Source: Tom's Guide | Keywords: T-Mobile, G1, Data, Cap | Themes: The Internet, Software, Smartphones
When engadget yesterday studied the fine print on T-Mobile’s G1 page it emerged that the company would be pacing customers who went over 1 GB of data in a single billing cycle.
“If your total data usage in any billing cycle is more than 1 GB, your data throughput for the remainder of that cycle may be reduced to 50 kbps or less. Your data session, plan, or service may be suspended, terminated, or restricted for significant roaming or if you use your service in a way that interferes with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users.”
Needless to say, 1 GB sounds terribly restrictive and the eyebrows of prospective customers were raised. Anything other than casual use (i.e., email, light browsing) of the G1 would push you past the cap if one were to stream video or radio. Today the 1 GB cap had been removed from the fine print although T-Mobile is still reserving the right to reduce you to 50 kbps if you’re abusing the service. The fine print now reads:
“To provide the best network experience for all of our customers we may temporarily reduce data throughput for a small fraction of customers who use a disproportionate amount of bandwidth. Your data session, plan, or service may be suspended, terminated, or restricted for significant roaming or if you use your service in a way that interferes with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users.”
We’re happy to see T-Mobile checking itself on this one and it’s fair use policy seems pretty reasonable if it is only used to ensure “quality service to other users.” What we don’t get is how they even landed on the 1 GB data cap in the first place when iPhone users on AT&T all get a soft-capped 5 GB plan. With its 3 megapixel camera and a browser based around Google’s media-friendly Chrome, as well as access to the likes of YouTube, Gmail and Google Maps it wouldn’t be all that hard to hit 1 GB in a billing cycle for the power user. Let’s hope the unlimited data sticks and that T-Mobile doesn’t slow too many people down for excessive use of the service.
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ok NOW im strongly considering this phone... although i don't know how much it'll run me considering im already a customer of t-mobile but im in a family plan.. hope to god they don't charge me like $400, i can't afford that -_- THATS A GOOD-@$$ VIDEO CARD YO
horay for comcast-type business practices. notice they never said they would increase the cap. if anything, now they have more power than before. they can make the cap whatever they want since they never guarantee u any sort of bandwidth. 1GB is too little, but with this they can make it 2 GB and not only will u not know what the cap is, but u cant argue with them either.
They'll cap it just like satellite internet provides do with their "FAP" or Fair Access Policy. Rather than a monthly limit, it will be a moving target like 250MB of data over a 3hr. period will get you cut back. When I was on satellite internet service the limit was 379MB in a 4hr period. Doing the math shows those are dial-up speeds so you had to watch what you were doing. Shouldn't be a big deal for most people and FAP did keep the service working.
I think in the advertising they should have to explicitly mention data caps. Otherwise if advertised as unlimited it should be unlimited. As in max solid upload/download 24/7 is okay.
I do not know T-mobiles ads specifically. Rather I am talking about ISP's in general. Any limits should have to be in bold if advertised on TV it should be readable at 10 feet on a 13inch TV and displayed long enough for an average person to write down verbatim. That or the limits should be spoken verbally.
These limits do bug me with Comcast but I probably use about 50GB a month. More if watching HD shows off of the major networks websites.