One of the major advantages of the T-Mobile unlimited plan, compared to those offered by rivals AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, will end next month.
The change coming to the T-Mobile One and T-Mobile One Plus plans will not be the first limitations that will be applied to them, but it further stretches the definition of what an "unlimited" plan is among carriers and their customers.
T-Mobile Roaming In Canada, Mexico Data Limit
Mobile Without Borders, one of the perks of T-Mobile's unlimited data plans, allows subscribers to access unlimited 4G LTE data while roaming in Canada or Mexico.
However, in a support page that updates the terms of the feature, T-Mobile states that starting Nov. 12, Mobile Without Borders will limit the data offered to subscribers to only up to 5 GB. Once subscribers reach that limit while roaming in Canada or Mexico, their speeds are throttled, down to a measly 256 kbps for T-Mobile One Plus customers and an even worse 128 kbps for T-Mobile One customers.
T-Mobile explained that it is placing the 5 GB cap on what was previously a truly unlimited data offering because it is barely used anyway, as less than 1 percent of its subscribers traveling to Canada and Mexico reach 5 GB worth of usage. Customers who want to have access to unlimited LTE while in Canada or Mexico can choose to add the T-Mobile One Plus International feature, which is an additional $25 monthly charge.
The limit on the data offered to subscribers traveling to Canada or Mexico mirrors the unlimited data throttling cap for subscribers in the United States, which was recently increased from 32 GB to 50 GB. Customers who go beyond 50 GB of data in a single billing cycle will still be able to access unlimited LTE but at times will see throttled speed during instances of network congestion.
T-Mobile vs Other Carriers
T-Mobile has certainly given its rivals a run for their money in the telecommunications industry. The Un-carrier dominated the latest State of Mobile Networks report by OpenSignal, and despite Netflix rates set to go up, T-Mobile will not change anything about the free unlimited Netflix streaming that it has offered to T-Mobile One and T-Mobile One Plus customers.
The decision to roll back unlimited data for customers going to Canada and Mexico, however, is a curious move. While it makes sense, it appears to be something that its rivals will be doing. Hopefully, T-Mobile will still continue to push other carriers to follow its lead and not start to become like the companies that it has challenged in the industry.
