T-Mobile AWAY review: RV internet compared with Starlink Roam
AWAY is T-Mobile's internet plan for RVs and travel. Here's what it costs, how it compares with Starlink and the other carriers, and who should pick it.
T-Mobile AWAY costs $110/mo for 200 GB or $160/mo unlimited, with the gateway included and a $10/mo pause option for the off-season. If you travel where there's T-Mobile coverage, it's cheaper than Starlink Roam ($175 plus a $199–$349 dish). If you camp off the grid, travel with a family, or need steady video calls, Starlink is the better connection.
- Gateway included; only a $35 connection charge
- Online in about 5 minutes
- Works while driving
- $10/mo pause for the off-season
- No annual contract
- Needs T-Mobile cell signal
- High latency (107 ms in testing)
- Struggled with 7 devices at once
- Slowed when towers are busy
- $160 unlimited is 3x the home plan
AWAY plans and prices
| Plan | Price with AutoPay | Data | If you pause |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWAY 200GB | $110/mo | 200 GB a month | $10/mo, up to 90 days twice a year (saves up to $600/yr) |
| AWAY Unlimited | $160/mo | Unlimited; may slow during congestion and after 1.2 TB | $10/mo, up to 90 days twice a year (saves up to $900/yr) |
Both plans include a 5G gateway with no monthly equipment fee, connect up to 64 devices, set up in about 15 minutes, and keep working while you drive. There's no annual contract.
AWAY vs. Starlink Roam, Verizon and AT&T
| T-Mobile AWAY Unlimited | Starlink Roam | Verizon Premium Mobile Hotspot | AT&T DataConnect 100GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $160 with AutoPay | $175 (no AutoPay discount) | $110 (non-voice customers) | $90 with AutoPay |
| Data | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited; slower after 150 GB | 100 GB, then $10 per 5 GB |
| Equipment | Gateway included | Dish bought separately ($199–$349) | Not included | Not included |
| Devices | 60+ | 60+ | Fewer | Fewer |
| Works in motion | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Coverage | T-Mobile 5G/4G | Satellite, anywhere in the U.S. with open sky (land only) | Verizon 5G/4G | AT&T 5G/4G |
The real difference is coverage, not price. AWAY, Verizon and AT&T all need a cell signal, so they work along highways and in most campgrounds near towns. Starlink connects to satellites, so it also works in national forests, on BLM land and anywhere else without towers, as long as it can see the sky. T-Mobile's coverage map is the best way to check your usual routes.
What reviewers and RVers report
Hands-on tests by Reviews.org, SatelliteInternet.com and CableTV.com found AWAY fast and smooth in towns, suburbs and along highways, good enough for remote work and streaming. All of them saw it slow down or drop out in canyons, remote campgrounds and other places with weak T-Mobile signal. RVers on forums and Facebook groups mostly say the same, with one common complaint: evenings in busy areas are slower. The most frequent criticism is price: $160 for unlimited is about three times T-Mobile's $50 home plan, which only works at one address.
Side-by-side test: AWAY vs. Starlink Roam
CableTV.com and SatelliteInternet.com ran both services for 24 hours at a mountain campground in Utah. Download speeds were nearly identical. The differences were latency and how each handled a full group of devices.
| Test | T-Mobile AWAY | Starlink Roam |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | About 5 minutes | About 30 minutes |
| Download speed | 309.5 Mbps | 315.5 Mbps |
| Latency | 107 ms | 17 ms |
| Live TV streaming | No buffering | No buffering |
| 7 devices at once | Lag, then dropped the connection | No slowdown |
| Zoom call under load | One brief freeze, still usable | Clear throughout |
AWAY set up faster: one small gateway, online in about five minutes, against roughly 30 minutes to place Starlink's dish, router and cables. Under load, Starlink was steadier. Its 17 ms latency is much better for video calls and gaming than AWAY's 107 ms, and its separate Wi-Fi router kept seven phones and laptops online while AWAY's gateway dropped out. For one or two people, that limit may never come up; for a family, it likely will.
What a year costs
| Plan | Full-time (12 months) | Part-time (6 months on, 6 paused) |
|---|---|---|
| AWAY 200GB | $1,320 + $35 | $720 + $35 |
| AWAY Unlimited | $1,920 + $35 | $1,020 + $35 |
| Starlink Roam Unlimited | $2,100 + dish ($199–$349) | Depends on Starlink's pause terms |
In year one, AWAY Unlimited costs about $350 to $500 less than Starlink Roam for a full-timer once you add Starlink's dish. Part-timers who use the pause save the most.
Is 200 GB enough?
Roughly, 200 GB covers about 65 hours of HD video, or a month of remote work with daily video calls but little streaming. A couple who streams a show or two most evenings will run out. Check last month's usage on your home bill, or use our data usage calculator. If you're close, unlimited is the safer pick: the 200 GB plan slows sharply once you hit the limit.
Who AWAY is for
- Full-time RVers who stay near towns: AWAY Unlimited is cheaper than Starlink Roam and includes the gear.
- Part-time travelers: the $10/mo pause makes AWAY cheap to keep through the off-season. If you only travel a few months a year, the 200 GB plan plus pausing costs the least.
- Remote campers: choose Starlink, or carry both. Many full-timers use a cell plan as the main connection and Starlink for places with no signal. See our Starlink review and the Starlink Mini for a smaller dish.
- Light users: if you mostly browse and check email, a phone hotspot may be enough, and costs nothing extra on many plans.
The catches
- AWAY traffic can be slowed when a tower is busy, which is common in crowded campgrounds on weekends.
- Unlimited slows further after 1.2 TB a month.
- On the 200 GB plan, speeds drop sharply once you use your 200 GB.
- Video can be limited to standard definition when the network is busy, according to Reviews.org's testing.
- Speeds depend on signal: a window spot helps, and the gateway works with an optional external antenna for weak areas.
How to get the best signal
- Check the map before you book. Look up campgrounds on T-Mobile's coverage map; 5G Ultra Capacity areas are fastest.
- Put the gateway high and near a window facing the nearest town or highway, not buried in a cabinet.
- Try an external antenna for weak areas; the gateway supports one.
- Limit devices. With a full family online, pause big downloads and updates during video calls, or add a travel router that handles many devices better.
- Avoid the busiest hours for large uploads; crowded weekend campgrounds slow down in the evening.
How to sign up
- Go to T-Mobile's AWAY page or a T-Mobile store, and check whether your account needs a T-Mobile phone line.
- Choose 200 GB or Unlimited and turn on AutoPay to save $5/mo.
- Pay the $35 device connection charge. The gateway ships to you.
- Plug it in, wait for the software update, and connect.
- To pause, contact T-Mobile; you can pause up to 90 days, twice a year.
AWAY vs. your phone's hotspot
If you travel alone and mostly browse, your phone's hotspot may be enough, and many unlimited phone plans include 50 GB or more of hotspot data at no extra cost. AWAY makes sense when several people share the connection, you work remotely every day, or you want a fixed spot for the gateway with better signal than a phone in your pocket.
AWAY vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
If you live at one address most of the year, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is much cheaper: from $50/mo, or $35 with a T-Mobile phone line, but it's tied to your address. AWAY is the plan to pick when the address keeps changing. See current T-Mobile deals.
Questions
How much is T-Mobile AWAY?
$110/mo with AutoPay for the 200 GB plan, or $160/mo with AutoPay for unlimited data. The 5G gateway is included with no monthly equipment fee.
Can I pause T-Mobile AWAY?
Yes. You can pause for up to 90 days, twice a year, and pay $10/mo while paused. T-Mobile says that saves up to $600 a year on the 200 GB plan and $900 on unlimited.
Does T-Mobile AWAY work while driving?
Yes. T-Mobile says passengers stay connected in motion. Coverage still depends on T-Mobile's cell network along your route.
Is T-Mobile AWAY really unlimited?
The $160 plan has no data cap, but during congestion AWAY customers may get lower speeds than other T-Mobile customers, and lower still after 1.2 TB in a month.
Is T-Mobile AWAY better than Starlink Roam?
Within T-Mobile coverage, AWAY sets up faster and is $15/mo cheaper than Starlink Roam's $175 and includes the gateway, where Starlink's dish costs $199 to $349. Off the grid, where there's no cell signal, Starlink is the only one that works.
Is T-Mobile AWAY good for gaming?
For casual play in strong coverage, yes. In CableTV.com's side-by-side test, AWAY's latency was 107 ms against Starlink Roam's 17 ms, so competitive online gaming is better on Starlink or a wired connection.
Is there a T-Mobile AWAY coverage map?
AWAY uses T-Mobile's regular 5G and 4G network, so check T-Mobile's coverage map for the places you plan to stay. Look for 5G Ultra Capacity for the best speeds.
Can truck drivers use T-Mobile AWAY?
Yes. AWAY isn't tied to an address and works while moving, so drivers use it in cabs and sleepers. Coverage along your routes matters most; check T-Mobile's map for the corridors you drive.
How much data do I need for RV internet?
For browsing, email and occasional streaming, 100 to 200 GB a month is usually enough. Daily HD streaming or several remote workers can use 400 GB or more, which means an unlimited plan.
Can I use AWAY as home internet?
It's designed for travel. For a fixed address, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet costs less: from $50/mo, or $35 with a T-Mobile phone line.
- T-Mobile AWAY plan page and comparison table, checked Oct 15, 2026
- Hands-on reviews: Reviews.org, SatelliteInternet.com (Jun 2026), CableTV.com Starlink Roam vs. T-Mobile Away hands-on test (Aug 28, 2026)
- RVer discussions on r/tmobile, r/tmobileisp and iRV2 Forums
Competitor prices are from T-Mobile's comparison; confirm with each provider. 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.