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T-Mobile's Galaxy S 4G, one of many new smartphones that require a data plan.T-Mobile’s latest cellular plan offers a lot to customers at a reasonable price. But there’s one caveat for data-heavy users: there will be throttling.
With a two-year contract and the purchase of a subsidized phone, new T-Mobile users can now opt for the company’s “Even More” plan for $80 bucks per month.
It boasts unlimited everything — domestic minutes, text messages and data on what T-Mobile calls “America’s largest 4G network.” The catch is found in the fine print: You actually only get allowed 2GB of high-speed data transfer each month on this “unlimited” plan.
After you pass that two gig mark, “data speeds will be reduced for the remainder of that billing cycle,” according to T-Mobile’s press release.
Some “unlimited” plan.
Also, keep in mind that 4G isn’t what it used to be. Until last year, T-Mobile’s network, which offers 5-10Mbps downloads, was considered 3G. The only thing that’s changed since then is its name.
For those who don’t want a new phone or contract, the “Even More Plus” plan is available for $60 per month.
T-Mobile was careful to add in its statement that its customers “consume about 1GB of data per billing month,” on average. AT&T pointed out a similar stat when the company killed its unlimited data plan last year, saying that “98 percent of its smartphone customers average less than 2 GB per month.”
While T-Mobile’s new plan includes restrictions, it’s not unreasonable compared to the competition. Sprint’s solution to the increase in data-hungry smartphones on its network was to add a $10 “Premium Data” fee to newly-purchased 3G and 4G smartphone data plans. AT&T has already switched to a tiered system, and Verizon has signaled it has similar intentions.
According to data in a recent Consumer Reports study, T-Mobile plans cost subscribers anywhere from $15 to $50 less than comparable AT&T plans, on average.
Of course, if AT&T ends up acquiring T-Mobile, plans and pricing are subject to change.
See Also:
- AT&T Tells Free Tethering Customers It’s Time to Pay Up
- AT&T Adds iPhone Tethering, Kills Unlimited Data for iPad
- AT&T to Buy T-Mobile, Becomes No. 1 U.S. Wireless Company
- Known Hole Aided T-Mobile Breach
- T-Mobile Claims Right to Censor Text Messages
- T-Mobile’s G1 Android Phone: Neither Open nor Exciting
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