7 ms·

Just in case anyone hasn't noticed this: > While the data is free, it won't be particularly fast. Customers can expect network speeds at around the same level

by quink 13y ago

Just in case anyone hasn't noticed this: > While the data is free, it won't be particularly fast. Customers can expect network speeds at around the same level that they get in the US after they are throttled. Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert said the average speed customers would get would be around 128 kilobits a second. Think of it more of an extension of the Kindle 3G business model rather than anything else. The maximum one could theoretically suck through that straw, at 24/7, is 40 GB a month.

nwh 13y ago
Better than the $2/MB we pay for international data in Australia.
_delirium 13y ago
That still sounds pretty reasonable, considering that at normal roaming-data prices, that 40 GB would cost you about $10,000. Between a speed cap and insane prices, I'll take the speed cap!
- mikeash 13y ago
  128kbps is pretty slow, but it's fine for basic use. That's basically a mediocre EDGE connection like the original iPhone without great coverage, and while it was no speed demon, it was certainly usable. It'll let you send instant messages, and check your e-mail and get directions if you're patient. I could easily see surviving on a plan like this while traveling.
  - aaronbrethorst 13y ago
    Although the difference between EDGE and LTE is vast, it pales in comparison to the difference between data and no data.
    - jamesaguilar 13y ago
      Can't even say how many times I really wanted data during our recent trip to Korea. It would have been profoundly useful on some occasions.
  - kamjam 13y ago
    I've been in Canada for a year using my UK phone, so I only get Edge due to the different bands. Surprisingly, I have survived and I didn't think I would. Sure things take longer to load and I can't really stream YouTube but you learn to live with it and you can always pick up wifi in a lot of cafes and restaurants to send images and files. But, I can send/receive my emails, use Tango/WhatsUp/Skype to instant message, Facebook, browse the web etc. It's more than adequate, you can work around the limitations fairly easily. I'm also on a limited data plan (500MB month) so at faster speeds I would hit that limit very quickly! I will be buying a Nexus 5 when it comes out though :)
freehunter 13y ago
I would be willing to pay for this service here in the US for a reasonable price. There are plenty of things I would love a low-end data plan for, but can't justify the cost of $45/mo for prepaid data at 1.5GB/mo like Net10 offers. Think of electronics projects that could benefit from an anywhere, always on connection even if it's super slow. But is that project worth $45/mo, and is it worth it if you run out of data before the end of the month?
- staunch 13y ago
  They have an unlimited plan for $30 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6148698 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6148698
  - brownbat 13y ago
    Had. [EDIT: Er, Have. With apologies, see below discussion.] I'm paying $25/mo for a limited no-contract BYOB plan. They're still taking my money for it, but I'm a little scared, since I can no longer find it on the site. Over the last six months, I've seen T-Mobile BYOD plans at $15, 25, 30, 35, 45, and up. Now, you can't get any plan from T-Mobile under $50 per month, and that "cheap" plan comes with less high speed data than they've typically offered for less. They're killing the value of the plans while rebranding throttling as "unlimited" so it sounds like a perk. "Yeah, use all of our awful throttled data you like. Be our guest!" Someone should put the old plans, like the one you link to, side by side with the new ones. I don't think so many people would still think this is a win for consumers or competition. * I've found 1.5 GB is more than enough for email, Wikipedia, and the rare voice call - if I'm settled in somewhere to watch Netflix, I always seem to have wifi.
    - elq 13y ago
      The still have that plan - http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans it's just a bit hidden.
      - brownbat 13y ago
nknighthb 13y ago
For me, that's not the painful part. The painful part is the six week limit. When I was in Taiwan, I was handed a prepaid dumbphone and a 4G wireless hotspot with iffy battery life and some indoor coverage issues. Being able to send/receive SMSs and brief phone calls with my smartphone's home number, and keep up on email and light browsing on my own phone without being at the mercy of the hotspot, would have been very nice, but I was there for ~9 months split into two trips during the course of a year. I would gladly pay an extra $10-20/month (with $0.20/minute voice) for such capability over an extended period, but that wasn't, and apparently still is not, an option.
- car 13y ago
  If you get one of the Blackberry UMA models or a T-Mobile branded phone with 'Wifi calling', those phones will work over Wifi anywhere in the world, at no extra cost. In other words, you can make and receive voice calls on your regular number, and the same for SMS via WLAN.
- HaloZero 13y ago
  I think that the case T-Mobile is going for is not the person who lives in another country for long periods of time for work but the traveller who has to constantly go back and forth between areas, or just a frequent vacationer. I imagine it's just better for you to get your own plan if you're spending 3/4 of the year there.
  - nknighthb 13y ago
    Getting my own plan was a legal impossibility, and would have done little to help anyone in the US get hold of me. car's suggestion is at least an interesting half-solution. I didn't even consider a T-Mobile "wi-fi calling" phone at the time, as I'd been under the impression, right up until today, that T-Mobile had only had that feature for a couple years before abandoning it.

by quink 13y ago

nwh 13y ago

Better than the $2/MB we pay for international data in Australia.

_delirium 13y ago

That still sounds pretty reasonable, considering that at normal roaming-data prices, that 40 GB would cost you about $10,000. Between a speed cap and insane prices, I'll take the speed cap!

mikeash 13y ago
128kbps is pretty slow, but it's fine for basic use. That's basically a mediocre EDGE connection like the original iPhone without great coverage, and while it was no speed demon, it was certainly usable. It'll let you send instant messages, and check your e-mail and get directions if you're patient. I could easily see surviving on a plan like this while traveling.
- aaronbrethorst 13y ago
  Although the difference between EDGE and LTE is vast, it pales in comparison to the difference between data and no data.
  - jamesaguilar 13y ago
    Can't even say how many times I really wanted data during our recent trip to Korea. It would have been profoundly useful on some occasions.
- kamjam 13y ago
  I've been in Canada for a year using my UK phone, so I only get Edge due to the different bands. Surprisingly, I have survived and I didn't think I would. Sure things take longer to load and I can't really stream YouTube but you learn to live with it and you can always pick up wifi in a lot of cafes and restaurants to send images and files. But, I can send/receive my emails, use Tango/WhatsUp/Skype to instant message, Facebook, browse the web etc. It's more than adequate, you can work around the limitations fairly easily. I'm also on a limited data plan (500MB month) so at faster speeds I would hit that limit very quickly! I will be buying a Nexus 5 when it comes out though :)

freehunter 13y ago

I would be willing to pay for this service here in the US for a reasonable price. There are plenty of things I would love a low-end data plan for, but can't justify the cost of $45/mo for prepaid data at 1.5GB/mo like Net10 offers. Think of electronics projects that could benefit from an anywhere, always on connection even if it's super slow. But is that project worth $45/mo, and is it worth it if you run out of data before the end of the month?

staunch 13y ago
They have an unlimited plan for $30 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6148698 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6148698
- brownbat 13y ago
  Had. [EDIT: Er, Have. With apologies, see below discussion.] I'm paying $25/mo for a limited no-contract BYOB plan. They're still taking my money for it, but I'm a little scared, since I can no longer find it on the site. Over the last six months, I've seen T-Mobile BYOD plans at $15, 25, 30, 35, 45, and up. Now, you can't get any plan from T-Mobile under $50 per month, and that "cheap" plan comes with less high speed data than they've typically offered for less. They're killing the value of the plans while rebranding throttling as "unlimited" so it sounds like a perk. "Yeah, use all of our awful throttled data you like. Be our guest!" Someone should put the old plans, like the one you link to, side by side with the new ones. I don't think so many people would still think this is a win for consumers or competition. * I've found 1.5 GB is more than enough for email, Wikipedia, and the rare voice call - if I'm settled in somewhere to watch Netflix, I always seem to have wifi.
  - elq 13y ago
    The still have that plan - http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans it's just a bit hidden.
    - brownbat 13y ago

nknighthb 13y ago

For me, that's not the painful part. The painful part is the six week limit. When I was in Taiwan, I was handed a prepaid dumbphone and a 4G wireless hotspot with iffy battery life and some indoor coverage issues. Being able to send/receive SMSs and brief phone calls with my smartphone's home number, and keep up on email and light browsing on my own phone without being at the mercy of the hotspot, would have been very nice, but I was there for ~9 months split into two trips during the course of a year. I would gladly pay an extra $10-20/month (with $0.20/minute voice) for such capability over an extended period, but that wasn't, and apparently still is not, an option.

car 13y ago
If you get one of the Blackberry UMA models or a T-Mobile branded phone with 'Wifi calling', those phones will work over Wifi anywhere in the world, at no extra cost. In other words, you can make and receive voice calls on your regular number, and the same for SMS via WLAN.
HaloZero 13y ago
I think that the case T-Mobile is going for is not the person who lives in another country for long periods of time for work but the traveller who has to constantly go back and forth between areas, or just a frequent vacationer. I imagine it's just better for you to get your own plan if you're spending 3/4 of the year there.
- nknighthb 13y ago
  Getting my own plan was a legal impossibility, and would have done little to help anyone in the US get hold of me. car's suggestion is at least an interesting half-solution. I didn't even consider a T-Mobile "wi-fi calling" phone at the time, as I'd been under the impression, right up until today, that T-Mobile had only had that feature for a couple years before abandoning it.