T-Mobile redefining carriers by being slightly more evil
T-Mobile now has a one-low price “unlimited” Internet/phone package for about $40 per line for a family of four that includes their WiFi networks, US/Canada/Mexico without charge, global text and data roaming, and something about Tuesday. It’s called T-Mobile ONE.
The tagline is “The era of the data plan is over.”
It looks like on this non-data plan they’re still downscaling streaming video to 480p, and they point out that video is excluded from the unlimited LTE bandwidth plan requiring additional $25 per month per line to stream it.
You could just open up a VPN and stream it as part of your unlimited LTE data. That seems odd. Specifically targeting a method of transport for a $300 a year price hike that could be worked around by a free VPN service.
Sprint’s old fake definition of unlimited limited what you could do (obviously,) and what your device was allowed to do (no sharing/tethering,) but T-Mobile’s “unlimited” goes one step further to limit a higher level of streaming. What this means is you’re not allowed to use your amazing network on your phone to broadcast 720p+ streaming to your tv without incurring charges, but feel free to download 95 three gig linux distros as part of the plan.
So unlimited, except for video resolution (480p is good enough citizen!)
Here’s what I really have a beef with (two quotes from the same section):
T-Mobile ONE is a radically simple subscription to the mobile Internet. One low price. Unlimited everything. That’s it. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.
For customers who want higher definition video, T-Mobile ONE has you covered too with an HD add-on for $25 a month per line.
Unlimited everything, or limited video quality. You can’t claim both.
Not that I particularly care, it’s just a very obvious untruth that the Uncarrier is unloading.
[T-Mobile]
