T-Mobile brings back unlimited data plan
NEW YORK (AP) — Unlimited wireless data is back. After sliding off the menu of cellphone plans, data plans with no caps are making a comeback at smaller cellphone companies trying to compete with AT&T and Verizon.
On Wednesday T-Mobile USA said it will start selling an unlimited-data plan on Sept. 5. It stopped sales of its previous unlimited-data plans early last year.
T-Mobile USA is the country's fourth-largest cellphone carrier, with 33.2 million subscribers.
On Tuesday No. 5 carrier MetroPCS Communications Inc. cut the price of its unlimited-data plan from $70 to $55 per month, as a promotion for a limited time. The plan includes unlimited texting and calls.
No. 3 carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. already has an unlimited-data plan, and credits that with helping it attract customers for its smartphones.
T-Mobile's unlimited plan costs $20 per month when added to a regular calling and texting plan, and $30 when added to a cheaper "Value" plan offered to customers who bring their own phones.
The moves by T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS, neither of which sell the iPhone, come as the three larger carriers are thought to be gearing up to begin selling the iPhone 5 in a month or so.
No. 2 carrier AT&T stopped signing up customers for unlimited data plans two years ago. It was followed by No. 1 Verizon last year.
Both of the larger carriers have shifted toward lifting all limits on calls and texting, but limiting data usage. From a network management perspective, this makes sense, since calls and texts use very little network capacity. But video downloads and other data use can clog the network, slowing the service for everyone.
T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS may have spare capacity on their networks, giving them some leeway, at least for now, in offering unlimited data. T-Mobile has upgraded its network to higher speeds and is losing customers, in large part because it doesn't sell the iPhone. MetroPCS has nearly completed another network upgrade that enables higher data speeds, but only 8 percent of their customers can take advantage of it — the rest need new phones.
On Wednesday T-Mobile USA said it will start selling an unlimited-data plan on Sept. 5. It stopped sales of its previous unlimited-data plans early last year.
T-Mobile USA is the country's fourth-largest cellphone carrier, with 33.2 million subscribers.
On Tuesday No. 5 carrier MetroPCS Communications Inc. cut the price of its unlimited-data plan from $70 to $55 per month, as a promotion for a limited time. The plan includes unlimited texting and calls.
No. 3 carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. already has an unlimited-data plan, and credits that with helping it attract customers for its smartphones.
T-Mobile's unlimited plan costs $20 per month when added to a regular calling and texting plan, and $30 when added to a cheaper "Value" plan offered to customers who bring their own phones.
The moves by T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS, neither of which sell the iPhone, come as the three larger carriers are thought to be gearing up to begin selling the iPhone 5 in a month or so.
No. 2 carrier AT&T stopped signing up customers for unlimited data plans two years ago. It was followed by No. 1 Verizon last year.
Both of the larger carriers have shifted toward lifting all limits on calls and texting, but limiting data usage. From a network management perspective, this makes sense, since calls and texts use very little network capacity. But video downloads and other data use can clog the network, slowing the service for everyone.
T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS may have spare capacity on their networks, giving them some leeway, at least for now, in offering unlimited data. T-Mobile has upgraded its network to higher speeds and is losing customers, in large part because it doesn't sell the iPhone. MetroPCS has nearly completed another network upgrade that enables higher data speeds, but only 8 percent of their customers can take advantage of it — the rest need new phones.
Tmobile describes there current data plans as
"Unlimited... up to 2GB"
No Tmobile, I don't know which exec with an mba came up with that, but unlimited means UNLIMITED.
The real question here now is, Will T-Mobile stop the practice of throttling those on the Unlimited Plan? Â I have Sprint and even though I was under contract for Unlimited Data on my phone and paid and additional charge to tether Unlimited as well, I still received calls and emails from Sprint asking me to stop using as much data as I was.
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A company can offer you "Unlimited" anything, but the hassle and fine print may make it not worth it. Â
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I would love to have read more in the article about the fine points, but maybe that is to much to ask for todays reporters. Â Or was this a sponsored story? Â Can never tell these days... Â And since news outlets can write a fluff piece, let me add that I went to Clear for my wireless needs and they ROCK! Â True Unlimited, no throttling and 4G speeds in quite a few major cities.There are options out there for those willing to seek more info than just a few random sentences thrown together and slapped with a headline.Â
I guess I live in the hot zone. Never had any trouble getting a signal with T-Mobile (or the old company "VoiceStream"). Works in Europe and Canada too.
They still are advertising "unlimited" data, the catch was it was only upto a preset limit, then the speed would be cut about 70% for the remainder of the month. They still are ripping off consumers like myself, if you have more than 1 phone the smallest plan you can get has 1000 minutes, we rarely use over 100 so we are wasting 90% of our minutes and stuck with them for 10 months still.
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And the story isnt quite right, they arnt loosing customers because they dont sell the Iphone, it's because their coverage is poor and their network is slow. They have had the same dead spots for years with no plans on new towers. We just live 20 minutes tacoma and have no service at our house, but verizon has 4 bars of 3G. On several vacations this summer we had no service for hours while others around us were on their phones.
Seems like the least they can do. Their coverage sucks. I'm always looking for a better signal.