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T-Mobile Removes 1GB 3G Data Cap for G1 Android Phone
Posted by Jason Chen at 9:01 AM on September 25, 2008
T-Mobile's just rolled back on their 1GB usage cap on their 3G plans for upcoming G1 Android customers, instead going to a hold-up-while-we-figure-this-out route. The statement they give now states that they can reduce throughput for "a small fraction" of users who are using too much data, but exact terms and limits are still being reviewed before they're finalised. Statement after the jump.
Our goal, when the T-Mobile G1 becomes available in October, is to provide affordable, high-speed data service allowing customers to experience the full data capabilities of the device and our 3G network. At the same time, we have a responsibility to provide the best network experience for all of our customers so we reserve the right to temporarily reduce data throughput for a small fraction of our customers who have excessive or disproportionate usage that interferes with our network performance or our ability to provide quality service to all of our customers.
We removed the 1GB soft limit from our policy statement, and we are confident that T-Mobile G1 customers will enjoy the high speed of data access over our 3G network. The specific terms for our new data plans are still being reviewed and once they are final we will be certain to share this broadly with current customers and potential new customers.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
rjflyn
Posted 9:35 AM 25/9/08
Must have smelled their own fart in church didn't want to sit in that pew. That said Me thinks me and the wife might be in the marked for a couple new phones.
Rj
rjflyn
vgart
Posted 9:31 AM 25/9/08
@qrius:
everyone reads Gizmodo!
vgart
dustinf36
Posted 9:20 AM 25/9/08
Not that this is in my thought process now but if we sign up for the unlimited plan with no restrictions and lets say early November T-Mobile caps the use at 2GB... Would this be a adverse change to the contract allow people to cancel their service?
dustinf36
Truth Bringer :D
Posted 9:17 AM 25/9/08
Wow I've had T-Mobile for about 10 years and have never had a concern about CAPing. It had never crossed my mind. I probably average 300Mb/month on EDGE just getting email from work account and personal account. I rarely use it for Internet because it's so F'd up (the phone) So I'm thinking that'll change a lot once the G1 arrives.
Truth Bringer :D
Mr.SithNinja
Posted 9:07 AM 25/9/08
" so we reserve the right to temporarily reduce data throughput for a small fraction of our customers who have excessive or disproportionate usage that interferes with our network performance or our ability to provide quality service to all of our customers.
"
Sounds exactly like what comcast is doing with the whole " We will throttle you if we feel like it " approach.....
Mr.SithNinja
qrius
Posted 9:06 AM 25/9/08
smart move. they must read gizmodo.
qrius
BanMeAgainBrianLam
Posted 9:06 AM 25/9/08
Go T-Mobile! Way to not be evil!
BanMeAgainBrianLam
seamonkey420
Posted 9:47 AM 25/9/08
btw, anyone else hear about the verizon outage in Europe for most of today? :)
seamonkey420
seamonkey420
Posted 9:45 AM 25/9/08
@Mr.SithNinja:
word..
i don't understand mobile providers and their limits. the problem with data caps is that most of the time, the heavy users are probably your most loyal and tech savvy users too.
who does mom or dad or uncle bob talk to when they need a recommendation for a tech service / gadget?
thats right.. that tech savvy, power user. and who won't they recommend? the ones that offended or hampered them (ie those enforcing data caps).
then again, thats assuming they know such a person or not..
whoa.. how did i get off on that tangent?
but yes.. stop the caps and improve the networks! put that revenue back into the infrastructure.
/facepalm on the usa and cdma vs gsm... arg!!
seamonkey420
kanon
Posted 10:51 AM 25/9/08
Score!
kanon
ttech10
Posted 11:34 AM 25/9/08
It sort of sounds like the they'll be doing the same thing... just in 'nicer' words.
ttech10
Ambiguous Blob 2.0
Posted 1:07 PM 25/9/08
Bleaugh.... Seriously Tmob?... Now wait, I read the whole article and I didn't get what the title implies after reading it. So, is the 1GB soft cap being removed just on Android users *OR* all users using Tmob's 3G. Clarity Giz, please...
I'm looking at an another phone that may support AWS 3G, that I may buy unlocked, however this information would be nice...
-thanxs!
Ambiguous Blob 2.0
MrBlahBlah
Posted 5:45 PM 25/9/08
I think this basically gives them the right to slow a person's service if they think they are thethering, which doesn't sound too bad
MrBlahBlah
Baldyman1966
Posted 6:14 PM 25/9/08
@MrBlahBlah: This is the way I see it too.Two obvious points here:-
1. They are right. If someone is Hogging the bandwidth it will reduce the 'user experience' for everyone else.
2. T-mobile is a business, they have a right to make a profit and to protect their interests in that regard.
Baldyman1966
qmuser
Posted 11:19 PM 25/9/08
@Mr.SithNinja: You're right that wording is along the Comcast principle. Which will probably open the door for the FCC to step in and say "ahem, sorry guys, you can't do that."
qmuser
Jrperiod
Posted 12:12 AM 26/9/08
How do i figure out my usage now?
Jrperiod
Jrperiod
Posted 12:11 AM 26/9/08
How exactly do you go about quantifying how much data you use now? In most cases we don't use as much data now because 2G is so slow.
Jrperiod
Ron-Mexico
Posted 2:14 AM 26/9/08
I was surprised to hear T-mobile even consider this in the first place. One of the things they've always hung their hat on is that their customer service is (relatively speaking) the best of the major carriers.
Meanwhile, I stream shit like a banshee on 'mean old' Sprint with no worries whatsoever. Sounds backward.
Ron-Mexico