T-Mobile argues that because its network has been expanding rapidly over the past two years, it has more modern equipment that can handle the load. Sprint, which has the fewest customers and the most unused spectrum among the Big 4 carriers, probably has the most headroom. T-Mobile noted that some users might want to opt for prepaid service under the MetroPCS brand, where plans start as low as $30 a month.Īnalysts offered mixed views about whether Sprint and T-Mobile would be able to maintain the quality of their networks if a crush of users switched to unlimited plans. Still, by phasing out lower cost plans with limited data allowances, the two carriers seem to be favoring data hogs and family plan subscribers over individuals with more limited needs or available cash flow. “Nobody knows how to count megabytes…it’s fraught with confusion and complexity.” “How absurd is it that in 2016 almost everybody on the mobile Internet is limited, and what they’re supposed to do is count up megabytes,” he said. Its old unlimited plan started at $75.Īs T-Mobile chief operating officer Mike Seivert said on Thursday, it’s almost impossible to even predict how much data will be consumed by downloading a standard definition versus a high definition movie. Sprint went even lower, offering its unlimited plan for $60 to $160. A prior unlimited plan ranged from $95 for an individual customer to $280 for four lines. T-Mobile’s new plan started at $70 for one line and went up to $160 for four lines. Both T-Mobile (TMUS) and Sprint (S) introduced new, cheaper-than-ever unlimited data plans. Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.īut slowly unlimited plans have been coming back, and this week they nearly took over the entire scene. Carriers, as they explain over and over again, own a limited amount of spectrum, or airwave licenses, thus limiting capacity for customer data usage. And AT&T and other carriers phased out unlimited data plans starting about six years ago.įor most of the years since, mobile industry executives have explained that unlimited plans just don’t make economic sense for the carriers, especially as simply surfing the Internet has expanded into all manner of apps, realtime driving directions, streaming music and video, and online games. Two-year contracts and subsidized phones are almost gone. Monthly limits on voice and texting are long gone. In the almost 10 years since, wireless plans have evolved and morphed almost beyond recognition.
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