T-Mobile caps smartphone users' data at 500 MB/month
blogs.computerworlduk.com
T-Mobile caps smartphone users' data at 500 MB/month
1–10 of 68 posts
Re: T-Mobile caps smartphone users' data at 500 MB/month
#2Can someone explain to me how "unlimited usage" plans are even allowed to have a cap at all. I've never understood why this is legal.
Surely you shouldn't be allowed to advertise something as "unlimited" and then impose a limit in the small print. Is there a reason why this common activity is permitted at all?
Re: T-Mobile caps smartphone users' data at 500 MB/month
#3Can someone explain to me how "unlimited usage" plans are even allowed to have a cap at all. I've never understood why this is legal. Surely you shouldn't be allowed to advertise something as "unlimited" and then impose a limit in the small print. Is there a reason why this common activity is permitted at all?
Simple, every mention of "unlimited" in their advertisements or contracts will have a footnote saying that it is actually capped by an AUP with a cap on it.
Like the author said, operators and users have a different definition of "unlimited". Problem is, operators put theirs in the contract that their users have signed.
Re: T-Mobile caps smartphone users' data at 500 MB/month
#4Can someone explain to me how "unlimited usage" plans are even allowed to have a cap at all. I've never understood why this is legal. Surely you shouldn't be allowed to advertise something as "unlimited" and then impose a limit in the small print. Is there a reason why this common activity is permitted at all?
They typically define "unlimited" as being 24/7 availability.
That is "unlimited usage" implies that you can use their system at anytime 24/7 not that you can use it for an unlimited period of time.
Re: T-Mobile caps smartphone users' data at 500 MB/month
#5This is UK-only at present it seems, but I have to think it's coming to the USA soon enough.
Yet another reason to switch to Verizon next month. Yeah, not a lot better, but they'll have the iPhone at least, with personal hotspot (just like my Nexus One).
Re: T-Mobile caps smartphone users' data at 500 MB/month
#6Here in the Netherlands, "unlimited" data transfer remains T-mobile's only competitive advantage over other carriers now carrying the iPhone. I hope they will keep this in mind for a long time to come.
Re: T-Mobile caps smartphone users' data at 500 MB/month
#7Can someone explain to me how "unlimited usage" plans are even allowed to have a cap at all. I've never understood why this is legal. Surely you shouldn't be allowed to advertise something as "unlimited" and then impose a limit in the small print. Is there a reason why this common activity is permitted at all?
I understood that "unlimited" meant all you can eat with a biggest pipe we can offer you for the first X Gb, and then we throttle "over the cap" usage for the rest of the billing cycle. Technically, you can keep using it, but at reduced speeds.
Re: T-Mobile caps smartphone users' data at 500 MB/month
#8> downloading files, streaming music and watching videos should be done on your home broadband. You know, those things that people bought their shiny new iPhone or Android handset specifically to do.
I am one of these people and I do not download files, stream music or watch videos on the iPhone. I do use it extensively including the Internet browsing over 3G and never had my monthly usage go over few hundred megs.
Being a busy adult I also suspect that I am actually in the majority here. Just sayin'
Re: T-Mobile caps smartphone users' data at 500 MB/month
#9> downloading files, streaming music and watching videos should be done on your home broadband. You know, those things that people bought their shiny new iPhone or Android handset specifically to do. I am one of these people and I do not download files, stream music or watch videos on the iPhone. I do use it extensively including the Internet browsing over 3G and never had my monthly usage go over few hundred megs. B…
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Re: T-Mobile caps smartphone users' data at 500 MB/month
#10Can someone explain to me how "unlimited usage" plans are even allowed to have a cap at all. I've never understood why this is legal. Surely you shouldn't be allowed to advertise something as "unlimited" and then impose a limit in the small print. Is there a reason why this common activity is permitted at all?
Simple, every mention of "unlimited" in their advertisements or contracts will have a footnote saying that it is actually capped by an AUP with a cap on it. Like the author said, operators and users have a different definition of "unlimited". Problem is, operators put theirs in the contract that their users have signed.
>"every mention of "unlimited" in their advertisements or contracts will have a footnote saying that it is actually capped"
So you are saying it's OK because they correct it in the footnotes?
By that logic they could also offer "500 minutes & 500 texts... Footnote: actually, it's capped at 10".
What I don't understand is how they can advertise with a word with a crystal clear meaning like unlimited and then totally go against that just because they include a footnote that contradicts their main content.
If you are allowed to contradict your self in the footnotes surely there'd be all kinds of strange adverts:
"X petrol provides unlimited mpg....actually just 35mpg" "Y chocolate with zero fat...actually, 98g of fat per 100g" "Z magazine with unlimited pages...really only 10"
I thought advertisements were not allowed to be misleading, and a can't see how claiming unlimited but then capping is not misleading.
There must be some legal precedent or loophole somewhere that permits this "unlimited" fakery or surely they would have been stopped by now.