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T-Mobile: Unlimited Means Unlimited, Except When it Doesn't

T-Mobile took significant heat this week after a leaked internal memo indicated that the company would broadly be throttling "unlimited" LTE users who trade files via P2P. Aside from the whole "unlimited should be unlimited" argument, criticism has increased in recent years for the practice of using network management as a tool to drive users to metered plans (the memo indicated that metered users who use P2P would not be throttled).

T-Mobile has since responded to the memo, insisting to ReCode that the memo was "misinterpreted," and that the company is only talking about a very small number of extremely heavy P2P users:
quote:
(T-Mobile) stressed that for customers paying for totally unlimited service on their phone, T-Mobile means unlimited. "There’s no limit on data,” Sievert said. "People can use it as much as they want on their smartphone[s].'...Sievert said T-Mobile may take action if customers are finding ways to circumvent such limits or otherwise violating the company’s terms of service. Initially, the company is reaching out to about 20 such customers, Sievert said.
That's the same kind of murky rhetoric that has plagued the industry for quite a few years (our data plans are unlimited, except when they aren't), and it's not exactly in sync with the edgy, "uncarrier" image T-Mobile has worked hard to present. Of course, this is the same company that's somewhat oblivious as to how letting music apps and speed tests bypass the cap could threaten neutrality, so the punk-rock attitude of the company and CEO John Legere pretty clearly only extends so far.

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jaykresge
@152.131.14.x

4 recommendations

jaykresge

Anon

I normally side with Karl, but not this time

T-Mobile has no desire to drive users to metered plans. Unlike the other carriers, the metered plans on T-Mobile cost less than unlimited (generate no overage revenue). If you go over your limit, you get throttled.

With unlimited smartphone data, it's meant to be data used ON THE SMARTPHONE. There is a separate limit for tethering data to other devices, and it's spelled out in the plan (on my grandfathered unlimited plan, it's 3GB per month). I've used in excess of 30GB on just Netflix, and T-Mobile doesn't care about that. What they're trying to avoid are the tethering/P2P crowd that has their phone going near 24/7 as the center of a network drawing 200+GB/month. Unlike wired internet (where usage caps are bullshit), there really is a finite amount of data that can be pushed over the air at a given time. People who abuse this are what the carriers use to justify their actions in removing unlimited access (or giving limited "unlimited" plans).

It's a tough subject to be fair on. Because of the limitations of wireless, you have to weigh the pros and cons of net neutrality versus reasonable network management, and no matter which side you fall on, you're going to be vilified by someone. T-Mobile has taken the stance of throttling (as opposed to overages). And if you use up your tethering allotment, you don't get an overage fee. You're either cut off for the remainder of the cycle, or you opt in to an overage fee for that cycle.

A wireless carrier cannot offer true unlimited data due to realistic limitations of technology. So fair use comes into play. Verizon and AT&T exaggerate the issue to generate overages. T-Mobile took the more pro-consumer approach to reasonable network management. This is certainly an issue worth reporting, but to sensationalize this is outright irresponsible.

Maybe I'm just naive, but I expected better of you, Karl.

Disclaimer: I'm a T-Mobile customer and have been since April 2013. I am a huge fanboy of their recent decisions (though I disagree with the music initiative). The only stock that I own of them is any that's included in the index funds that I invest in.