ApprovedModemwhat your ISP actually allows

Verizon 5G Home Internet: can you use your own modem?

Checked against Verizon 5G Home Internet's own policy on 2026-08-25 — Verizon 5G Home Internet's own page. Not paid by Verizon 5G Home Internet or any ISP — we track 37 ISPs and 27 named models (how we verify). Amazon links are affiliate.

Own modem not allowed

No — Verizon 5G Home Internet does not allow customer-owned modems. Its fixed-wireless service terminates at equipment Verizon 5G Home Internet installs and owns, so there is no modem for you to buy. A modem bought elsewhere cannot be activated on the network, so buying one would waste your money.

Connection
fixed wireless (5G)
Verified
2026-08-25

What you can do instead

  1. Use the equipment Verizon 5G Home Internet provides. If a retailer listing or a forum post tells you otherwise, trust Verizon 5G Home Internet's own page — a device they do not support cannot be activated, and returning it is your problem, not theirs. Read Verizon 5G Home Internet's own page →
  2. Still choosing a provider? These fixed-wireless providers let you use your own equipment, where they serve your address:MidcoRise BroadbandStarry InternetVyve Broadband
  3. Compare all 37 providers side by side. Open the comparison →
  1. Their equipmentthey supply it, you can't swap it
  2. Your ISP's networkthey decide what connects
  3. The internetthe part you actually want
Your equipment has to satisfy Verizon 5G Home Internet before it reaches the internet at all — which is why their published rule, not a retailer's compatibility claim, is the one that decides.

Can I use my own modem with Verizon 5G Home Internet?

No. Verizon 5G Home Internet does not permit customer-owned modems on this service; it provides the equipment. Verizon states "5G Home, 5G Home Plus and 5G Home Ultimate include our state-of-the-art Verizon Internet Gateway router and Ultra Wideband receiver" and documents no customer-owned equipment option. The receiver is what picks up Verizon's 5G signal and Verizon publishes no retail substitute. Verizon also states it owns the equipment provided with your plan, including the router and Wi-Fi Extender. Compare all 37 providers.

Is there a router rental fee to avoid on Verizon 5G Home?

No. Verizon states 5G Home plans come with "no data limits or additional router charges", so the gateway is included at no extra monthly cost.

Who owns the Verizon 5G Home equipment?

Verizon does. Verizon states it owns the equipment provided with your plan, including the router and Wi-Fi Extender, and it must be returned if you cancel.

How long do I have to return Verizon's 5G Home equipment?

Verizon states you must return the equipment within 30 days of disconnecting service, or you will incur an unreturned equipment fee.

Can I self-install Verizon 5G Home?

Yes. Verizon states most equipment is plug and play so you can set it up yourself. Professional setup may be available in some areas, and is included at no cost with 5G Home Ultimate.

Does Verizon 5G Home Internet charge an equipment rental fee?

Verizon states 5G Home plans come with "no data limits or additional router charges", so the gateway is included at no extra monthly cost.

How do I activate my own equipment on Verizon 5G Home Internet?

Self-setup with the Verizon-supplied gateway: Verizon states "Most equipment is prepared to plug and play so you can set it up yourself." Professional setup may be available in some areas, and is included at no cost with the 5G Home Ultimate plan.

What should I watch out for with Verizon 5G Home Internet?

The Ultra Wideband receiver, not a modem, is what terminates the connection — there is no coax line and no DOCSIS device involved, so a retail cable modem cannot be used and would be a wasted purchase. Verizon owns the gateway and the Wi-Fi Extender outright.

Can I use my own router with Verizon 5G Home Internet?

Verizon's 5G Home support pages document no customer-owned router or gateway option; the Verizon Internet Gateway is included with every 5G Home plan.

Do I have to return Verizon 5G Home Internet's equipment?

Verizon owns the equipment provided with your plan. If you disconnect service you must return the equipment within 30 days or you will incur an unreturned equipment fee.

Two boxes

  1. Modemtalks to the ISP line
  2. Routermakes the Wi-Fi

One box — a “gateway”

  1. Modem + routerone unit does both jobs
Verizon 5G Home Internet treats the modem and the Wi-Fi router as separate questions. Read their router answer before assuming one box covers both.Their router answer, above

Where does this information come from?

Every statement on this page is quoted from Verizon 5G Home Internet's own published page:

Last verified 2026-08-25. Approved lists and equipment policies change without notice — re-check the source above before you buy.

Other providers to compare

Other fixed-wireless providers:T-Mobile Home InternetRise BroadbandStarry Internet

What a fixed-wireless install puts in your home:Rise Broadband equipment list

Compare Verizon 5G Home Internet with all 37 providers →

Modems named on the most provider lists

Each of these is named, model for model, on the published lists of the providers under it. Your own provider's page still decides, so check it before you order.

Verizon 5G Home Internet supplies its own equipment, so none of these work on its service. They are for the cable providers that let you use your own modem, if you are moving or still choosing.

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