Verizon just rolled out its cheapest home internet option yet, targeting rural customers stuck with DSL and satellite connections. The new Lite plan offers 25Mbps speeds for $60 monthly - or as low as $25 with bundle discounts - but speed-conscious users might want to look elsewhere before signing up.
Verizon is making its play for America's internet have-nots. The carrier launched its new Lite home internet service today, targeting customers in areas where fiber and 5G haven't reached yet. But at 25Mbps for $60 monthly, it's a hard sell when competitors offer dramatically faster speeds for similar prices.
The timing isn't coincidental. Verizon is positioning itself for a major infrastructure expansion, with pending acquisitions of fiber provider Frontier and antenna-based service Starry set to dramatically expand its coverage footprint.
"This is really about reaching customers limited to older, less reliable options like DSL or satellite," according to Verizon's announcement. The carrier clearly sees an opportunity in markets where broadband options remain limited, but the value proposition gets murky when you dig into the details.
Existing Verizon mobile customers get the best deal - a $15 monthly discount when bundling services, plus another $10 off for paperless billing and autopay. An additional $10 three-year discount for mobile customers who sign up before December 31st brings the total down to $25 monthly. That's genuinely competitive pricing for rural markets where options are scarce.
But here's where Verizon's strategy hits turbulence. T-Mobile's cheapest home internet plan costs just $55 monthly for speeds up to 415Mbps - that's more than 16 times faster than Verizon's offering for barely more money. The German carrier has been aggressively expanding its fixed wireless access using 5G towers, directly competing for the same underserved markets Verizon is now targeting.
The data allowances tell an even starker story. Verizon throttles speeds by up to 10Mbps after customers use 150GB in a month. Meanwhile, T-Mobile doesn't start throttling until 1.2TB of usage, and even Mint Mobile's new prepaid home internet maintains 415Mbps speeds before throttling at 1TB for $50 monthly.
