T-Mobile slashes mobile data allowance

It's 500MB and not a byte more

T-Mobile has announced that it is cutting the data allowance on all of its mobile contracts, down to 500MB from 1GB or 3GB.

But it's not the data allowance cuts that have caused a commotion on the web (although people who were sold a 3GB contract with their smartphone are quite rightly peeved), it's the strange way that T-Mobile has gone about announcing the changes - using a very strongly worded statement that explains exactly what the internet and browsing actually mean.

"Browsing means looking at websites and checking email, but not watching videos, downloading files or playing games. We’ve got a fair use policy but ours means that you'll always be able to browse the internet, it’s only when you go over the fair use amount that you won’t be able to download, stream and watch video clips."

Oh really?

Better put down that Android powered superphone with all of its video capabilities for when you're out and about then, because video watching from the web isn't technically browsing.

T-Mobile states: "If you want to download, stream and watch video clips, save that stuff for your home broadband."

That's a pretty tough-line to take in a world that is slowly becoming dominated by multimedia heavy handsets, which T-Mobile seems more than happy to sell.

The 500MB allowance itself isn't really all that different from what T-Mobile's competitors are offering, apart from Three who does offer an unlimited plan.

But smartphone users haven't reacted too well to being given a bit of a lecture by T-Mobile of the aspects of mobile browsing, especially when it came on top of the unwelcome data allowance cut news.

Tags: T-Mobile Mobile broadband Phones Mobile phones

T-Mobile slashes mobile data allowance originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:44:00 +0000

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