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How Does Internet Backup Work?

When your internet connection drops out, it’s like someone hit a pause button on your world. Whether you're trying to work from home, host a virtual meeting, stream the latest binge-worthy series, watch your favorite team, or enjoy an online game, losing connectivity is never convenient.
A person watching their laptop in bed.

No matter what kind of connection you have—cable, DSL, fiber or something else—outages happen from time to time, no matter how much you like your internet service provider (ISP). That’s where a wireless internet backup solution for your home (or home business) comes into play.

Backup internet service explained

Simply put: An internet backup system provides a lifeline when your main connection fails, causing an outage in your area. ISP outages can happen for various reasons, including:

  • Scheduled maintenance
  • Infrastructure issues
  • Network congestion
  • Severe weather
  • Cyberattacks, security breaches, and more

Having a backup internet option in place can help bridge the connectivity gap until your main internet source comes back online. It’s a great solution if you’re happy with your current provider overall, but you want a backup plan in case of an outage.

T-Mobile, for example, offers ​​Home Internet Backup, a 5G internet solution that helps cable or fiber customers stay connected when their main ISP has an outage. It comes with a 5G Wi-Fi Gateway that takes just a couple of minutes to setup. When your primary internet connection goes out, simply switch your devices over to the new Wi-Fi backup connection to stay online until your primary provider is back up and running. You’ll get 130GB of data a month, which is enough for 7 days of typical use, and after that, you’ll still get unlimited data but at up to 3G speeds. Again, Home Internet Backup is intended for use only as a backup in the event of a separate, primary internet provider outage.

What if your ISP has a lot of outages?

Outages happen to the best ISPs, but if they’re happening all the time, it may be time to start looking around for a new provider, as a backup plan can only go so far.

T-Mobile offers reliable Home Internet on America’s largest 5G network. No annual contract. No equipment or installation fees. See if T-Mobile Home Internet is available in your area now and then try it out for 15 days to see if it's a good fit.

Delivered via 5G cellular network; speeds vary due to factors affecting cellular networks. Typical use based on median U.S. household usage of approximately 430GB/month.

Sources:

https://www.ookla.com/articles/5-critical-internet-services-q2-2022