T-Mobile’s unlimited data plans would still have a cap of 26 gigabytes per month but that does not mean it will be cut off. Users will get slower speeds in times of network congestion especially at peak times although the terms of the services could still vary.
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With Sprint’s plan kicking immediately and T-Mobile’s coming on September 6, the two plans have something for everyone, with Sprint helping the urban people within the United States and T-Mobile on the other end, though a bit costly, having those who are upcountry well served. When those unlimited talk/text plans were first introduced, the “talk time” minute plans didn’t immediately go away. However, it’s not unlimited in the way you might expect – there are plenty of limits, in fact. According to the EFF, this type of activity violates net neutrality rules. That’s pretty obvious when you look past the shiny PR pitch.
In a video blog accompanying his company’s announcement, T-Mobile president and CEO John Legere (pictured above) said the new T-Mobile One plan is aimed at alleviating a “major pain point for wireless consumers”. Those features include unlimited domestic talk and text, rollover and shareable data options, and mobile hotspot capabilities. The other is fairness for all customers: talk to carriers and they will tell you that is is a small minority who typically use a significant amount of data and if left unchecked, this can ruin the experience for other users. You can use as much as you want on the phone, but not all of it moves at the same rate.
The move to a single $70-per-month plan and an increase in its standard family plan promotion by $40 per month should help it move its postpaid phone subscriber ARPU closer to AT&T and Verizon’s. The first line is $70, the second is $50, and $20 per line after that.
Mobile hotspot data is limited to 2G speeds, too, but if surf the web and do stuff on your phone, you get 4G speeds.
You might recall earlier this year when T-Mobile started offering its Binge On feature. While that probably didn’t violate the FCC’s net neutrality regulations, it certainly violated their spirit. The next three to ten lines will cost you $30 each. If you want tethering at usable speeds, that’s $15 per 5GB block. Again, calling it the “97% Unlimited” plan doesn’t sound as catchy.
Net neutrality holds that internet service providers can not treat data differently based on type – the caveat being that the FCC rules make allowances for reasonable network management. See, it’s not actually a plan with unlimited data in the slightest and you’ll need to pay extra for numerous things that existing customers with T-Mobile and other carriers already enjoy at no extra cost.
So there’s hope that the present in the U.S. represents Australia’s future, I just happen to think it’ll still take a least a couple of years yet before we see anything similar in Australia – unless Kogan Mobile, OVO Mobile, Vaya or Amaysim find a way to beat everyone else to it first.
Verizon, the largest wireless company in the USA, made similar changes to its mobile plans last month with the addition of a “Safety Mode” app that lets customers slow down their data speeds to avoid overage charges.
T-Mobile, the nation’s third-largest wireless carrier, has seen an explosion in the amount of video being consumed on its network in the past year after it rolled out Binge On, a program that allows customers to watch unlimited streaming video in exchange for a downgrade in video quality. AT&T will still send text messages to alert users when they are at 75%, 90% and 100% of their monthly data bucket (or at 90% and 100% for businesses).
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Allow me to explain my situation and what I’d end up paying on T-Mobile One. RootMetrics also lauded the carrier’s fast speeds in becoming a stronger competitor against AT&T.
