T-Mobile LTE Launch Expected Within Weeks → Re: T-Mobile + G Nexus FTW

Ehhh... no. The $30 plan is available straight off the bat assuming you ACTIVATE a brand-new SIM card on T-mobile (online/over the phone.) I have activated 3 prepaid SIM cards on T-mo's activation site so far (myself + my parents, and each time, I have seen the $30/5 GB plan option on the list of available plans to activate. The only catch is that the plan is a promotional plan (you can only pick it at activation... you cannot just activate the per-minute/some other plan off the bat and switch later, the plan is only for NEW activations.) Walmart just happens to resell phone+SIM packages tied to that plan, but T-mobile has been offering the plan directly for ages now...

And squashpile is also right regarding payment... they have a several-month period during which service will be suspended, IIRC, but once you add funds, your service will in fact be restored back to the old plan... I know because the auto-pay system had a glitch once where my account wasn't replenished... my service was suspended for a few hours, but once I topped up my account, I was back online on the plan I had signed up on originally...