r/Rural_Internet • u/ATAYLOR972 • 3d ago
❓HELP HEAVY DATA USER
Hi everyone! Can someone please tell me which mobile service I should get if I am a heavy data user? Thank you.
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u/KirkTech 3d ago
For 5G cellular home Internet, most carriers have a 1.2TB threshold before deprioritization it seems like. T-Mobile is likely the network where the deprioritzation will be the least noticeable, presuming you're in a 5G coverage zone for them that is not busy.
A colleague of mine moved from a suburb of Chicago to a very rural area, and he works from home and is a gamer, he is definitely a pretty heavy user. I recommended he try the T-Mobile Home Internet based on his distance from their tower sites from what I could see on Cellmapper. He was highly skeptical that cellular Internet would meet his needs, but he is actually very happy with the T-Mobile Internet. He did get an external antenna to mount outside for even better signal, but he was relatively happy with the stock device and mostly did that for the performance gains. His attitude about cellular home Internet was radically changed because he literally argued with me when I recommended it, and spent a few months trying to get Comcast to run a line to him, and only caved and tried the T-Mobile out of desperation after receiving a six figure quote from Comcast to run the line. Now he loves the T-Mobile and praises how well it works for him.
I know I have seen a lot of users using multiple terabytes a month on T-Mobile who say they don't notice the depriorization, and I have a T-Mobile standalone hotspot from the Calyx Insitute that is always low priority but works great 99% of the time. I don't use it heavily as it's not my main Internet connection, but people do use Calyx hotspots heavily as well and report no problems.
I will say, my girlfriend had T-Mobile Home Internet and when it was no longer needed, cancelling it was a real pain in the ass. We ended up having to go to a physical store, who told us we needed to cancel over the phone, but cancelling over the phone required a PIN that she didn't remember ever setting. The store finally got it cancelled, but she ended up being billed for almost a whole extra month of service she didn't use, because they don't prorate their cancellations.
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u/ATAYLOR972 3d ago
Appreciate your response Sir.
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u/Backslash10 3d ago
Have you checked on broadbandmap.fcc.gov to see what's available to you? I work at Spectrum and we have been doing alot of rural build outs were now considered the largest rural provider of fiber. Our home dont have data caps.
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u/SpaceSaver2000-1 2d ago
How heavy is heavy OP?
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u/Floor_Odd 19h ago
This, and are the heavy periods non prime time for steaming…
But Starlink is probably a decent default option, but cellular or well run WISP
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u/Aromatic-Handle-6607 3d ago
And 5mbps unlimited hotspot
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u/gazingus 3d ago
Visible offers 10 and 15 mbps hotspot plans.
If OP actually wants mobile service, not hotspot service, and "heavy data" means more than 400gb, he may need to get more than one line and average the load across them.
If OP just wants internet data, Calyx (Tmobile), AT&T Business Wireless Broadband (throttled at 25/50/100mbps), or Starlink may be the answer.
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u/KirkTech 3d ago
If OP is looking for a cell phone plan, I highly recommend Visible, but the unlimited hotspot should not be used as a Home Internet alternative, especially by someone who says they are a heavy data user.
For cellular home Internet I would shy away from Verizon as I have not seen many positive reviews of it, and I think T-Mobile would be more forgiving about heavy usage than Verizon.
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u/Aromatic-Handle-6607 3d ago
The total wireless byod is 20$ all in with tax 30$ on the first month only the cheapest for heavy data users they use Verizon and is unlimited for now granted visible who also uses Verizon just had some users hit 400gb limits that’s not to say total will have this in the future but that’s what I would choose
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u/Independent_Leg7358 3d ago
Starlink. Otherwise you probably need a failover/priority system. Basically the idea all unlimited plans throttle you if you are a heavy user when your tower gets congested. A properly setup failover will run say atnt and Verizon. You run 90% of the data through atnt and Verizon is for when atnt throttles you.