T-Mobile Extends Unlimited Data Throttling Cap To 50GB

Data caps are now the norm and even with a company that is as customer-friendly as T-Mobile, this is still the case. Fortunately, at least the carrier is open to this fact and is willing to make some adjustments. T-Mobile just announced that it would be increasing the threshold for throttling unlimited data to 50GB.

Now, one can be forgiven for thinking that “unlimited data” means being able to stream, download, browse, and play stuff online without having to worry about anything. However, this is just not the case. Even so, T-Mobile is assuring its customers that 50GB is plenty of room to do regular internet stuff throughout the month, Engadget reports.

"When T-Mobile customers who use the most data hit these prioritization points during the month, they get in line behind other customers who have used less data and may experience reduced speeds," T-Mobile stated. "But this impacts them only very rarely, like when there is a big line, and it resets every month."

When compared to the previous 32GB limit, this increased cap might certainly look more generous. Yet, it doesn’t really solve the problem that “unlimited data” does not mean what it implies. Customers who exceed the amount allotted to them will not be cut off entirely from their internet connection, but they can expect their internet speeds to decrease considerably.

Once users become “de-prioritized,” checking social media will still be possible, but watching 4K movies via Netflix would be next to impossible. At that point, they’ll have no choice but to wait until their data cap is reset.

Then again, it’s worth pointing out that this is still a much better deal than what either Verizon or AT&T offers. Those carriers will start throttling customers once they reach 22GB of usage, PC Mag reports. What’s more, the act of throttling is explained by the carriers as a means of stopping data hogs from inconveniencing everyone else by clogging up the network.