Sprint’s new T-Mobile-style “unlimited” data plan throttles you after 1GB

[Samfisher]

Source : http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/10/sprints-new-t-mobile-style-unlimited-data-plan-throttles-you-after-1gb/

 

 

 

Sprint yesterday unveiled a $40-per-month "unlimited data" smartphone plan that comes with 1GB of high-speed data. You can use all the data you want, but after that first gigabyte, you'll be throttled to lower, 2G speeds for the rest of the month.

 

 

This is similar to plans offered by T-Mobile US, which sells "unlimited data" service that throttles customers after they've used up their high-speed allotments. Sprint is undercutting T-Mobile on the price by $10 per month.

However, Sprint's throttled speed is apparently lower than T-Mobile's. While Sprint's announcement didn't define "2G speeds," in the context of international roaming, Sprint has defined it as "up to" 64kbps. T-Mobile defines 2G as up to 128kbps. (We've asked Sprint to clarify its 2G speeds and will provide an update if we get one.)

 

 

Holy balls, what is the point of "Unlimited" data if you're throttled to kingdom come?? 2G speeds??  You couldn't even send a WhatsApp message quickly with those speeds!  You are effectively dropping down to dial-up speeds after 1GB.  Even in my country, telco's don't advertise plans as "Unlimited" although they are.

 

You pay for X GB a month, and after your data quota the speeds just drop with no extra costs.  Main difference is they market these plans as "x GB" instead of "Unlimited but F**k You speeds".

[8enjicraf2]

This might sound stupid, im only 13. But could u use a VPN to get quicker speeds?

[Samfisher]

This might sound stupid, im only 13. But could u use a VPN to get quicker speeds?

 

VPN's only reroute traffic, data still goes from your telco outwards.  However, I do see VPN services that basically give you unlimited data in my country, but I have no idea how they work, and they also cost you on top of your monthly bill.

[Kherm]

This might sound stupid, im only 13. But could u use a VPN to get quicker speeds?

Not at all. Sprint is just being a bitch.

[PlayStation 2]

Well, it's not false advertising.

[Guest]

Is that Kb/s or KB/s? Cause that's a huge difference.

[boboman342]

That's why you buy the "truly unlimited" plan... I am on that one now and have downloaded over 150GBs of data (games and such) from my Sprint phone and I always get the fastest speed I can given my location. Ex sometimes in downtown I will get 60+Mbps down and at home I get 30+Mbps.

[Lord_Karango17]

I've used 2G before, and its pretty much unusable... loading pictures takes the amount of time, loading videos would on a reasonably fast network...

[Suika]

This might sound stupid, im only 13. But could u use a VPN to get quicker speeds?

VPN's only reroute traffic, data still goes from your telco outwards.  However, I do see VPN services that basically give you unlimited data in my country, but I have no idea how they work, and they also cost you on top of your monthly bill.

Actually, I have T-Mobile and my data cap is at 2.5GB before it throttles, however, using Psiphon VPN in the Google Play market brings my speed back quite a bit even during the throttle periods. Don't know why it works, but it does.

 

Orbot doesn't yield the same effect, but it boosts speed slightly.

[GammaProX]

That's the whole point it's a 1gb unlimited so that means 1gb free and after it throttles but after the 1gb you can use as much as you want with no extra charges

[Samfisher]

Is that Kb/s or KB/s? Cause that's be a huge difference.

 

That's Kilobits.  2g speeds max out at a theoretical 1 Megabit per second, which is 500 Kilobits in practice. If it was Kilobytes, T-Mobile's speeds wouldn't make sense as 120KB * 8 would be 960 Kilobits which is impossible to reach on 2G on real world usages.

 

Yes, Sprint is offering 12% of the speeds 2G can deliver in the real world.

 

 

 

That's the whole point it's a 1gb unlimited so that means 1gb free and after it throttles but after the 1gb you can use as much as you want with no extra charges

 

 

Of course, but when you market something as unlimited, you expect to receive the same quality of service throughout.  They don't kick you out of all-you-can-eat restaurants for eating too much.

[KemoKa]

We just need these companies to upgrade their damn infrastructure. The US just dropped to 55th in 4G data speeds.

In your face, Indonesia!

 

Yes, that's right, the "Greatest Nation on Earth" is just above Indonesia in 4G infrastructure.

'MURRRRICA!!!!

[Samfisher]

We just need these companies to upgrade their damn infrastructure. The US just dropped to 55th in 4G data speeds.

In your face, Indonesia!

 

Yes, that's right, the "Greatest Nation on Earth" is just above Indonesia in 4G infrastructure.

'MURRRRICA!!!!

 

It's actually even lower than Malaysia and India

[KemoKa]

It's actually even lower than Malaysia

American ISPs "Huh!? What? Why is the internet down? what is going on?"

Wendell: "Well, there's one angry kid in Japan with a 10gig connection and he's DDoSing the entire eastern seaboard of the US, so... yeah..."

 

That's what's gonna happen. I know it. I know that it is.

[Daegun]

They don't kick you out of all-you-can-eat restaurants for eating too much.

Sadly, they can and do. Especially when you eat too much shrimp. That stuff can get pricey.

 

No, I have never personally been kicked out of a buffet before, but I know someone that was.

[KemoKa]

All it takes is a bad tornado's worth of phone calls in Oklahoma to saturate the 4G network in America. I mean, come on. Really?

[Bouzoo]

This is a perfectly normal thing. Since apps like Viber, Whatsapp, Facebook, Skype etc. came into being, every day less and less people use messages and normal voice calls. Because of that, providers are having serious issues in how to make a profit out of that, so throttling is a way of doing that. Yes, you have unlimited plan, but it's usually so slow that after you cap you are almost forced to buy more data. Happens to me after using 4GB of 4G as well. I don't like it either, but I can understand them from a business perspective. 

[TechGod]

I love being in the country ranked first for 4G infrastructure:D

[pit5000]

to be fair, T-mobile also throttles after 1 GB, but at least their marketing is more accurate. T-mobile say 1 GB of high speed data, everything after is slowed down.

[Swndlr]

I love being in the country ranked first for 4G infrastructure:D

Where?

[TechGod]

Where?

New Zealand. Problem is, pricing of stuff is so ridiculous that its very difficult to join the PCMasterRace:(

[bcredeur97]

Being I just crossed a Terabyte of data usage at home this month, I could really use more than 3GB on my phone.

 

Just sayin' phone companies...

[spartaman64]

they put 1gb high speed data in large letters and then unlimited 2g data

[Samfisher]

they put 1gb high speed data in large letters and then unlimited 2g data

And 2G is basically unusable except for the barest of websites, it's barely enough to send Whatsapp messages without having to wait for it to send out.  The least it could have done is cap it to 3G and 50KB/s, NOT 60Kb/s which is substantially lower.

[QueenDemetria]

Sprint: And after 1GB we will throttle you to 64kbps

QD: So in other words the speed isn't changing :trollface:

 

I really want to know how Sprint can say "throttled to 2G speeds" when they haven't served 2G for years now(other than their 3G that is as slow as 2G).

 

Edit: And why the hell are carriers proud of unlimited 2G speeds? What year is it? Unlimited 3G(regular HSPA not +) would be something reasonable and something to be proud of.