T-Mobile AWAY Internet vs. the competition: which is right for you?
T-Mobile AWAY Internet vs. the competition: which is right for you?
We’ll compare T-Mobile’s AWAY internet to equivalent plans from other providers and explain why we think it’s the best choice!
If you find yourself traveling for a majority of the year, or have decided you’d rather live completely on the open road in a van or RV, the T-Mobile AWAY Internet plan can help you stay connected to remote jobs or with friends and family. T-Mobile AWAY Internet plans come with great benefits, including access to T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G/4G networks.
But how does T-Mobile AWAY Internet stack up to comparable internet plans from other providers? We’ll compare it to AT&T, Starlink, and Verizon to explain why we think T-Mobile is the top choice for any customers who need to stay connected at all times while on the go.
Comparing T-Mobile AWAY Internet to the competition
T-Mobile AWAY Internet
From $110 per month w/AutoPay discount. Plus taxes and fees.
Which portable internet service has the most coverage: T-Mobile AWAY or the competition?
There’s no real advantage between T-Mobile AWAY Internet, AT&T DataConnect, Starlink’s Mobile Regional plan, and Verizon Mobile Premium Hotspots here. Each offers nationwide 5G/4G coverage, letting users stay connected from coast to coast. With T-Mobile’s AWAY internet plan, customers can even stay connected while on the move at higher speeds; Starlink’s Mobile Regional plan, on the other hand, maintains its most reliable connection when the user stays under 10 mph.
Does T-Mobile AWAY, or any other portable internet service, include a wireless gateway?
This is one area where T-Mobile has the biggest advantage over its competition. All T-Mobile AWAY Internet plans include a portable 5G Wi-Fi gateway device. Most users can set up this gateway in 15 minutes or less, and there are no monthly equipment fees—the gateway is included with a customer’s AWAY internet plan.
Portable internet plans from AT&T, Starlink, and Verizon all require customers to pay extra to lease a gateway or bring their own device. Portable gateways that can be used with these internet plans can cost more than $500, creating a huge added expense for customers that T-Mobile skips entirely.
Which service allows for the most device connections: T-Mobile AWAY or the competition?
This is another aspect of the comparison in which T-Mobile has the clear advantage. Customers who sign up for T-Mobile’s AWAY Unlimited plan can connect more than 50 devices at once with a subscription, ensuring they can keep their phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, and other devices connected to Wi-Fi simultaneously.
Neither the AT&T DataConnect (100GB) nor the Verizon Mobile Premium Hotspot allows users to connect 50 devices simultaneously. Starlink’s Mobile Regional plan does, but with its lack of an included gateway, we still have to give T-Mobile the edge here.
Does T-Mobile or another portable internet service offer unlimited data?
T-Mobile offers two main AWAY internet plans: the 200GB plan and the Unlimited plan. Customers can choose the plan that best suits their needs, but if they opt for the Unlimited plan, they can enjoy unlimited data and all the other benefits of a T-Mobile AWAY plan.
AT&T’s DataConnect plans top out at 100GB of data per month, with an overage charge of $10 per 5GB of extra data. Using a Verizon Mobile Premium Hotspot offers unlimited data, but a speed cap kicks in after 150GB. Among comparable plans to T-Mobile AWAY Unlimited, only Starlink’s Mobile Regional plan also offers unlimited data.
Who has the cheapest portable internet plan: T-Mobile AWAY or the competition?
This is one area where T-Mobile appears to fall behind the competition. The AWAY 200GB plan costs $110 with a $10 monthly AutoPay discount, plus taxes and fees, and the AWAY Unlimited plan is $160 plus taxes and fees, with the same AutoPay discount.
For comparison, Starlink’s Mobile Regional plan is $150 per month, and Verizon’s Mobile Premium Hotspot is $110. AT&T DataConnect (100GB) costs $90 per month with AutoPay, so T-Mobile would seem to have some of the more expensive plans on the market.
But as with most things in life, you get what you pay for with T-Mobile. As mentioned, none of the other plans discussed here include a gateway device as T-Mobile does; device rental fees typically run $10 to $15 per month on their own, so there’s an added fee customers don’t have to worry about with T-Mobile AWAY.
Both of T-Mobile’s AWAY plans offer substantially more data than the cheapest AT&T DataConnect plan. Users can also connect more devices to their T-Mobile AWAY plan than they can to AT&T or Verizon’s portable internet options, and T-Mobile AWAY plans are more reliable while in motion at speeds greater than 10 mph than Starlink’s Mobile Regional plan.
If you’re simply looking to pay as little as possible for a portable internet plan, then T-Mobile AWAY plans may not be the choice for you. But if you need a plan that offers a good combination of features and value, T-Mobile AWAY is still an excellent choice.
So, how does T-Mobile AWAY Internet stack up to the competition?
When pitting T-Mobile AWAY Internet plans against AT&T’s DataConnect plans, Starlink’s Mobile Regional plan, and Verizon’s Mobile Premium Hotspot, the choice is clear in our eyes. T-Mobile offers nationwide coverage with its AWAY internet plans, allowing customers to choose how much data they want (up to unlimited) and enjoy great benefits like an included gateway and the ability to connect a ton of devices.
The value of T-Mobile AWAY Internet is hard to ignore when compared to equivalent plans from other providers. In our view, T-Mobile AWAY Internet is the superior choice for customers who need a portable internet connection that spans the United States.
| T-Mobile AWAY | Starlink Mobile - Regional | Verizon Mobile Premium Hotspot | AT&T DataConnect 100GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited data | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ Speed cap after 150GB | ✘ |
| Gateway/device included | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
| More than 50 device connections capable | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ |
| Coverage | Nationwide T-Mobile 5G/4G | Nationwide Starlink satellite coverage in the U.S. - land only | Nationwide Verizon 5G/4G | Nationwide AT&T 5G/4G |
| Monthly standalone price | $160 With AutoPay | $150 Requires automatic payment | $110 | $90 With AutoPay |
T-Mobile AWAY Internet
From $110 per month w/AutoPay discount. Plus taxes and fees.
T-Mobile’s AWAY Internet plans are a great choice for digital nomads, RV travelers, van lifers, and anyone else whose life involves a lot of travel. Choose from two main plans and pick the amount of data that’s right for you, plus enjoy various other benefits and perks from T-Mobile!