T-Mobile Returns To Unlimited Data Plans

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T-Mobile Returns To Unlimited Data Plans

Posted by Soulskill on Wednesday August 22, 2012 @06:32AM from the until-they-change-their-minds-again dept.

New submitter kevmeister writes "Today T-Mobile decided that unlimited data plans are a good thing after all. Over a year after discontinuation, T-Mobile announced that unlimited data is coming back. 'T-Mobile said the new unlimited data plan will cost $20 a month when added to a Value voice and text plan, and $30 a month when added to a Classic voice and text plan. ... Among its top U.S. network counterparts, only Sprint offers a similar deal, and it costs about $110 a month. But Sprint offers the iPhone; T-Mobile does not. One of the new T-Mobile plan's flaws, though, is that it cannot be used for tethering -- that is, connecting multiple devices to the Internet. MetroPCS, considered the fifth-largest carrier in the U.S., made a big announcement of its own Tuesday, saying it would begin offering an unlimited everything promotional plan for $55 a month for a limited time.'"

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"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Mitsoid · 2012-08-22 06:36 · Score: 3, Insightful

" One of the new T-Mobile plan's flaws, though, is that it cannot be used for tethering "
Verizon & AT&T do not either.. not a huge flaw there as T-Mobile gets a one-up on their higher market share competitors.. on top of being GSM like AT&T, you get a bit more phone freedom (minus the #g band differences, which seem to be more of a moot point nowadays anyways for international travelers... since 3g band frequencies change by country)
1. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by rwa2 · 2012-08-22 06:40 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, after a few years of trouble-free tethering, at some point they started doing some sort of browser agent detection, and direct you to a tethering plan upsell.
  OTOH, if you're already on one of the Android plans, you can apparently still tether an Android tablet to your Android phone and have full access to everything. Which works well enough for me. (of course, I haven't been trying to get my work laptop into corporate VPNs and crap like that)
2. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by calmofthestorm · 2012-08-22 06:43 · Score: 2
  
  If they're using browser agent detection it sounds like a blacklist rather than a whitelist.
  Any idea if this could be bypassed by SSH tunneling all your computer traffic to a computer on the other side? It would still be distinguishable from traffic that originated from your phone by looking at the TTL, but I doubt many people do this.
  
  --
  93rd rule of Slashdot: No matter how obvious my sarcasm is, my comment will be taken seriously by someone.
3. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by phizi0n · 2012-08-22 06:44 · Score: 1
  
  If they are just doing user agent detection then it shouldn't be any problem to change your browser useragent on PC's, or for someone to create a tethering app that does it automatically.
4. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 06:46 · Score: 0
  
  I am still tethering my Nokia N8 on T-Mobile for about eight hours a day to my Windows PC, with no problems. I have a 5GB cap, that I have only hit once, and after that I do get throttled, but not cut off.
  I'm glad to see my hesitance to switch to an Android device has had at least one pleasant side-effect.
5. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 06:55 · Score: 0
  
  They started checking for the browser useragent that Chrome for Android uses on my Nexus 7, so I can't tether that any more without paying for the service.
  Firefox Beta still works fine, though.
6. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:08 · Score: 1
  
  I have T-mobile's old $9.99 unlimited data, and there's no problem tethering -- at one point I racked up over 40GB in a month (in-between land-line providers) with no issues and no throttling, though a few months later they started throttling everything after 5GB to EDGE speeds. SSH works just fine.
  I think the UA-sniffing is only applied in certain high-density markets -- it definitely didn't apply to me, but I've heard reports of it on the same $9.99 data plan, so I think it depends on location.
7. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by mcgrew · 2012-08-22 07:14 · Score: 1
  
  My unlimited everything plan doesn't allow tethering either, but I'm only paying $45 per month. TFA says "A plan that includes unlimited everything will cost $89.99 a month." If they included tethering I might be tempted to switch, since it might be possible to get rid of my AT&T DSL bill. But as it is, ninety bucks a monthis way too much money, twice what I'm paying now.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
8. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by thehickcoder · 2012-08-22 07:28 · Score: 1
  
  2 things:
  1. I haven't run into user-agent blocking where I live, maybe it is a regional thing. I have the user-agent on Opera mobile set to use the desktop version without issues. Additionally a few weeks ago my power was out for a couple days and my phone became my primary home internet connection, no browser on 1 windows and 2 linux PCs was blocked.
  2. I doubt they would be able to see the TTL. The TTL of the ssh packet would be unchanged, and the TTL of the tunneled packet would be encrypted.
9. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Nadaka · 2012-08-22 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  Well, I am paying $85 (including my employers 15% discount) a month for sprints "unlimited" "4g". In practice, I never get more than 300kbps on "3g", and I typically hover right about the 200kbps max that 2g edge offers. The speed doesn't even get better in the larger markets like New Orleans, where I should theoretically be getting WiMax.
  So tMobile is most likely going to be better for me, considering that I have a coworker that gets consistently good signal on his phone.
10. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Bill_the_Engineer · 2012-08-22 07:32 · Score: 1
  
  I never had any problems tethering with my T-Mobile phone, but my daughter got that website when she tried to use her phone to watch netflix (we have a family plan). It was a one-time occurrence since I haven't seen it appear again while tethering with my Mac.
  The thing that irritates me is that my "grandfathered" unlimited plan of many years had an unadvertised limit of 5GB added to it when they did their "unlimited w/ throttling plan 2GB" promotion. I'm waiting to see what happens but all indications are that T-Mobile will not quietly remove my limit. Of course, I never get near the 5GB total (due to crappy reception anyway) but it's the principle of it that gets my goat.
  
  --
  These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
11. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by calmofthestorm · 2012-08-22 07:34 · Score: 1
  
  Gaah you're right, I was mixing up SOCKS proxying with how AT&T (or was it Sprint?) was blocking some tethering apps by TTL that just bounced them through; but this is new packets so it's moot. I'm sure some kind of rate information would let them detect various protocols within SSH but I'm not too worried about that 'cause I don't use much data.
  Really I just want to check my email on a device where I can actually reply to it when traveling. I have a $3/day pay-as-you-use T-Mobile contract but I've yet to try to tether with it.
  
  --
  93rd rule of Slashdot: No matter how obvious my sarcasm is, my comment will be taken seriously by someone.
12. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by oakgrove · 2012-08-22 07:40 · Score: 1
  
  The only problem then is you get the crappy mobile site at a lot of places. Since many sites just look for some substring like "Mobile", you might try adding in some kind of subtle misspelling like "M obile" or whatever.
  
  --
  The soylentnews experiment has been a dismal failure.
13. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Pieroxy · 2012-08-22 07:41 · Score: 2
  
  Funny, in France I'm paying 16€/month for unlimited calls to over 200 countries, unlimited SMS and unlimited data with tethering thrown in. The only downside is a cap at 3GB after which they will throttle your traffic. Remember this is a "personal plan" so "unlimited SMS" means no more than 1000 to less than 250 different recipients per month. About the same for phone calls which is about 100x more than my maximum I think.
  Something is badly rotten on the other side of the pond. I still wonder what. The only thing I can think of is that back in the days the consumer calling a cell was the one being charged with the full price of the communication. In the US, the dude answering his cell is still charged. This made owning a cell phone much cheaper over here and the cell phone market penetration was much much better on our land.
  
  --
  Write boring code, not shiny code!
14. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Nadaka · 2012-08-22 07:52 · Score: 1
  
  In the US you (get charged/use minutes) for BOTH calling and answering on a mobile phone.
15. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Kreigaffe · 2012-08-22 07:53 · Score: 1
  
  To be fair, calls to all 50 US states covers the same area as calls to all of Europe.
  And charging the person calling a cell is ridiculous; you may not know it's a cell. The person answering the cell phone, the owner, is always aware of what costs are involved with answering the phone, and is the one who decided to take on those extra costs for the benefit of having a cell phone.
  Contract cell phones over here do suck pretty hard though, and prepaids aren't usually as nice, and I have to give the EU credit for what they did with the microUSB charger.
  
  --
  ... still waiting for this free-as-in-beer free beer I keep hearing about. :|
16. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by oakgrove · 2012-08-22 07:57 · Score: 1
  
  They started checking for the browser useragent that Chrome for Android uses on my Nexus 7
  The Nexus 7 must have been more wildly popular than I thought for them to target it so specifically. It's a pyrrhic victory though as there is no way they can account for browsers like Dolphin that let you literally type in any user agent string you want. I guess they'll net a few of the more naive customers so not a total loss. I guess.
  
  --
  The soylentnews experiment has been a dismal failure.
17. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by SwedishPenguin · 2012-08-22 08:12 · Score: 1
  
  How exactly do they prevent tethering? Unless they control all the devices that use their networks they cannot ensure that phones do not have the ability to tether. User-agent detection perhaps?
  On a related note, while I'm in the presence of Americans with knowledge of these things: I'm going to the US for a conference and vacation in two weeks, is there a decent pre-paid SIM-card that includes a few hundred MBs of data? My phone is pentaband so that shouldn't be a problem I assume..
18. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by wierd_w · 2012-08-22 08:12 · Score: 1
  
  The problem is the lack of advertising, and different sales markets for plans.
  T-Mo advertises their contract plans, but most people don't know jack about their pay as you go monthy no-contract plans. Most don't know you can get unlimited talk, text, and data on those plans.
  While more expensive than 16euro a month, the 60$/mo pay as you go plan looks pretty compelling.
  T-mobile prepaid and pay as you go plans
  No ETF, unlimited voice, text, and data (but with a cap...), and cheaper than ATT and verizon ever thought about being. Also, those plans allow tethering. :D
19. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by wierd_w · 2012-08-22 08:23 · Score: 2
  
  You can't buy naked SIMs in the US.
  What you CAN do is buy a cheap GSM bar style phone from just about any walmart, and dump the phone and keep the sim.
  Assuming you handset is not carrier locked, you can then use the cheap prepaid sim.
  I used to do this the other way around when my phones would get damaged before their scheduled replacement, and limp on a bar phone until I could upgrade by putting my contract sim in the cheap feature phone.
  Just drop the phone in any cellphone recycling bin, I believe most walmarts have them now, and keep the sim.
  The price is quite affordable. No contest, it is wasteful, but the cell carriers do not want to sell us naked prepaid sims.
20. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by fliptout · 2012-08-22 08:41 · Score: 2
  
  You can buy the SIMs alone, but you need to go to an actual T-Mobile/ATT/carrier store, in my experience. You might be able to do it through the carrier website too.
  The thing I have a problem with is that they will collect all your personal information to activate the disposable SIM, unlike anywhere else in the world.
  
  --
  A witty saying proves you are wittier than the next guy.
21. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by SwedishPenguin · 2012-08-22 08:41 · Score: 1
  
  Sounds very strange, but I guess they like throwing phones away for nothing.. Is this only in Wal-Marts or are there other places? I won't have a car so getting to a Wal-Mart could be complicated.
  There's the further complication of my phone using Micro-SIM (Nokia N9), it's unlocked though. I suppose I could bring my old HTC Magic (also unlocked), it only has, it only has the 900, 1700 and 2100 MHz UMTS bands though...
22. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by SwedishPenguin · 2012-08-22 08:44 · Score: 1
  
  Sounds much better than buying a phone only to throw it away.. Do you have to be a US resident to activate or can I use a temporary address or something?
23. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Skapare · 2012-08-22 08:46 · Score: 1
  
  Send the phone to me, instead.
  
  --
  now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
24. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by wierd_w · 2012-08-22 08:53 · Score: 1
  
  As others pointed out, you might be able to get a naked sim if you buy it from a dedicated ATT or T-Mo store, but there are generally far fewer of those than walmarts.
  Walmarts are usually on the metropolitan transit system's stop list, so getting to and from one without a vehicle may or may not be a problem.
  Often, at leat in my area anyay, the maor carriers also have small cart vendor stalls in the malls that might be able to service your phones.
  If you need a micro sim, the carrier store is your best bet.
  But for just waking into a store and getting a naked sim? Easier said than done.
25. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by macromorgan · 2012-08-22 08:59 · Score: 1
  
  You can by a SIM from www.straighttalksim.com for $15, and then a 30 day plan that includes unlimited talk, text and data for $45. I currently use one in my iPhone; if your phone doesn't allow you to change your APN settings manually you'll have to jump through a single hoop (download a new carrier profile from some website) in order to get the data to work.
26. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by rhook · 2012-08-22 09:11 · Score: 1
  
  T-Mobile includes tethering with most of their Android plans, the news here is that they are not going to allow it with the unlimited 4G data plan.
27. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Mitreya · 2012-08-22 09:15 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  The thing I have a problem with is that they will collect all your personal information to activate the disposable SIM
  You can buy a naked SIM in T-Mobile store -- I have done so several times. They do not really collect your information (they do ask for a name and for a birthday, but told me that this is for phone-support authentication. they don't verify with ID or anything.).
  You certainly do not have to provide them with an address.
28. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by SwedishPenguin · 2012-08-22 09:40 · Score: 1
  
  Oh another question for those in the know about the area (sorry if this is becoming too much off-topic): I'm thinking of renting a car and go on a road-trip down to SF from Portland after the conference, which carrier would have the best coverage there? It seems from the maps I've seen that rural coverage is quite poor..
29. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Matthew+Weigel · 2012-08-22 09:41 · Score: 1
  
  I think you're wrong.
  
  --
  --Matthew
30. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by shutdown+-p+now · 2012-08-22 10:28 · Score: 1
  
  You can't buy naked SIMs in the US.
  Sure you can.
31. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 11:01 · Score: 0
  
  The real reason for it is when they Refarm the Frequency this year it will allow all the iPhones on their network to run at full HSPA speed and tethering could crush the network.
32. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by ogdenk · 2012-08-22 14:14 · Score: 1
  
  Bullshit. StraightTalk offers naked SIM cards. $45/mo all-you-can-eat-but-no-tethering prepaid. T-Mobile does as well. Just not in the store usually. You have to go online and get one. $15 to get my unlocked iPhone going with them. They use AT&T's network last I checked.
33. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Macrat · 2012-08-22 15:03 · Score: 1
  
  You don't have to be a resident. I have friends from the UK and Brazil who own T-Mobile prepay SIMs and use them each time they come to the US for business every 6-10 months. Very convient to get off the plane and have a working number.
  They use the prepay plan where you buy the SIM and $100 of credit and that number/SIM is good for a year. Each time you add any credit, it extends the life for another year. They use the $1talk/day, $2talk/2G/day or $3talk/4G/day options since their visits are usually around 7-10 days.
  T-Mobile also offers prepay monthly plans, so don't get confused with pay by the day options.
34. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Niomosy · 2012-08-22 16:31 · Score: 1
  
  Verizon's new family shared data plans allows you to use your phone to tether as much as you want. The grandfathered unlimited plans are unable to do this per the agreement.
35. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Nirvelli · 2012-08-22 16:52 · Score: 1
  
  Sounds like they dumped you into the 5Gb "Unlimited Premium" plan, which includes tethering a.k.a. "Mobile HotSpot."
  Info
36. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 23:01 · Score: 0
  
  Free Mobile? I have the same. Great provider... The 3GB limit hasn't been much of an issue for me, however. After a storm killed my Freebox a while back and I was out of internet for nearly a month. I was tethering my mobile the whole time and never hit the limit. All hail Xavier Niel! Much of the reason for the problems in the US lies in the fact that when you buy a data plan, you must buy one of their high end phones which are subsidized. You end up paying for the rest of the phone through your monthly payments. Most people think "this phone costs 100 usd" when in reality, it costs 7 or 800 and they're just paying for the rest through their monthly plan. I'm not aware of a US provider who will (unlike free) give you a sim card and let you use your own phone (at least not without any sort of decent data plan).
37. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Pieroxy · 2012-08-23 00:16 · Score: 1
  
  To be fair, calls to all 50 US states covers the same area as calls to all of Europe.
  I'm talking about a plan in with which you can call all of Europe, Australia, all of northern America and most of southern America, Asia and Africa. That's still more than the 50 US states combined probably by a factor of 10.
  
  And charging the person calling a cell is ridiculous; you may not know it's a cell.
  All cell phones start with a 6 or 7 in France. It's dead simple to know you're calling a cell phone. In any case there are always the "special numbers" that are charged some ridiculous price. You've got to know what/who you're calling anyways.
  
  The person answering the cell phone, the owner, is always aware of what costs are involved with answering the phone, and is the one who decided to take on those extra costs for the benefit of having a cell phone.
  I think this system is much more fair to everyone, but it seems to have set the US/Canada on a bad start from a marketing point of view.
  
  Contract cell phones over here do suck pretty hard though, and prepaids aren't usually as nice, and I have to give the EU credit for what they did with the microUSB charger.
  There is no such thing as a Micro USB charger. Yes, most phones (but not all - think iPhone) have a "Micro USB" plug. But no, you still can't charge your Motorola with a Samsung charger nor the other way around even if the plugs can fit in each other's phones. There is a "discovery" protocol btw the charger and the phone, and each will charge only its own kind.
  
  --
  Write boring code, not shiny code!
38. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by mcgrew · 2012-08-23 02:34 · Score: 1
  
  So tMobile is most likely going to be better for me, considering that I have a coworker that gets consistently good signal on his phone.
  The phone's manufacturer may have something to do with it. Remember Apple's "you're holding it wrong"? If your co-worker has a Motorola and you don't, it may be the phone. Motorola has shitty programmers but great engineers. They make better radios than anyone. I'm on Boost (which Sprint, your carrier, owns) and when I'm at my friend Mike's house out in the boonies, I'm the only one who can get a signal in his barn (which is pretty much a faraday cage). I get a signal at work when everyone else has to find a window for the same reason -- aluminum wall studs make a partial cage. Your office likely has aluminum studs as well. Can you pick up FM radio there easily? If not, it may have more to do with the phone than the carrier.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
39. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Nadaka · 2012-08-23 03:50 · Score: 1
  
  You are wrong.
  I can charge any of my usb devices from any of my chargers, wall mount, lighter socket, usb attached to my computer, playstation or even the keyboard dock on my transformer infinity.
  This goes for phones, tablets and bluetooth headsets. Maybe apple is different, i don't use apple products. But every other usb charger I know of is universal.
40. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Nadaka · 2012-08-23 03:51 · Score: 1
  
  tMobile has sim only plans that are somewhat cheaper than the phone included plans.
41. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by ZosX · 2012-08-23 10:09 · Score: 1
  
  they did this to me too. i considered it bad faith as i was promised to never be capped. the official line is that there always was a cap. funny. i downloaded tens of gigs every month and never was capped until they rolled out the 2gb plan.
  
  --
  zosxavius photography
42. Re:"The flaw" not really much of a flaw by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-23 13:13 · Score: 0
  
  And charging the person calling a cell is ridiculous; you may not know it's a cell.
  
  Only with systems like that in North America where cell numbers are indistinguishable from landlines - in NZ, for instance, landlines are 7 digits, and a 2 digit "area code" which is either 03, 04, 06, 07 or 09, and is optional for calls in the same local calling area, and mobiles are 6, 7, or 8 digits with a 3 digit area code that is either 021, 022, 027 or 029 (or, more generally, 02x), and the area code is non-optional.
  Calls to a mobile always require one uses the 02x prefix, and the general rule is any call that *requires* the use of an 0x prefix will cost the caller.
  No charge for receiving calls. (Unless it's a "toll free" number, which begins 0800 or 0508).
unlimited* by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 06:37 · Score: 0

* subject to "fair usage" limitations
T-Mobile DATA plan? by damn_registrars · 2012-08-22 06:37 · Score: 2

I'm a T-Mobile customer and I'd be happy if I could just get voice service from them at my house. I drop calls all the time and they always claim to be "working" on the problem. I would drop them entirely but I'm expecting to move from my current location to another location hundreds - if not thousands - of miles away fairly soon and don't want a new contract until I get there and know which company's coverage is the best there.

I can certainly tell you though that I would not sign up for a data plan with T-Mobile, at least not where I currently live. That would be a tremendous waste of money.

--
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
1. Re:T-Mobile DATA plan? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 06:43 · Score: 1
  
  Just get a phone that supports wifi calling. I think pretty much any of their Android phones do. That way when you phone has a wifi signal, it registers with T-Mobiles network and you can make and receive calls normally.
2. Re:T-Mobile DATA plan? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 06:47 · Score: 0
  
  A few of their phones have wi-fi calling. If you have decent internet connection and capable phone this might work better for you.
3. Re:T-Mobile DATA plan? by Burning1 · 2012-08-22 06:53 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I'm also a T-Mobile customer, and I live in the Bay Area. Voice / Text / Data isn't really an issue here. I recently switched from Verizon, because I could get a monthly plan with unlimited data for $50, rather than paying $85/mo for Verizon.
  If you live in rural America, Verizon is one of the better choices. I grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains and owned my first cell phone 12 years ago. Back then, coverage was really an issue.
  Since I love to go riding in rural areas, I may end up buying a Verizon Pay as You Go phone as well. $1.99 for unlimited calls on the few days I need it.
4. Re:T-Mobile DATA plan? by anagama · 2012-08-22 07:00 · Score: 1
  
  This kind of problem is purely situational and can apply to any provider -- in contrast, I have T-Mobile and have no problem streaming Netflix in most of the places I go, and I pay the extra $15 so I can use my phone as a wifi hotspot with my tablet or laptop.
  There is one place that I go regularly where I've never had reception, except way back in the day when I had a phone that had an external antenna jack -- I put a "trucker antenna" way up a pole and then I had five bars when plugged in.
  
  --
  What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
5. Re:T-Mobile DATA plan? by godrik · 2012-08-22 07:04 · Score: 1
  
  OTOH, I live in columbus OH. I have been using tmobile for years and I have perfect coverage and 3g data speed. Oh, I also tether from time to time without any issues. They are the cheapest provider that can give me that type of coverage. They don't carry iPhone. So what? With the price difference on the contract I could buy one if I was interested.
6. Re:T-Mobile DATA plan? by Bill_the_Engineer · 2012-08-22 07:35 · Score: 2
  
  WiFi calling is my favorite feature of T-Mobile. Be careful, there are reports that the new Samsung G3 has issues with WiFi reception.
  
  --
  These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
7. Re:T-Mobile DATA plan? by SternisheFan · 2012-08-22 08:19 · Score: 1
  
  Or use google voice via wi-fi and no t-mobile needed at all. :)
8. Re:T-Mobile DATA plan? by SeaFox · 2012-08-22 12:06 · Score: 1
  
  Unless you're moving really soon, you could port your current number to a pre-paid MVNO that uses the network that does get the reception in your immediate area. Then set up new service in your new home with a different provider. You'll likely be changing phone numbers at your new location but the prepaid would give you a chance to keep you old number on an active phone for a little longer with no contract as well.
Virgin... by gfxguy · 2012-08-22 06:37 · Score: 2

I got in on Virgin Mobile's $25 unlimited (plus 300 talk minutes). Good luck finding anything like that ever again.

--
Stupid sexy Flanders.
1. Re:Virgin... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 06:53 · Score: 0
  
  Too bad its capped at 2 Gigabytes and you get throttled to under a few hundred kbps with random disconnects multiple times a minute.
2. Re:Virgin... by Hodr · 2012-08-22 07:53 · Score: 1
  
  I got in on that deal too. Recently dropped it for republic wireless. $19 a month, cool phone, unlimited everything.
3. Re:Virgin... by gfxguy · 2012-08-22 08:08 · Score: 1
  
  Never noticed a problem before, and I've had it for about a year and a half now.
  
  --
  Stupid sexy Flanders.
4. Re:Virgin... by SternisheFan · 2012-08-22 08:09 · Score: 1
  
  Too bad its capped at 2 Gigabytes and you get throttled to under a few hundred kbps with random disconnects multiple times a minute.
  Virgin Mobile throttles at the 2.5 gig, sometimes. I have the same 300minute $25 (grandfathered) plan. I don't get "randomly disconnected" at all when I've gone over, never have. Are you under 3 feet tall, live under a bridge and charge people to cross your bridge? In other words, are you a troll?!?
5. Re:Virgin... by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2012-08-22 08:40 · Score: 1
  
  At least they tell you what they'll throttle the speed down to. AT&T will tell you: "Get a tiered plan and you'll never have to worry about it!"
  
  --
  
  "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
6. Re:Virgin... by SternisheFan · 2012-08-22 08:54 · Score: 1
  
  I got in on that deal too. Recently dropped it for republic wireless. $19 a month, cool phone, unlimited everything.
  Really? 25-19=6 extra dollars in my pocket. (I'm not cheap, I'm "frugal"!) $6 times 12 months= $72...hmm ...., I'm no math wiz per se, but... Republic Wireless you say, Never heard of them. Maybe, Virgin Mobile has always been very good with me though. Customer service has always been a good experience, there's something to be said for that when dealing with these phone companies. Thanks for the tip, I'll look into them.
LOL ... by gstoddart · 2012-08-22 06:38 · Score: 0, Offtopic

MetroPCS, considered the fifth-largest carrier in the U.S., made a big announcement of its own Tuesday, saying it would begin offering an unlimited everything promotional plan for $55 a month for a limited time
And wait until your first six months or whatever are up, then you really find out what this will cost you.

--
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
1. Re:LOL ... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:00 · Score: 0
  
  Flamebait? Really?
  Where I live, cell phone carriers offer you the introductory price all the time, but after that initial period, you get the actual price. It usually seems like bait and switch to me.
Subscriber losses by Miros · 2012-08-22 06:41 · Score: 2

T-Mobile is having trouble retaining / gaining subscribers. I doubt this is altruistic, they need to draw more customers in so they are attempting deep discounting.
1. Re:Subscriber losses by Jeng · 2012-08-22 07:17 · Score: 1
  
  Unfortunately though one of their main selling points has been that with them data is data, they never cared if it was a mobile hotspot or tethered, it was just data.
  It still is just data, there is absolutely no reason to treat the traffic different.
  
  --
  Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
2. Re:Subscriber losses by Mitreya · 2012-08-22 09:23 · Score: 2
  
  T-Mobile is having trouble retaining / gaining subscribers. I doubt this is altruistic,
  You'll have better luck finding a unicorn than an altruistic corporation. Still, sometimes corporations act in customer's interests.
  I am surprised T-Mobile is not gaining ground because to me they have two selling points:
  1. They actually throttle you (instead of CHARGING per MB) when you go over data cap. Now throttling sucks (and I haven't subscribed to data plan yet), but it sure beats being charged. I don't even know if you can get AT&T to kill your internet when you hit the cap instead automatically charging you more.
  2. Little known fact - T-mobile offers unsubsidized plans at about $10 less/month. You know, when you bring your own phone and don't get a subsidized freebie? I believe every other provider (AT&T, Verizon) will happily charge you the regular monthly rate, even though you got no free phone (or got a very cheap free phone) from them.
Sprint by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 06:41 · Score: 0

Sprint's unlimited data costs about $110 a month? What, as an a la carte add-on to a basic talk plan? Their unlimited data plans start a lot lower than that.
1. Re:Sprint by mdenham · 2012-08-22 07:04 · Score: 1
  
  I believe that's the cost for Sprint's "unlimited everything" plan, actually.
T-Mobile iPhone this fall? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 06:44 · Score: 1

I would be a bit surprised if T-Mobile didn't have the iPhone after the upcoming release.
1. Re:T-Mobile iPhone this fall? by yurtinus · 2012-08-22 07:02 · Score: 1
  
  I wouldn't - T-Mobile's network runs on a different frequency from the other major providers. It would take a change to the radios used in the iPhone to get them working on T-Mobile at anything faster than EDGE.
  
  --
  +1 Disagree
2. Re:T-Mobile iPhone this fall? by Bill_the_Engineer · 2012-08-22 07:23 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  CNET Reviews CTIA 2012 T-Mobile: iPhone network compatibility coming this year
  
  --
  These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
3. Re:T-Mobile iPhone this fall? by tlhIngan · 2012-08-22 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  I would be a bit surprised if T-Mobile didn't have the iPhone after the upcoming release.
  Well, if they have unlimited data, I'd say they wouldn't be getting it. Only Sprint has kept unlimited data around - AT&T and Verizon switched to capped plans shortly after the iPhone after seeing the bandwidth used by iPhone users (who seem to really use it. There may be more Android users, but a good chunk don't seem to really use their data plan).
4. Re:T-Mobile iPhone this fall? by yurtinus · 2012-08-22 11:02 · Score: 1
  
  I'm aware of the spectrum remapping effort, but everything I read points to users bringing their own unlocked iPhones rather than having a T-Mobile iPhone.
  
  You and I may be all about unlocking our phones and using them wherever, but most users are going to head to the T-Mobile store and pick up whatever's subsidized off the shelf.
  
  For what it's worth, I'm using an unlocked 1900MHz phone on T-Mobile right now this minute, so I'm quite interested in their spectrum reallocation efforts.
  
  --
  +1 Disagree
5. Re:T-Mobile iPhone this fall? by modmans2ndcoming · 2012-08-23 00:23 · Score: 1
  
  Apple needs to put LTE in there anyway and to get that to work well in more than teh US, they will need to operate on many different frequencies. Getting t-mobile set up with a special radio is nothing.
Thank You Department of Justice by timeOday · 2012-08-22 06:46 · Score: 4, Informative

This is clearly a dividend of last year's enforcement of anti-trust law against the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile:

On March 20, 2011, AT&T announced that it would purchase T-Mobile USA. On August 31, 2011, the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice formally announced that it would seek to block the takeover, and filed a lawsuit to such effect in federal court. The bid was abandoned by AT&T on December 19, 2011.
Obviously the acquisition was intended to prevent exactly this sort of competitive undercutting.
1. Re:Thank You Department of Justice by Miros · 2012-08-22 06:49 · Score: 1
  
  How is that obvious?
2. Re:Thank You Department of Justice by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:35 · Score: 0
  
  Obviously plausible.
3. Re:Thank You Department of Justice by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:40 · Score: 0
  
  Corporations are evil. EEEEEEVIIIIIIIIIIL!
4. Re:Thank You Department of Justice by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 09:05 · Score: 0
  
  In part, yes. Reducing the sized of the oligopoly reduces competition and raises prices no doubt.
  That said, the iToys have run the AT&T network out of spectrum. Getting new spectrum is expensive in terms of:
  Fees to the FCC ($4B for Tmo's last purchase)
  Spectrum Clearing (getting everyone who used to use the band to switch off)
  Handset development (New bands mean more complex radios, AWS already limits Tmo 4G handset selection)
  Time (all the above take non-trivial amounts of time)
  Today's /. article about AT&T and video calling is a result of the spectrum pressure.
  When all the iToys have moved to 4G that will buy them some breathing room, but the roaring profits they saw/see from iToy sales have a significant cost on the back end. This was their primary motivation for the acquisition.
  After losing so many customers during the "year of uncertainty" with the looming AT&% buyout, combined with thier new LTE offerings T-Mobile is looking to cash in on having significantly more available bandwidth.
  http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/08/22/149243/att-defends-controversial-facetime-policy-following-widespread-backlash
5. Re:Thank You Department of Justice by LeanSystems · 2012-08-22 11:36 · Score: 1
  
  What other reason would you purchase a competitor that is smaller than you are?
  
  They didn't need their technology. They didn't need their people. They didn't need their capabilities.
  
  Why would you want to crush your enemy completely? Because, any competition is a threat to grow and eventually crush your completley. What's the easiest way to crush your competition? (hint: it's not by actually competing)
Tethering limitation by MobyDisk · 2012-08-22 06:47 · Score: 2

Remember this ruling that prevents Verizon from blocking tethering apps? Someone at the FCC needs to be patted on the back for forcing Network Neutrality in the original contract for Verizon's 4G spectrum. Now, if only we could force the other carriers to do the same thing.
1. Re:Tethering limitation by pavon · 2012-08-22 07:02 · Score: 1
  
  That ruling didn't apply to Verizon's unlimited data plans either, just their capped ones.
2. Re:Tethering limitation by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:11 · Score: 0
  
  That ruling only applies to a specific block of spectrum which was auctioned under terms that required the carrier to let the customer use their own choice of equipment instead of discriminating in favor of their own equipment. That condition resulted (not sure how) from Google's participation in the same auction (though they ended up outbid by Verizon) since Google wanted customers to use their own gear. It would be nice if the non-discrimination provision applied to everything but unfortunately it doesn't.
3. Re:Tethering limitation by MobyDisk · 2012-08-22 07:37 · Score: 1
  
  1) Verizon doesn't have unlimited data plans any more. :-(
  2) Where did you hear that? The articles I've read said it applies to anything using the "C Block" spectrum which is their 4G.
  http://theunlockr.com/2012/07/31/fcc-forces-verizon-to-unblock-tethering-apps-and-pay-a-1-25-million-fee/
4. Re:Tethering limitation by pavon · 2012-08-22 08:02 · Score: 1
  
  1) Yeah, so what I said only applies to grandfathered unlimited data plans.
  2) I originally read it at GigaOm. The FCC press release is vague on the matter, but the full order and consent decree makes it more clear:
  
  On June 28, 2012, Verizon Wireless modified its pricing plans to allow customers on usage-based plans to tether their devices without paying an additional fee, while customers on unlimited usage plans must continue to pay an additional fee to tether their devices.
5. Re:Tethering limitation by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 08:05 · Score: 0
  
  1) False. I'm on a Verizon plan with unlimited data.
  2) True. If it is 4G, they can't block any app from using the data.
6. Re:Tethering limitation by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 08:09 · Score: 0
  
  Sorry, to clarify, if it is 700MHz 4G they can't block any apps.
7. Re:Tethering limitation by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 14:36 · Score: 0
  
  Verizon told me on the phone unlimited users on their 4g network were no longer going to be charged for tethering as long as you don't use the phone's built in tethering software, which Verizon claims is theirs and as such costs $20 a month.
not really unlimited? by codeAlDente · 2012-08-22 06:48 · Score: 2

The analysis on market-ticker today suggests 5GB is still the approximate upper limit. http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=210521

--
He once inserted random mutations into his code, just so he could have the experience of debugging.
1. Re:not really unlimited? by TheCarp · 2012-08-22 07:06 · Score: 1
  
  I have always thought that companies that advertise unlimited, but still put on a cap are underhanded and deserve some smack down. I will never get how that isn't false advertising.
  
  --
  "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
2. Re:not really unlimited? by hawaiian717 · 2012-08-22 07:14 · Score: 1
  
  The article doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. They acknowledge the 5GB cap on current plans, then assume that same throttling cap will apply to the new plan as well. Then they state that because you can't tether, it's virtually impossible to hit 5GB anyway.
  
  --
  End of Line.
3. Re:not really unlimited? by hierophanta · 2012-08-22 08:22 · Score: 1
  
  I hit 5gig on tmobile almost every month, without the [free] tethering. if you have feeds on your fav stuff like rss, twit, FB and the like it isnt hard to hit the 5gig
4. Re:not really unlimited? by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2012-08-22 08:49 · Score: 1
  
  In the past has T-Mobile made their throttling policy clear? I.e. Do they say: "Your speed will be reduced to x megabits per second"?
  I asked AT&T that question and the response I got was that network performance is proprietary and that they would not be sharing that information with me.
  
  --
  
  "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
5. Re:not really unlimited? by Grishnakh · 2012-08-22 13:36 · Score: 1
  
  I have T-mobile, and my understanding with throttling is that you get X GB (X = 4 I think) of data over 4GB per month, and if you go over that, then they basically lock you out of 4G and drop you to their 2G network.
  One thing I don't know is if any data you use at 2G (i.e., you're in a location where the 4G reception is bad or nonexistent) before this cap counts towards this cap or not.
This is easy.... by HerculesMO · 2012-08-22 06:48 · Score: 2

Because they have almost no LTE coverage in the US right now. So yea, you can get unlimited data, but since it's so damn slow you won't bother downloading anything on your mobile device.
I am leaving them as soon as my contract is up.... what a terrible idea that was.

--
The price is always right if someone else is paying.
1. Re:This is easy.... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 06:55 · Score: 0
  
  I am a heavy user of T-Mobile's data, and as long as you have 3G coverage it is perfectly fine. At least where I live, work, and the handful of US cities to which I travel.
  It may not be LTE, but their 3G speed is adequate for general web use. I can watch youtube videos without buffering, I can download and upload files, and of course web browsing and email work fine too.
  I will agree that they have horrible coverage outside of major metropolitan areas, and my phone is frequently useless for data when traveling between cities. But for a cell phone bill that is $30/month versus $90+ for a similar package from AT&T or Verizon, I'm good with that.
2. Re:This is easy.... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:03 · Score: 0
  
  Because they have almost no LTE coverage in the US right now.
  They use HSPA, EDGE, GRPS and GSM, not LTE, CDMA, etc.
3. Re:This is easy.... by Revotron · 2012-08-22 07:05 · Score: 2
  
  T-Mobile has great "4G" coverage in my area. I live on the outskirts of the Kansas City metro area. My new T-Mobile smartphone gets 6-7Mbps downstream, while my Verizon iPhone (which I am reluctantly dropping due to Verizon's shoddy pricing plans) clocks in at 1.5Mbps. I ran these tests side-by-side and the numbers from three subsequent tests came in strongly in favor of T-Mobile. I found that particularly unacceptable on Verizon's part since their service costs easily twice as much.
  
  Do you live out in the boondocks? In that case, I'd certainly understand why their coverage wouldn't be as strong.
4. Re:This is easy.... by wjcofkc · 2012-08-22 07:26 · Score: 1
  
  I also live in Kansas City. A friend of mine has T-mobile and I can confirm that their downstream and upstream are wicked fast. He has found a way to tether his phone to his Samsung Smart TV and can stream absolutely anything with almost zero hesitation - for unknown reasons he has been doing this in an unlimited way. This may be because it's through an employee plan. The relative in question was able to look and see that he uses the equivalent of over 50 tethering plans a month or something like that. Personally, I have a 3g phone with Virgin Mobile (VM is the Sprint network). Before I recently lost my ability to tether I could stream 1080p.
  
  --
  Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
5. Re:This is easy.... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:29 · Score: 0
  
  On 3GPP goes TDMA --> GSM --> GPRS --> EDGE --> UMTS --> HSPA --> LTE. The CDMA camp (called 3GPP2) designed UMB as a LTE-class option, but ended up deserted by their major customers and, after Verizon defected to LTE, abandoned the project
6. Re:This is easy.... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 09:20 · Score: 0
  
  They're building out an LTE network late this year/early next year, on the 1700 MHz (AWS) band. They're "refarming" their HSPA+ service to the 1900/2100 bands. This should give them full iPhone compatibility as a bonus. (It does mean I'll need to replace my Nexus One, but the thing is pushing three years old already and all the buttons are broken, so it's about time.)
Too little too late... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 06:54 · Score: 0

They must have figured out why all those customers left. Like me.
Well fuck you guys, i'm not comming back. Who knows what you'll fuckup next and still keep me locked in a contract with etf and plenty of hoops to jump thru to end up with a phoneshaped brick.
Fuck you tmobile. Your antics cost you at least one customer for life.
1. Re:Too little too late... by SternisheFan · 2012-08-22 08:35 · Score: 1
  
  A friend of mine was a tmobile customer for years, loved his service, always told people how great Tmobile was. That is, until one month when he went just a little over his 1000 minutes. They kicked him in the financial nuts for it! He spoke to their customer service, explaining he's been a good customer for years, always paid his bill, never came close to his 1000 minutes. Tmobile said there was nothing they would do. A few days later my friend had a cheaper Wal-Mart phone!
2. Re:Too little too late... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 19:08 · Score: 0
  
  So he was happy right up until... he had to pay the amount he'd agreed to for the service he used? That's some beef.
Too bad T-Mobile sucks so bad by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 06:54 · Score: 0

I'm in San Francisco, a completely tech-yuppy city (cell phones to every ear everywhere you go), and T-mobile coverage is absolute crap. I have prepaid T-mo and Verizon phones (this is cheaper than monthly plans). The T-mo is unusable in my neighborhood and cuts in and out at random in other places. The Verizon costs about 3x more per minute but always works. I use the T-mo when it works (because of the low cost and because I like my nice unlocked GSM handset better than the crap phone I use with Verizon), and I pull out the Verizon when I have to. The Tmo basic prepaid plan is about $7 a month. I sure wouldn't pay a lot more than that for a data plan from them.
Aren't they were required to allow teathering now? by crazyjj · 2012-08-22 06:54 · Score: 2

One of the new T-Mobile plan's flaws, though, is that it cannot be used for tethering
Thought the FCC case recently required carriers to allow tethering, or is that just for Verizon?

--
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
Providers should be more flexible by kawabago · 2012-08-22 06:59 · Score: 2

Assuming some mechanism of bandwidth rationing is necessary, I'm not convinced it is, providers should become more flexible. An unlimited data plan that has a small monthly maintenance fee of maybe $5 then a small per gigabyte charge that results in the average user paying about the same would be attractive. That way people would really only pay for what they use and get a break when they take time off. I might buy a plan like that.
1. Re:Providers should be more flexible by ceoyoyo · 2012-08-22 08:03 · Score: 1
  
  They essentially did that, except the monthly maintenance fee might not be exactly what you'd call small, but it covers most people entirely.
  What they, and the wired data providers, should be required to do is either a) charge a fair per GB rate, regardless of how much you use, or b) if it's too cheap to meter just have a truly unlimited flat rate. Any combination of the two, including caps and unreasonable per GB overage charges is abusive.
2. Re:Providers should be more flexible by Mitreya · 2012-08-22 09:28 · Score: 1
  
  That way people would really only pay for what they use and get a break when they take time off. I might buy a plan like that.
  You are assuming that their goal is to save you money. It is not. Their goal is to make as much money as they can while doing as little work as they can
  It is a feature, not a bug, that people generally pay for more than they use (i.e. under the bandwidth cap) or are charged exorbitant over-use fees (over the bandwidth cap). Actually, minute plans work the same way - you'd have to work very hard to use exactly what you bought.
  Any other outcome means that you pay more per minute/per MB (either through fixed-fee underuse, or very expensive overuse).
Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by SuperBanana · 2012-08-22 07:01 · Score: 3, Informative

I can certainly tell you though that I would not sign up for a data plan with T-Mobile, at least not where I currently live. That would be a tremendous waste of money.
At home you have wifi, don't you?
Not only does that mean you don't really need data coverage, but you can make and receive phonecalls seamlessly via wifi calling. Myself and several other coworkers switched to tmobile specifically because wifi calling works perfectly (provided there's enough wifi signal strength) and as a result, we can make calls from our building's basement - we have wifi everywhere on campus, and as a result we have the best "cell service."
You can even set whether to prefer wifi or cellular. It just switches over automatically. If you have your phone set to keep wifi on all the time, you can receive calls without issue.
If you have signal strength issues at home, you can also purchase an amplifier/antenna pair. An antenna goes on your roof (or stuck to the inside of a window, or attached to the exterior wall), a cable goes into a central part of the house where you locate the amplifier+indoor antenna.

--
Please help metamoderate.
1. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by damn_registrars · 2012-08-22 07:10 · Score: 0
  
  Not only does that mean you don't really need data coverage, but you can make and receive phonecalls seamlessly via wifi calling. Myself and several other coworkers switched to tmobile specifically because wifi calling works perfectly (provided there's enough wifi signal strength) and as a result, we can make calls from our building's basement - we have wifi everywhere on campus, and as a result we have the best "cell service."
  
  You neglected to mention that only the newest TMobile phones support that. And of course to buy a new phone from TMobile means I need to sign another 2-year contract with them.
  
  So basically, I would be promising my money and my resources to fix their crappy network. They are supposed to fix their atrocious network with the money I pay them - instead they want more money from me so I can get around their terrible network. This may be even a bigger consumer rip-off than text messaging.
  
  --
  Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
2. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by Hatta · 2012-08-22 07:11 · Score: 1
  
  At home you have wifi, don't you?
  Not only does that mean you don't really need data coverage
  What? The point of having a data plan on a mobile device is to replace the wifi at home?
  you can make and receive phonecalls seamlessly via wifi calling.
  This is an excellent point and should not be diminished by its proximity to the statement above.
  
  --
  Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
3. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:22 · Score: 1
  
  They've had phones with wi-fi calling for like four years now, and I've had a no-contract plan for almost three. They even give you a discount for the month-to-month plans!
4. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by The+Dancing+Panda · 2012-08-22 07:52 · Score: 1
  
  They've supported WiFi calling on all smart phones (aka, the ones that get wifi) since My Blackberry 6 years ago. I've since had a Google G1, HTC G2, and now the Galaxy S3, all supported. Lower android models also support it. You're just complaining without researching.
5. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:53 · Score: 0
  
  Newest? My G2 supports that, and it isn't even remotely new at this point.
6. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by Bill_the_Engineer · 2012-08-22 07:59 · Score: 2
  
  One caveat of WiFi calling being that T-Mobile still counts the minutes towards your allotted monthly calling plan and will bill you for any minutes over the allotment. I never gone over the allotment, but the possibility it still there.
  
  --
  These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
7. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 08:00 · Score: 0
  
  I have a sidekick 4g. It is an ancient froyo device.
  It does wifi calling just fine.
  As for being more on topic concerning plans, monthy pay as you go is the beast deal from T-mo, especially if you own the handset.
  I use the 50$/mo plan. At the "2G throttled speed", internet speed test says the download speed is about 150kbps, and upload is 215kbs. 100mb/mo at 4g is a tease, but it goes bitchin fast for those few minutes every month. Upping to the 60 or 70/mo, with the higher cap wouldn't be so bad, but I don't really need the speed to just surf and pull the occasional file from the net while on the go.
  My use case has me using the wifi calling while at home, and normal cell coverage while in town.
8. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by ArhcAngel · 2012-08-22 08:07 · Score: 1
  
  What? The point of having a data plan on a mobile device is to replace the wifi at home?
  That may be your point for having mobile data. Mine is to be able to access data...while mobile. I have a 12Mbs line at home for data consumption. I'd hate to even think about the lag trying to play one of my FPS games over wireless data. That's what kept me from switching to Clear from AT&T. OH...and I can access the media on my home server from any internet connected DLNA client. Kinda hard to do if the home internet leaves the house when you do.
  
  --
  "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
9. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by SternisheFan · 2012-08-22 08:15 · Score: 1
  
  Since wi-fi is faster than 3g, why wouldn't you use wi-fi when your'e home? Saves your 3g allotment for when your'e away from wi-fi.
10. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by Obfuscant · 2012-08-22 09:44 · Score: 1
  
  And of course to buy a new phone from TMobile means I need to sign another 2-year contract with them.
  
  So don't buy a new phone from them. I haven't bought a new phone from T-Mobile, ever. My first phone from "T-Mobile" was while they were still VoiceStream. That's the only one I've ever bought from them. I got a new one once so I could be part of a beta test, free.
  I'm currently using an unlocked LG P-500 with tethering, and the only downsides are I can't get repairs in the US and I can't get rid of the stupid Orange Mobile bookmarks in the browser. I got it through Daily Steals, I think. The replacement that is waiting for me to fire up was from Amazon.
11. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by modmans2ndcoming · 2012-08-22 15:07 · Score: 1
  
  since you are actually placing calls using their network when on wifi calling, why should you expect anything less than to be charged minutes?
12. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by Bill_the_Engineer · 2012-08-27 03:37 · Score: 1
  
  Because I'm using the broadband connection that I pay for to send the GSM packets directly to their network, thus preventing them from having to put up another wireless tower to make room for more subscribers or to increase signal coverage. Why do you think we have unlimited t-mobile to t-mobile minutes? Because once the data reaches their packet switch network, it doesn't cost them much to move the packets across their calling areas.
  
  --
  These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
13. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by modmans2ndcoming · 2012-08-27 09:45 · Score: 1
  
  and they are in turn using their network to connect to the traditional phone system/other carrier networks which they pay to access.
14. Re:Tmobile wifi calling solves this problem by Bill_the_Engineer · 2012-08-27 10:19 · Score: 1
  
  True but the bulk of the expense is use of the towers themselves. As for network access it also works both ways, a call originating from AT&T will not cost T-Mobile anything yet still show up as minutes being used on my account.
  Anyway, I didn't say it was necessarily bad just that the caller needs to be aware of the minutes being accrued.
  
  --
  These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
$110 Sprint plan? by dontbemad · 2012-08-22 07:01 · Score: 2

I'm confused. How much is Sprint's plan supposed to cost? Because I have an unlimited "premium" data plan on a 450 minute line and I only shell out around $85-$90 a month, after taxes and what not. I have no idea where this other 20 bucks is supposed to be coming from. $110 is around how much one would expect to pay for around a GB of data on the new shared plans with one cell phone, from what I understand.
1. Re:$110 Sprint plan? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:35 · Score: 1
  
  With Boost, I pay $55 / month for unlimited talk, text, web. They are charging me $10 / month more for hotspot. It uses the Sprint network.
2. Re:$110 Sprint plan? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:46 · Score: 0
  
  Not to mention, the way the summary is written is seems like with T-Mobile you get unlimited data compared to $110 on Sprint. How much is the Value voice and text plan from T-Mobile that you can add the unlimited data to? Yes, I can go look this up myself, but if you're going to make price comparisons in the summary, at least compare the total plan price for each carrier.
Re:Aren't they were required to allow teathering n by pavon · 2012-08-22 07:04 · Score: 1

No, that requirement was placed on new spectrum that was up for auction a while back. T-Mobile didn't end up with any of that spectrum so the rules don't apply to them. Furthermore, even for Verizon, they are only required to allow tethering on their capped data plans, not their (grandfathered) unlimited plans.
Wish I could choose my own plan. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:12 · Score: 0

I'm paying for 500 minutes, unlimited texts, 2GB of "High Speed" (Throttled after) for roughly $85
I use 60 minutes, 500 texts and 300MB on average. Why am I paying $85?
1. Re:Wish I could choose my own plan. by Revotron · 2012-08-22 07:48 · Score: 2
  
  Did you buy a subsidized phone and go with their classic plan?
  
  I'm on a two-line 2-year contract with 1000 shared minutes, unlimited texting for both phones, and unlimited data for one for $70. Then again, I just got their Value plan and bought used phones from eBay, so my monthly bill is lower as a result. You should look into it - the math works out to about $200 in savings over the life of the 2-year contract.
2. Re:Wish I could choose my own plan. by hierophanta · 2012-08-22 08:28 · Score: 2
  
  because you make poor decisions as a consumer. tmobile currently has a monthly plan for $30 that suits your needs - 100 minutes unlimited text and web (4g up to 5gig)
3. Re:Wish I could choose my own plan. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 19:21 · Score: 0
  
  You can't get those plans in the store, at least they don't tell you about them. Most people get their phones for the store, not from the internet. Also, the thought of paying $500-$600 for a top of the line smartphone scares a lot of people. T-mobile will even let you finance the phone at 0% interest, but most people never do the math. People seem to have a phobia of math.
4. Re:Wish I could choose my own plan. by hierophanta · 2012-08-24 04:16 · Score: 1
  
  yup, it seems that people do have a phobia of math. but i got my plan ($50 unlimited everything 4g capped at 100meg) from the store - i do not think they advertise them though. i did also pay 500-600 for my phone, and then payed an extra $20 a month until i got sick of that and just paid it off. T-mobile financed for free just as you said. most people i know pay more than double what i pay, and i would be very very very surprised if these people used the service as much as i do (i regularly hit over 5gig a month).
  
  on thing that i find amusing now, is that regardless of the provider nobody that i know is happy with the service they get. well, im still not all that happy with tmobile's service but at least i get to feel smug about not paying over $100 a month. and i was more unhappy when i was using the 4g all month - the data line would drop constantly. lastly - in my experience: 3g isnt all that much slower when you are loading 100 files that are 10k each but it would be much slower if you were loading 1 file that was 1000k
Re:Aren't they were required to allow teathering n by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:18 · Score: 0

That's just for the spectrum that (thanks to Google) had a device-neutrality rule attached when it was auctioned off. Services using only spectrum blocks without that specific rule can still be offered with arbitrary TOS and policies w/r/t tethering.
I don't know whether T-mobile USA got any spectrum with those rules or not.
Re:Aren't they were required to allow teathering n by erice · 2012-08-22 07:21 · Score: 1

No. The FCC ruling only apples to the 700Mhz band that Verizon is using for LTE. T-Mobile doesn't have any spectrum in the 700Mhz band.
I went with a hotspot by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:23 · Score: 0

I had 2 data plans for phones and home internet. Saves me $40 immediately and another $30 when my other contract expires on my other phone. I'll probably end up with pay as you go for texting and voice. I got an iPad and wanted a plan for it but the mobile hotspot works just fine. I get 1.5 to 4Mbps down. Suits my needs, streaming, gaming, surfing. I don't use torrents to "share" files though.
You are being ripped off in the US by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 07:47 · Score: 1

Get this; in the UK you can get unlimited data, sms, mms and 200 mins of calls for £10 a month with GiffGaff!
I love my Virgin Mobile! by SternisheFan · 2012-08-22 07:51 · Score: 2

Seriously, the more I read about these overpriced plans, "I thank Gawd" for my Virgin Mobile phone. $25 a month gives me 300 minutes, unlimited text/web, web throttled after 2.5 gig. I have gone over the limit a couple of times and really didn't notice a speed difference, and if I use wifi when I'm home I never go over anyway. (New PayAsYouGo customers do pay $35 per month.) VirginMobile is supposedly powered by Sprint, and Sprint is supposedly powered by Verizon. Service has been great in the N.Y. area. I hear the horror stories from friends and co-workers about their phone companies, overage charges, etc. When they ask what I have and I tell them "VM Pay as you go.", sometimes they'll sneer at the Virgin.Mobile name. Then I say, "I pay $25 a month" and just smile, like this :-)
more buzzwords please! by someones · 2012-08-22 07:58 · Score: 1

I am waiting for Unlimited Everything Super Flat Plan.
tmobile never stopped unlimited service. by orateam · 2012-08-22 08:00 · Score: 1

just needed to do it outside a contract. i use the $30 one myself. http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans
Did i miss something? by Daetrin · 2012-08-22 08:17 · Score: 1

I don't remember Unlimited plans getting discontinued. I've had one since i joined them about 2.5 years ago. I guess they were throttling speeds after a certain point recently, and now they're not? So they went from Unlimited to "Unlimited" and back again?

Also, i've been tethering devices to my phone for the entire time as well. Of course that's because i got an unlocked Nexus phone so T-Mobile never got the chance to disable the option, but they certainly don't seem to be doing anything on the networking end to prevent tethering.

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Tethering is not an issue on android devices.. by sudden.zero · 2012-08-22 08:21 · Score: 1

at all since you can get applications like PDA Net that by pass the anti-tethering measures that are taken by any carrier. http://junefabrics.com/android/ I tether my Dell Streak 5 all the time using it and I have no issues.
Re:Aren't they were required to allow teathering n by LurkerXXX · 2012-08-22 09:12 · Score: 1

Just for LTE because that's the way the spectrum was leased.
Too bad. by jensend · 2012-08-22 09:17 · Score: 1

Offering unlimited data plans is kinda absurd. It's a terrible way to allocate a limited resource. It means that the majority of customers, who use rather little bandwidth, pay a ton extra to subsidize the few people who cause most of the burden on the network. Prices should be related to the cost of the services/goods provided, and when the connection between the two is severed, you end up with everything from dropped calls in NYC to Soviet bread queues.
I look forward to the day when there's a simple per-GB rate that applies to all data, whether that data happens to be smartphone internet use, tethered internet use, voice, or text. (The per-GB rate would also naturally change with the time of day to reflect network demand/pressure.) In that glorious day, the phone providers, forced to compete with one another based on that rate rather than on absurd plans and subsidized phones, will provide better and less expensive service.
But given the current oligopoly, the messed-up regulatory situation, and the incestuous relationships between cell manufacturers and the carriers, I don't know that that day is any closer than the day we'll all be driving fusion-powered flying cars :(
1. Re:Too bad. by Revotron · 2012-08-22 12:33 · Score: 2
  
  Your argument of the majority of customers subsidizing the power-users is flawed. It makes the assumption that an "unlimited" plan is the only plan being offered - this is false in most cases. T-Mobile offers a capped data plan in addition to unlimited. Also, there's no way to price Unlimited plans in such a way that proportionately reflects their usage compared to tiered plans - how much should they be, infinity dollars?
  
  Now Sprint, on the other hand, has an all-or-none unlimited data package. That seems a little absurd, and I can see how someone barely using 100MB a month would be a little peeved by having to pay full price for an unlimited plan when they could get by with much lower plans at a lower cost.
2. Re:Too bad. by jensend · 2012-08-22 16:00 · Score: 1
  
  Even when tiered plans exist, they are not proportionately cheaper. If somebody else uses 200 GB and I use 50MB my service is not 1/4000 the price. So low-bandwidth users are still subsidizing the high-bandwidth ones.
  
  Also, there's no way to price Unlimited plans in such a way that proportionately reflects their usage compared to tiered plans - how much should they be, infinity dollars?
  
  Sure, if the users actually use infinite bandwidth :) People should be charged for what they use. Your claim that this is impossible is baffling; I suppose you think every time people go to the supermarket they all just pay the same price to get in (or maybe a lowere 'tiered' price if they promise they'll be using the Under 20 Items Express Checkout) and then make off with whatever goods they can.
3. Re:Too bad. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 18:40 · Score: 0
  
  Offering unlimited data plans is kinda absurd. It's a terrible way to allocate a limited resource. It means that the majority of customers, who use rather little bandwidth, pay a ton extra to subsidize the few people who cause most of the burden on the network. Prices should be related to the cost of the services/goods provided, and when the connection between the two is severed, you end up with everything from dropped calls in NYC to Soviet bread queues.
  Don't conflate peak bandwidth and total usage -- when the former is the scarce resource, but customers are charged (regardless whether unlimited, linear, or what) for the latter, we've already got the broken market you talk about.
You can buy naked SIMs by tlambert · 2012-08-22 10:32 · Score: 1

Did you seriously not Google search for "US SIM CARD"?
I had zero problem buying an AT&T GoPhone SIMs for Chromebook 3G modem bringup here at Google.
You can also get T-Mobile as well; whether the data will work on 3G or only on Edge will depend on the frequency bands your phone supports; for example, an iPhone will not do 3G on T-Mobile, unless you know how to hack the radio table, which requires rewriting the baseband firmware in the older phones. Even if you did that, it'd suffer from "you're holding it wrong" connectivity issues, since it antenna are not frequency tuned for that carrier. In case you were wondering:
T-Mobile: UTMS frequency band IV 1700/2100 MHz
AT&T: UTMS frequency band II 1900MHz
Here's the full list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
Also, you should be aware when transporting a "smart" phone between the US and Europe that the firmware loads specifically set the clock frequency for the region. The reason several types of phone were slightly overclocked in Europe, for example, is that the frequency of the CPU happened to harmonically resonate with the common carrier frequency, which meant it tended to interfere with the radio when run on European frequencies for carriers like Orange.
Will they also restore their signal level? by psm321 · 2012-08-22 12:31 · Score: 1

About a year and a half ago, their signal was great around my house. Then around the time the AT&T merger was announced it became completely unreliable and has been since. They keep alternating between admitting the problem, saying it's been fixed (when it hasn't), and saying there's no problem at all. It's quite frustrating and as much as I love TMo it's going to be hard for me to stay with them when my contract is up unless they get their act together.
Re:Left myself. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-22 13:31 · Score: 0

One, I wanted an iPhone, or at least a phone that wasn't a piece of shit Android from HTC.
Are there other Android phones that aren't as bad as HTCs? I've got an HTC Sensation 4G with T-mobile, and I've no end of weird problems with it. Switching randomly from the bluetooth headset to regular mode, the mobile network part dying randomly and needing to be deactivated and reactivated (though this hasn't happened since I upgraded to ICS), random reboots, the phone not ringing when my wife calls (this drives her wild), and the worst part is I feel like I must need a hearing aid or something because I can never get it loud enough. The worst part, however, was when I recently "upgraded" to the newest Google Maps (came out on 6/15 I think), and that just doesn't work at all; just try bringing up a map, or starting navigation, and the phone reboots. I did manage to uninstall that update, and now the maps seem to be working fine again, except it keeps bugging me that I need to "upgrade".
Are these problems common among all Android phones, or is it just the HTCs?
And I really hate the idea of getting an iPhone. I've dealt with those before; my wife had one (3GS) before I "upgraded" her to T-mobile/HTC. It mostly worked just fine, except for an occasional reboot, but having to reboot my computer into Windows just to transfer anything to/from the phone, or applying software updates, was a total PITA. At least with Android I can do updates over the network, and transferring photos and such is easy, I just plug it into a USB port on my computer, and don't need some specially bloated software.