Really??
So T-MOBILE throttling "unlimited" accounts is no wrong doing, but they were fined? So much for them as a choice
T-Mobile US has agreed to pay the US comms watchdog the FCC $48m to settle claims that it illegally throttled the connections of some unlimited-plan data users. The settlement package [PDF] ends an investigation the US broadband watchdog launched over T‑Mobile's handling of customers on its unlimited data plans. At issue was …
You will find that it's not much better anywhere else. Just earlier today I saw an ad for I think AT&T that said data rates can be limited after, say, 22GB. Couldn't stomach the monthly rate for that plan, however.
That said, this marks something I thought I'd never see out of the FCC: them forcing providers offering "unlimited" service to take the word literally.
What's fun about this is Verizon's new advertising campaign: "Don't be limited by an Unlimited plan, Verizon offers 20GB of Unlimited data...."
After hearing that ad, all I could think of is "War is Peace! Freedom is slavery! Ignorance is strength!"
T-Mo has changed their marketing, while the plan is still "Unlimited*" the not-so-fine print is clear that the top 3% will get throttled, and the current cap is 35GB. Said qualifier is easy to see and is put very near any and all usages of "Unlimited*" So, yeah, a mea culpa and a promise never to do it again, and a fine.
"... $35.5m of that package also be earmarked for return to customers in the form of discounts on accessories" Hot damn, now that's a settlement of real benefit to the customer!
They get to disown their previous misleading words, agree to make "less misleading" misleading words in the future, and atone by giving gouged customers useless vouchers? This watchdog accepts hushpuppies. There's no meat here!