The proposed plan limits tethering to 2G speeds. It would cost $15 to restore LTE tethering. Current plans include LTE tethering. This would be a huge increase in price, e.g. users on the current $65/6GB plan would see their monthly fee increase to $70 + $25 (turn off BingeOn) + $15 (turn on tethering) = $110, a 60% price increase.
The new plans take effect on Sept 6 (?). If you want an existing contract-free plan and don't need device upgrades in the future, it may be possible to get on the cheaper plans now and retain grandfathered status, if you are careful not to make any changes, ever. More: http://thenextweb.com/opinion/2016/08/18/t-mobile-one-plan-c...
"Tethering is a lifesaver for a minority of users, and forcing them to go out-of-pocket for respectable data speeds is insulting and unnecessary ... Nobody wants to watch 480p video on a Super AMOLED or Retina screen, and 2G tethering is laughable; I’d rather the company have simply added a 2GB cap on LTE tethering ... this is like an airline giving you unlimited loyalty points as a subscription, but restricting you to flights of 500 miles or less unless you paid another premium. T-Mobile didn’t reinvent data plans, it simply re-thought how to up-charge its customers."
Charging for a tethering feature is a business practice with precedence and history in the wireless industry, so it's unlikely the EFF or other advocacy groups will be able to do much to nullify a charge to enable LTE tethering.
Wireless carriers are starting to take pages from fixed/cable provider playbooks. Charging based on different access speeds of access (SD vs. HD video, or 2G vs. LTE tethering) is a time-honoured tradition with a long and profitable history. With more converged providers (i.e. wireless and wireline as a single corporate entity) and more effective cross-communication between departments, it was only a matter of time before spectrum became "fast enough" to start applying wireline strategies.
I'm wondering about the BingeOn charge. The spirit of net neutrality is that content must not be discriminated against, unless the customer agrees (i.e. opt-in). T-Mobile has clearly shown they have an appetite testing gray legal waters, which turned out to be a decisive short-term competitive edge. Clearly, they're willing to go further in testing the definitions and intent of "opt-in".
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[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 32.8 ms ] threadThe new plans take effect on Sept 6 (?). If you want an existing contract-free plan and don't need device upgrades in the future, it may be possible to get on the cheaper plans now and retain grandfathered status, if you are careful not to make any changes, ever. More: http://thenextweb.com/opinion/2016/08/18/t-mobile-one-plan-c...
"Tethering is a lifesaver for a minority of users, and forcing them to go out-of-pocket for respectable data speeds is insulting and unnecessary ... Nobody wants to watch 480p video on a Super AMOLED or Retina screen, and 2G tethering is laughable; I’d rather the company have simply added a 2GB cap on LTE tethering ... this is like an airline giving you unlimited loyalty points as a subscription, but restricting you to flights of 500 miles or less unless you paid another premium. T-Mobile didn’t reinvent data plans, it simply re-thought how to up-charge its customers."
Wireless carriers are starting to take pages from fixed/cable provider playbooks. Charging based on different access speeds of access (SD vs. HD video, or 2G vs. LTE tethering) is a time-honoured tradition with a long and profitable history. With more converged providers (i.e. wireless and wireline as a single corporate entity) and more effective cross-communication between departments, it was only a matter of time before spectrum became "fast enough" to start applying wireline strategies.
I'm wondering about the BingeOn charge. The spirit of net neutrality is that content must not be discriminated against, unless the customer agrees (i.e. opt-in). T-Mobile has clearly shown they have an appetite testing gray legal waters, which turned out to be a decisive short-term competitive edge. Clearly, they're willing to go further in testing the definitions and intent of "opt-in".
I'm just bummed I gave up my ancient unlimited data/tethering plan when I switched to my company's plan.
Does anyone offer solid data plans these days?
T-Mobile is very upfront about this and it's clear in your account management page.