AfterDawn: Tech news

T-Mobile to throttle excessive data users over 5GB

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 14 Oct 2010 2:20 User comments (17)

T-Mobile to throttle excessive data users over 5GB T-Mobile has confirmed today that they will begin throttling smartphone owners that use excessive amounts of data.
Subscribers that hit over 5GB of bandwidth per month will have their speeds throttled at that point.

The carrier says the rule will affect less than 1 percent of its 35 million subscribers.

Reads the announcement:

"Beginning on October 16, T-Mobile will begin to reduce data speeds when a customer reaches 5GB of usage in a billing cycle, in accordance with T-Mobile terms and conditions. This change should only affect extreme data users (less than 1 percent) and is being made to ensure that all subscribers receive the best Web performance available by limiting the number of extreme data users on our network.

The majority of T-Mobile customers should not be affected by this change. The new 5 GB threshold limit, which is equivalent to approximately 125,000 yahoo.com page visits, is enough bandwidth to satisfy most customers’ Web and data needs.



If a customer happens to reach the 5GB limit, they will receive a free text message informing them their data speed will be reduced. Customers will continue to have Web browsing capabilities but at slower speeds, which will be determined by their device type. Once their new billing cycle begins, data speeds will no longer be restricted.

Customers can track their data usage through My T-Mobile, MyAccount, or the SIVR."


While subscribers may be upset by the news, it is important to note that Verizon and AT&T no longer offer unlimited data plans, and charge by the MB for any overages over their most expensive 5GB plans.

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17 user comments

114.10.2010 14:51

They already started doing this long before this announcement. I got throttled last month on my Samsung Vibrant, but guess what!? even at the slower speeds its still faster than Verizon's internet. I have a Droid X as my work phone and the fastest speeds in Phoenix, AZ I can get on Verizon are about 60 - 70 k/sec when tethered to my work laptop. My T-mobile Vibrant gets on average 220 - 240 k/sec and when throttled I average about 80 - 90 k/sec. Glad I don't use Verizon as my personal phone, I hate Verizon and I left there service in the early days, I had them from '99 to '02, been on T-mobile ever since and never ever looking back.

214.10.2010 15:35

When will people understand that 1% is still a very large number when it comes to large numbers? "less than one percent." which is no more than 10,000 people. So only 10,000 people will be affected by this -_-. And that's using THEIR numbers. If you've ever taken Calculus or any Statistics and probability classes, you would know that numbers can be manipulated to appease the person using them.

314.10.2010 15:40

Compared to other carriers this is completely more than fair. I love tmobile best carrier aruond imo

414.10.2010 16:01

Originally posted by flyingpen:
When will people understand that 1% is still a very large number when it comes to large numbers? "less than one percent." which is no more than 10,000 people. So only 10,000 people will be affected by this -_-. And that's using THEIR numbers. If you've ever taken Calculus or any Statistics and probability classes, you would know that numbers can be manipulated to appease the person using them.
T-Mob has 35 million subscribers in the U.S. Under 1 percent (let's say 300,000 subs affected) is a "large" number but not compared to the 34,700,000 subscribers that will have better speeds when using their phones.

Let's be reasonable here, 5GB is a HUGE amount of bandwidth to use, even if you are an active user of Pandora, YouTube, etc. Remember that T-Mobile user's don't have an iPhone so no Netflix, so that can't be an excuse.

I'm a a decently heavy data user on my G2, but last month I only had 700 MB used.

514.10.2010 16:14

Originally posted by flyingpen:
If you've ever taken Calculus or any Statistics and probability classes, you would know that numbers can be manipulated to appease the person using them.
You dont have to be a math wiz to figure that out. Even an idiot in basic math like myself can figure it out lol.

614.10.2010 16:47

I'm a a decently heavy data user on my G2, but last month I only had 700 MB used.



You are not a heavy user, I used 12 gb last month on my Vibrant, I used 8 gb on my Droid X, and that is not counting my high speed internet at home or my Verizon internet card at work. Heh

714.10.2010 17:04

I just checked Verizon's website... they still offer unlimited data, so whats the deal with saying they don't in the article? Besides, I agree with the sentiment of others. 5GB is HUGE! I turned off my wifi on my iPhone just to see what I really used a month and didn't quite hit 1GB of data, and since I still have unlimited data I use it as often as I please.

814.10.2010 17:39

Originally posted by harhumph:


I'm a a decently heavy data user on my G2, but last month I only had 700 MB used.

You are not a heavy user, I used 12 gb last month on my Vibrant, I used 8 gb on my Droid X, and that is not counting my high speed internet at home or my Verizon internet card at work. Heh

Harhumph, I say I am a heavy user because the U.S. average is 270MB. Don't even want to know how you got to 12GB haha :)
This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 14 Oct 2010 @ 5:41

914.10.2010 17:45

Originally posted by CNDLG:
I just checked Verizon's website... they still offer unlimited data, so whats the deal with saying they don't in the article? Besides, I agree with the sentiment of others. 5GB is HUGE! I turned off my wifi on my iPhone just to see what I really used a month and didn't quite hit 1GB of data, and since I still have unlimited data I use it as often as I please.
Verizon ditching unlimited plans

1014.10.2010 18:12

Originally posted by DVDBack23:
Originally posted by harhumph:


I'm a a decently heavy data user on my G2, but last month I only had 700 MB used.

You are not a heavy user, I used 12 gb last month on my Vibrant, I used 8 gb on my Droid X, and that is not counting my high speed internet at home or my Verizon internet card at work. Heh

Harhumph, I say I am a heavy user because the U.S. average is 270MB. Don't even want to know how you got to 12GB haha :)
NO KIDDING.... if Harhumph see these posts... I would love to know what you are doing to rack up 12GB on a cellphone!? (and just MHO that if its illegal, you don't admit how much you use for all to see!)
This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 14 Oct 2010 @ 6:14

1114.10.2010 18:22

Yeah, I'm going to have to say that this doesn't seem that outrageous. It's throttling, not turning off which seems to me to be a fair way of dealing with the issue.
I don't know how they advertise their service, if they guarantee a specific speed or not. That can matter.

1214.10.2010 19:44

Originally posted by CNDLG:
Originally posted by DVDBack23:
Originally posted by harhumph:


I'm a a decently heavy data user on my G2, but last month I only had 700 MB used.

You are not a heavy user, I used 12 gb last month on my Vibrant, I used 8 gb on my Droid X, and that is not counting my high speed internet at home or my Verizon internet card at work. Heh

Harhumph, I say I am a heavy user because the U.S. average is 270MB. Don't even want to know how you got to 12GB haha :)
NO KIDDING.... if Harhumph see these posts... I would love to know what you are doing to rack up 12GB on a cellphone!? (and just MHO that if its illegal, you don't admit how much you use for all to see!)
No worries, I buy lots of music, visit lots of web pages, and like I said earlier, tether at work for internet, as I am the only person in the building working we don't have a landline and my internet goes with me, I download large construction drawings too. But, music is a big part of it I guess. Nothing illegal, if I wanted to download movies I could double that # but I don't.

1314.10.2010 19:49

Originally posted by ThePastor:
Yeah, I'm going to have to say that this doesn't seem that outrageous. It's throttling, not turning off which seems to me to be a fair way of dealing with the issue.
I don't know how they advertise their service, if they guarantee a specific speed or not. That can matter.

BTW, I'm glad they throttle my speed, because it's not really fair to everyone else, and it only effects me for 10 days or so, plus I can use my wifi at home ;)

1415.10.2010 12:54

Wow....Anybody actually talk to anyone on their phones anymore? lol

1515.10.2010 15:12

Yea, I use about 2.5 gb a month on my iphone 3g. I don't think i could use 12 gb in a month legally.

1615.10.2010 16:56

let's make phones with data capabilities but not make the network to fully support them properly. fail.

1715.10.2010 17:59

Originally posted by six60six:
let's make phones with data capabilities but not make the network to fully support them properly. fail.
I hear ya there, but in the next 2 to 5 years I think we will get to the point where Cox & Qwest and whoever else provides high speed internet at home maybe sweating bullets if they can't adapt as our cell phones will become our primary internet, but that is only if the cell phone companies can provide faster speeds and UNLIMITED usage. We shall see...

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