Unlimited phone plan), $90.00/mo. (w/out phone plan) | 100 GB of 4G LTE/5G, then reduced to 600 Kbps | 31–85 Mbps (on average) | View Plan |
| AT&T 100 GB | $90/mo. | 100 GB/mo. | 38–71 Mbps (on average) |
Data as of 6/20/23. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Cell phone plans
Best cell phone plans
T-Mobile Go5G Plus
Price: $95/mo.
- Speeds: 30–150 Mbps
- High-speed data cap: Unlimited
- Hotspot data cap: 50GB
T-Mobile’s Go5G Plus plan is the best cellular plan because it gives you a truly unlimited data package. You can use as much data as you want on your phone without having your speeds throttled once you reach a cap. You still have a limit on high-speed hotspot data, but 50 GB per month is pretty nice.
| Plan | Price | Data cap | Hotspot data | View plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile Magenta MAX | $85/mo. | Unlimited | 40 GB (then reduced to 3G speeds) | View Plan |
| AT&T Unlimited Extra® EL | $75.99/mo. | Unlimited* | 30 GB/mo. | |
| Visible phone plan | $40/mo. | Unlimited (speeds can be slowed during network congestion) | Unlimited (max 5 Mbps, connects one device at a time) | View Plan |
Data as of 07/26/2024. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*5G coverage not available everywhere. Requires compatible device/service. Other terms and restr’s apply. Data charges may apply.
Fixed-wireless internet
Starry 300
Price: $50.00/mo.
- Speed: Up to 300 Mbps
- Data caps: Unlimited
The kinds of plans you can get depend a lot on what kind of cell service you have in your area. You won’t always get unlimited data, but we definitely recommend choosing an unlimited option if it’s available—even if it costs more. Starry Internet has the best deal you can get, with a plan that gives you solid speeds and unlimited data for $50.00 per month.
We also like AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet. It has a stricter data cap though—just 350 GB per month. So you’ll need to be a bit budget-conscious about how much time you spend doing things like streaming and downloading large files. It costs $10 for every 50 GB you use over your data cap.
| Plan | Price | Speed | View plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starry Internet | $30.00-$75.00 | Up to 100-1,000 Mbps | View Plans |
| Rise Broadband Internet w/ Unlimited Data | $65.00/mo. | Up to 50 Mbps | |
| AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet | $59.99/mo. | Up to 25 Mbps |
Data as of 11/9/22. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Unlimited wireless internet specs and features
When you’re looking for unlimited wireless internet, look for a plan or package that gives you consistent connectivity. You want adequate speeds, enough data to work with every month, and a large enough cellular network that your signal won’t always be dropping out.
Below we go into more detail about the common features (and pitfalls) of wireless internet.
Priority data
With the exception of one T-Mobile plan, most cellular data plans from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile that are advertised as “unlimited” come with a major caveat. You get only a set amount of priority data—meaning it gives you a high-speed connection over 4G LTE or 5G. Once you use that up, your speeds will be slowed down considerably, usually to snail-like 3G levels.
Cell service
Since wireless internet depends on cellular signals, you’ll want an unlimited wireless internet plan that gives you consistent and reliable cell service. Otherwise it will cut out all the time and never be useful when you need it.
Pricing
Wireless internet can vary wildly in pricing depending on where you are and what you’re using the internet for. You can find relatively cheap wireless internet plans, though, if you have access to 4G LTE and 5G home internet services in your area. Some cell phone plans are also pretty cheap, especially prepaid plans.
Our verdict
What you need for unlimited wireless internet depends a lot on what you’ll use it for. If you’re out and about often, then spring for a hotspot like the Verizon Inseego Jetpack MiFi 8800L Hotspot or T-Mobile’s Inseego 5G MiFi M2000 to get portable internet with fast speeds.
If you’re looking for something to have year-round at home, then Verizon 5G Home Internet or T-Mobile Home Internet are your best bet. And rural users should definitely consider a 4G LTE or fixed-wireless plan from a provider like T-Mobile or .
Methodology
We rely on our annual customer satisfaction survey, speed test data, and our staff’s professional expertise and personal experiences to find the best possible plans and analyze what makes them worthwhile. We also read plan contracts and keep track of providers’ updates in pricing and speeds to ensure our conclusions are accurate.
Author - Peter Holslin
Peter Holslin has more than a decade of experience working as a writer and freelance journalist. He graduated with a BA in liberal arts and journalism from New York City’s The New School University in 2008 and went on to contribute to publications like Rolling Stone, VICE, BuzzFeed, and countless others. At HighSpeedInternet.com, he focuses on covering 5G, nerding out about frequency bands and virtual RAN, and producing reviews on emerging services like 5G home internet. He also writes about internet providers and packages, hotspots, VPNs, and Wi-Fi troubleshooting.
Editor - Cara Haynes
Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital space for seven years, and she's edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet.com for five years. She graduated with a BA in English and a minor in editing from Brigham Young University. When she's not editing, she makes tech accessible through her freelance writing for brands like Pluralsight. She believes no one should feel lost in internet land and that a good internet connection significantly extends your life span.
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