Total, one of Verizon’s low-cost prepaid wireless brands, on Thursday launched a new nationwide 5G home internet service riding on its parent wireless network.
The prepaid carrier, which is available in hundreds of stores throughout the country or online, will be offering the service, which costs $50 a month, or $45 if you sign up for its auto-pay discount. The company touts unlimited data and download speeds of up to 200 Mbps.
The move follows in the footsteps of T-Mobile, which expanded its 5G home internet service to its prepaid arm, Metro. By expanding its distribution to Total, the company is expanding its potential base of customers beyond people who look at Verizon as a service provider. Prepaid services like Total typically cater to customers with lower credit scores and are looking for better deals on their wireless service.
“Total by Verizon recognizes that most of the communities we serve have limited options for home broadband service.” said Ryan Weikert, managing director of Total by Verizon. “We’re about bringing families together and creating meaningful connections, and we believe in making high speed home internet accessible to everyone.”
Customers will need to buy their own home internet router, which costs $99.99. As with other 5G home internet services, the installation process is far simpler than your standard internet connection.
Verizon is also offering a bundle of wireless service and 5G home internet for $80 a month, although the deal requires you to sign up for auto pay and bring your own phone.
Interest in 5G home internet service continues to surge, with Verizon adding 231,000 new subscribers in the fourth quarter, so the move to expand its distribution makes sense.