T-Mobile vs. EarthLink: Which Internet Provider Is Best for You?

Compare T-Mobile and EarthLink head to head

Both T-Mobile and EarthLink have extensive nationwide coverage and offer 4G/5G home internet for those in rural areas that lack internet infrastructure. T-Mobile offers the best value on a wireless internet plan and is free from data caps and long-term contracts. EarthLink has more plan options, as well as a wide range of fiber and DSL plans for many areas.

Pros and cons: T-Mobile vs. EarthLink

Jump to: Plans and pricing | Extra fees | Customer ratings | Internet connection types | Data caps | Contracts | Installation | Availability

Jump to:

• Plans and pricing
• Extra fees
• Customer ratings
• Internet connection types
• Data caps
• Contracts
• Installation
• Availability

Plans and pricing: T-Mobile vs. EarthLink

T-Mobile plans and pricing

T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet plan is one of the best wireless home internet plans you’ll find. You get good value in terms of speed versus cost, along with unlimited data for no extra charge. That’s something that very few wireless providers can match.

T-Mobile puts a lot of emphasis on its very fast 5G network, but 5G is not available across its entire coverage area, especially in more rural areas where wireless connections are often the only option. This is why there’s such a large range in T-Mobile’s speed estimates. Those in more urban areas are more likely to get the 5G speeds at the high end of that range, but these areas are also more likely to have access to faster wired connections like cable and fiber.

EarthLink plans and pricing

Similar to T-Mobile, EarthLink also offers wireless internet through its EarthLink LTE Home plans. The two big differences are that EarthLink’s network does not yet reach 5G speeds and that EarthLink plans have data caps. Although it offers several different versions of the EarthLink LTE Home plan, they differ according to how much data you’re paying for. Since T-Mobile offers unlimited data at a lower price, it’s pretty hard in this case to argue the value in paying a higher monthly fee for additional data.

While EarthLink can’t offer 5G speeds, it arguably offers something much better: fiber. EarthLink’s fiber plans are where you get the most value for your money with this provider. Fiber is the fastest, most reliable way to connect to the internet and even the most basic fiber plans are still way ahead of where 5G internet is right now.

EarthLink’s fiber plans are considerably more expensive than T-Mobile’s 5G plan, but you get a lot of bang for your buck. Importantly, most of EarthLink’s fiber plans are cheaper than its 150GB wireless plan, while giving you a much better internet experience. Although not everywhere in EarthLink’s coverage area has access to fiber, it’s the clear choice if you have that option at your address.

Extra fees: T-Mobile vs. EarthLink

There’s a pretty stark difference between T-Mobile and EarthLink when it comes to fees—namely that T-Mobile doesn’t have them. Equipment is included with your monthly bill, so you don’t pay any additional fees. You also don’t have to purchase any of your equipment; it’s all part of the package.

EarthLink’s fees are actually pretty reasonable when compared to many other internet providers, but it just highlights how big of a deal it is that T-Mobile doesn’t try to nickel-and-dime you to death like everyone else. At HighSpeedInternet, we really like it when providers have clear, simple pricing that doesn’t surprise you when you get your first bill and we hope that more of them follow T-Mobile’s lead in this one, as it’s the clear winner.

Customer ratings: T-Mobile vs. EarthLink

T-Mobile blew the competition away in our annual customer satisfaction survey, getting the highest customer satisfaction ranking overall by a decent margin. T-Mobile has been putting a lot of effort into their move to being a wireless internet provider, and that effort seems to be paying off for their customers.

EarthLink came in last among nationwide providers in our survey, which is a big shift from previous years. This dramatic underperformance is particularly bad for EarthLink, who has traditionally set itself apart from the competition with its focus on customer service.

Internet types: T-Mobile vs. EarthLink

T-Mobile provides internet service using 5G, which is one of the newest and fastest wireless internet technologies. 5G is cellular technology, though the higher speeds available with 5G makes it a great way to deliver wireless home internet in addition to cellular phones. It’s important to note, however, that to reach into less densely populated areas, 5G providers make use of multiple bands of radio frequencies to maximize the number of households they can reach. This accounts for the wide range of advertised speeds you get with 5G Home internet. This also means customers in more remote areas will get speeds toward the lower end of that advertised range.

EarthLink uses multiple technologies to deliver internet to customers across its network. Wireless internet reaches into areas that don’t have the infrastructure for wired connections, but it has severe limitations and restrictions, especially monthly data caps. DSL is also slow, but has the lowest prices. Fiber plans are the fastest and most reliable, and they usually offer the best value for the monthly cost.

Data caps: T-Mobile vs. EarthLink

T-Mobile doesn’t have data caps, and we think that’s great. Satellite and wireless internet providers often struggle to manage traffic on their networks without imposing harsh data limits, but T-Mobile is showing that it can be done.

EarthLink wireless plans all come with data caps, and upgrading to a higher limit can more than double your monthly bill. EarthLink’s DSL and fiber plans, on the other hand, don’t have data caps, so we’d suggest looking at them first.

Contracts: T-Mobile vs. EarthLink

T-Mobile doesn’t make you sign a long-term contract, and, once again, we think that this is how it should be done. Providers that know that they’re providing excellent service don’t need to threaten their customers to keep them around.

EarthLink requires a 12-month contract for all its fiber and DSL plans. Its wireless plans, fortunately, are contract free. Unfortunately, EarthLink’s fiber plans are also its best plans, so it would be nice to see EarthLink take the plunge and eliminate contracts across the board.

Installation: T-Mobile vs. EarthLink

T-Mobile’s equipment is designed to be easy to set up, so it doesn’t offer professional installation. It also provides an app to walk you through the process, so even those who aren’t technically proficient shouldn’t need one.

EarthLink has a pretty reasonable installation fee when compared, once again, to most internet providers. It’s pretty hard to compete with free, though.

Availability: T-Mobile vs. EarthLink

Both T-Mobile and EarthLink have absolutely massive nationwide coverage, but your actual experience can still differ dramatically within those coverage areas. T-Mobile speeds will trend toward the lower end of its advertised range for those in rural areas on the edge of its network. EarthLink offers different plans and different connections depending on your area, so before you start making decisions about plans and providers, it’s a good idea to check what plans are actually available in your area first.

Final call: T-Mobile vs. EarthLink

When it comes to wireless internet, T-Mobile is the clear winner. It’s cheap. It’s fast. And it doesn’t have any hidden fees or unnecessary restrictions. There’s very little we’d want it to change about its current offerings other than expanding its network and bringing those 5G speeds to the areas that really need them.

Although EarthLink’s wireless plans are nothing to write home about, we’d still suggest going with EarthLink if it offers fiber plans in your area. Fiber is miles ahead of 5G in terms of speed and reliability and if anything, that gap is only getting wider.

Methodology

Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, 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.

More about T-Mobile and EarthLink

• How Fast Is 5G Home Internet?
• What Is C-Band 5G and Why Does It Matter?
• Best Rural Internet Providers
• How Fast Is Fiber?
• Which Internet Service Providers Have Data Caps?