Best backup internet for home (2026)
Nine ways to stay online when your internet goes out, from free to about $30 a month.
If you have AT&T Fiber and an AT&T unlimited phone plan, turn on AT&T Internet Backup: it's free. Otherwise, T-Mobile Home Internet Backup ($20/mo) and Verizon Wi-Fi Backup ($20 to $30/mo) work with any provider. If power outages are your problem, Spectrum Invincible WiFi is the only option with an 8-hour battery included.
Every option compared
Prices from each provider's site, checked Oct 5, 2026. Taxes may apply.
Free with your provider
AT&T Internet Backup
Free for AT&T Fiber customers who also have an AT&T unlimited postpaid phone plan and a BGW320 or BGW620 gateway. During an outage, the gateway connects to the nearest AT&T phone in the house and shares its data with your whole network. Turn it on in the Smart Home Manager app. It won't work during a power outage, and the names on both accounts have to match.
Spectrum Invincible WiFi
A Wi-Fi 7 router with built-in 5G backup and an 8-hour battery. It's included with Spectrum Internet 2 Gig. On other plans it costs $10 to $30 a month, depending on your speed and whether you already pay for Advanced WiFi. The router has to stay plugged into your Spectrum modem; it can't be used as a hotspot.
Backup plans that work with any provider
T-Mobile Home Internet Backup: $20/mo
$20 a month with AutoPay, gateway included, no annual contract. You get 100 hours of backup a month, plus three free 100-hour passes a year for longer outages. You don't need a T-Mobile phone line. It runs on the same network as T-Mobile 5G Home Internet.
Verizon Wi-Fi Backup: $20 to $30/mo
$20 a month with AutoPay and a Verizon phone plan (it uses the same network as Verizon 5G Home), $25 with AutoPay alone, or $30 without. It includes a router and seven 24-hour sessions of unlimited data a month, at up to 50 Mbps down. Each session starts when you connect, so a short outage still uses a full day.
eero Signal: $99.99 plus a subscription
A small cellular box that plugs into a USB-C eero router (see how to set up mesh Wi-Fi) and switches over automatically. It needs an annual eero Plus plan: $99.99 a year includes only 10 GB of backup a year, while eero Plus 100 ($199.99 a year, $99 the first year) includes 100 GB a month. Monthly eero Plus plans don't qualify.
Add-ons from your provider
Frontier Unbreakable Wi-Fi: $25/mo
For Frontier Fiber customers with an eero router. It includes 130 GB a month at about 50 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up, and the first month is free for new customers. The battery is extra ($130 for about 4 hours), and an unreturned device costs $250.
Xfinity Pro
The Xfinity Pro add-on includes the Pro WiFi Extender, which switches to cellular during a network outage. A battery that keeps it running for up to 4 hours in a power outage is a $60 one-time charge. You need postpaid Xfinity Internet and a compatible gateway.
Starlink and your phone
Starlink now starts at $55 a month for 100 Mbps, which makes it a realistic second connection for rural homes where every wired line runs on the same poles. See the new Starlink plans, our Starlink review or the best satellite internet.
Your phone's hotspot costs nothing extra on most plans and is fine for one laptop. It won't cover a whole house, and many plans slow hotspot data after a set amount. Prepaid lines like Visible include unlimited hotspot at reduced speed.
Keep it powered
Most backup options stop working the moment your power goes out, because your modem and router go dark too. A small battery or power station keeps them running: a modem, router and backup gateway together draw roughly 20 to 40 watts.
On Starlink? Here's how to tell if Starlink is down.
More on staying online: backup internet for remote workers, how to set up automatic failover and do you need a UPS for your modem?.
Questions
What is the cheapest backup internet?
AT&T Internet Backup is free if you have AT&T Fiber and an AT&T unlimited phone plan. For other households, T-Mobile Home Internet Backup and Verizon Wi-Fi Backup start at $20 a month and work with any provider. A phone hotspot costs nothing extra on most plans.
Does backup internet work in a power outage?
Only if your equipment has power. Spectrum Invincible WiFi includes an 8-hour battery. Frontier and Xfinity sell 4-hour batteries for $130 and $60. With any other option, plug your modem, router and backup gateway into a battery or UPS.
Is backup internet fast enough to work from home?
For video calls and email, yes. Verizon Wi-Fi Backup tops out around 50 Mbps and Frontier's around 50 Mbps down and 5 up. Large uploads will be slow, and data limits apply on most plans.
Do I need backup internet if I have fiber?
Fiber goes down less often than cable, but a cut line or power outage still takes it offline. If you work from home or run security cameras, a $20 plan or free AT&T backup is worth it.
- Plan pages and Broadband Facts labels from AT&T Fiber, T-Mobile 5G Home, Verizon 5G Home, Spectrum, Frontier Fiber, Xfinity, Starlink Residential, Visible, checked Oct 2026
- Retailer and manufacturer product pages, prices checked Oct 2026
Prices and offers change often; confirm at your address before you order. How we research
Jean founded ShopHighSpeed after trying to find one straight answer about business internet in his own town. He has been a Comcast and Verizon Fios customer, and ranks providers on what they actually deliver, not on what they advertise.
