T-Mobile wants to throttle your internet speeds. Here's what you need to know
T-Mobile recently sent a memo informing its customers that the company has expanded its Fair Usage policy to all of its 5G internet users, including home internet and small business customers. The memo, which was obtained by The Mobile Report, says users could face reduced speeds if their monthly data usage exceeds 1.2 terabytes.
"Making sure all customers get a great network experience today and in the future is our top priority, so when a customer uses more than 1.2TB within a billing cycle, they may encounter reduced speeds during periods of network congestion," the memo reads. "Their data and prioritization will be reset with their next billing cycle."
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Data throttling is a common, if annoying, occurrence on mobile networks. While US carriers offer fast 5G networks, they will often reduce available speeds to users who consume a significant amount of data on the network. Carriers argue that doing so ensures a better experience for the vast majority of users and stops a small subset of customers from overconsuming network resources.
While T-Mobile's decision to expand its Fair Usage commitment beyond its mobile users may sound troublesome, the company said that it'll likely affect "a small percentage of users." The company also made clear that while it reserves the right to throttle your speeds, there's no guarantee that will actually happen. Indeed, the company said that even if a user has consumed more than 1.2TB of data, a variety of factors, including their location, time of day, and network congestion (or lack thereof) could determine whether they experience slower speeds, or not.
Additionally, T-Mobile said that the carrier will keep users informed as they get closer to the data limit and when they exceed the 1.2TB threshold. The company added that users can check their data usage at any time on the T-Mobile app.
Both T-Mobile's 5G Home Internet and Small Business service plans start at $40 per month. The company offers a 15-day "test drive" to try out the service.