That 'Unlimited Data' plan I got capped me at 50GB, then slowed to a crawl

I switched to a new phone carrier last summer after they ran this ad promising unlimited data for $45 a month. Sounded great, right? Well, three weeks into billing I downloaded some movies for a trip to Denver, and suddenly my speeds dropped to like 0.5 Mbps. I called support and they said after 50GB of usage, they 'prioritize' other customers over you. That's not unlimited, that's a limit with extra steps (and fine print you can't read on a billboard). My friend had the same thing happen with his plan from a different company, so it's not just one bad apple. Has anyone actually found a true unlimited data plan that doesn't pull this trick?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_cooper7329d agoMost Upvoted

My buddy's a trucker and he told me Verizon's "unlimited" plan for their mobile hotspot devices actually does slow down after 15GB. The real trick is finding a small regional carrier that doesn't have enough customers to worry about throttling. I know someone in Montana on a local provider that's never been capped.

the_rowan29d ago

Wait, are you seriously telling me that a tiny no-name carrier in Montana is somehow more reliable than one of the biggest companies in the country? I mean, sure, that one guy might not get throttled yet, but what happens when that carrier gets, like, 10 more customers? They'll either fold or start capping everyone overnight. Verizon might be a pain with their fine print, but at least they have actual towers and real tech support. A local provider sounds like it's run out of someone's basement with a single antenna on a grain silo. Plus, Verizon's "slow down" after 15GB is still way faster than most of those small guys' peak speeds. I'll take a known evil over a mystery box any day.

ryanm6029d ago

Man, I totally get it. I once tried to save money by switching to a "regional powerhouse" that turned out to be one guy with a router in his garage. My internet went out every time his neighbor mowed the lawn, probably because the extension cord got unplugged or something. So yeah, I'm with you on the "known evil vs. mystery box" thing. At least with Verizon I know the slowdown's coming, and I can plan my binge-watching around it.