NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] T-Mobile Caves on 1 GB 3G Data Limit for HTC G1 Google Android Phone
T-Mobile Caves on 1 GB 3G Data Limit for HTC G1 Google Android Phone
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000435.html
Greetings. After a chorus of rather skeptical public articles
regarding T-Mobile's plans to severely speed throttle users of the
new HTC G1 Google Android Phone who reached 1 GB of usage within a
single billing cycle, T-Mobile has now removed the 1 GB throttle
trigger language from their 3G information page.
The original language, as I earlier noted
( http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000433.html ), was:
"If your total data usage in any billing cycle is more than 1GB,
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."
The new wording on that same information page
( http://www.t-mobileg1.com/3G.aspx ):
"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."
So what appeared to be a rather hard limit to trigger throttling has
been replaced with a hazier definition that seems to leave
considerable wiggle room for adjustment and dealing with individual
cases in a more appropriate manner. In particular, I'd anticipate
that G1 users whose data usage is more spread out over the month
rather than bunched up over short periods will be less likely to run
into problems, even if (as will be rather easy to do) their usage
exceeds 1 GB within a single billing cycle.
It will be interesting to see how T-Mobile manages this new policy
in practice, but this does seem to remove a significant potential
problem for early Android adopters.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@vortex.com or lauren@pfir.org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
- People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
- Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com