T-Mobile USA doesn’t have the iPhone — but it doesn’t have data limits, either.
Well, that probably won’t work as an ad slogan, but the company is hoping that its launch of a new unlimited 4G data plan will win over or at least retain smartphone users wary of monthly data limits on plans from AT&T and Verizon.
With the move, T-Mobile is aiming to differentiate itself from those larger carriers, which are instead giving customers the ability to share a finite monthly allotment of data among a variety of devices. Under those shared plans, AT&T and Verizon both charge extra if customers use more than the data allowed by their specific plans.
Sprint also offers unlimited data plans, but T-Mobile says its high-speed network has better coverage.
One catch: The T-Mobile unlimited plan doesn’t work with mobile hotspots.
T-Mobile is hoping that the new approach will bolster its reputation as a budget carrier. A smartphone user on T-Mobile’s Value Plan (in which customers pay full price for a phone up front) will pay $70/month for unlimited calls, texting and data; while a smartphone user on the company’s Classic Plan (in which the cost of the phone is subsidized) will pay $90/month.
The new unlimited plan will start Sept. 5. T-Mobile customers will also be able to keep their current plans. For more, CNet News.com and USA Today both have good summaries of the news.