If you're in the market for a new high-speed internet connection for your home, Verizon's new Home Internet Lite Plan might just work for you. The service costs as little as $25 per month (see caveats, below), and it should be available wherever Verizon's 5G wireless network reaches. Incidentally, that does not include my house in Chicago's western suburbs – an odd Bermuda Triangle of cellular signals.
But if you are among the 90% of United States households that have only a single broadband provider, and you can get Verizon 5G at your home, Internet Lite might be something to consider. However, there are three big caveats you need to be aware of. (T-Mobile also has a 5G-based home internet offering to consider.)
Verizon Home Internet Lite Limitations
The first is that Verizon only promises download speeds up to 25 Mbps. That was the threshold speed the FCC used to define "broadband," before it redefined the concept to at least 100 Mbps last year. (It also mandated clearer labelling for services.) You know you're not doing well when the government is adapting to technology faster than you are able to. That being said, having access to any kind of high-speed internet is better than nothing.
The other caveat is that this data plan comes with a 150GB per month cap. After that, service will be throttled to just 10 Mbps, which is still usable for basic web surfing. For context, as a cord cutter, my family of four routinely burns through over 1TB of data every month. If you're not such a prodigious streamer, you might be okay.
Finally, there's the $25-per-month part. The Internet service alone costs $60 a month, but you can reduce that cost in three ways. First, bundling it with a Verizon phone plan saves you $15 per month. Second, enrolling in autopay reduces it by a further $10. Finally, if you sign up before December 31st along with a phone plan, you'll save an additional $10 per month. All that brings the grand total down to said $25 (which includes a home router).
The service is available now. Visit Verizon's website or check the My Verizon app to see if you are eligible.
[Image credit: Verizon]
