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T-Mobile Offering Unlimited Smartphone Data, Extra Hotspot Data and Free International Calls to Some Areas Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

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T-Mobile today announced a few changes that should help out some of its customers who are relying on their T-Mobile data plans during the coronavirus outbreak in the United States.

tmobilelogo.jpg

Most T-Mobile customers already have unlimited data, but for T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers who still have plans with data limits, T-Mobile will provide unlimited smartphone data for the next 60 days.

T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers are also getting access to an additional 20GB of mobile hotspot/tethering service for the next 60 days, something that T-Mobile says it will offer soon.

Free international calling is available for all T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers to level 3 impacted countries, which includes all European countries.

For schools, T-Mobile is upping the data allowance provided to students through the EmpowerED digital learning programs to ensure that every participant has access to at least 20GB of data per month for the next 60 days.

Customers who use T-Mobile's low-income Lifeline program will receive extra free data up to 5GB per month over the next two months.

T-Mobile is also participating in the FCC's "Keep Americans Connected Pledge," which prevents internet providers from cutting off service to individuals and small business customers unable to pay their bills during the coronavirus outbreak.

To alleviate foot traffic in stores, T-Mobile is offering customers free two-day shipping fees for online purchases for 60 days as a courtesy.

Article Link: T-Mobile Offering Unlimited Smartphone Data, Extra Hotspot Data and Free International Calls to Some Areas Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/03/13/tmobile-coronavirus-unlimited-data/
1

1345873

Cancelled
Dec 28, 2013
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Social or humain policy? You make the choice. Where in this together. Let’s act as such, not only now.. make caring for each other great again!
 
M

martyjmclean

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Jan 24, 2018
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Alan Wynn said:
Where else in the world offers free international calls as part of every plan?
Click to expand...
Some Australian and most (if not all) European telcos.

I pay $35 for unlimited data, unlimited national talk/text. The unlimited international talk/text is a bonus.
 
4sallypat

4sallypat

macrumors 68040
Sep 16, 2016
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I love T Mobile for international travel - not having to buy a foreign country specific SIM.

For home, I love it now that I am not throttled past the 5GB mark....

For $25 per line - that's a bargain!

Thanks T-Mobile!
 
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alexandr

alexandr

macrumors 603
Nov 11, 2005
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4sallypat said:
I love T Mobile for international travel - not having to buy a foreign country specific SIM.

For home, I love it now that I am not throttled past the 5GB mark....

For $25 per line - that's a bargain!

Thanks T-Mobile!
Click to expand...

they are the best! not to mention they introduced wi-fi calling long before any other us carriers did. i had just moved to europe at the time for an extensive period, and it was absolutely AMAZING to have!
 
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MacBH928

MacBH928

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May 17, 2008
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does it cost telecom companies extra to make internet unlimited and phone calls unlimited? Does it cost them some thing for every GB I use, or is it a fixed cost, pay for the tower and then it just works.
 
Erehy Dobon

Erehy Dobon

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MacBH928 said:
does it cost telecom companies extra to make internet unlimited and phone calls unlimited? Does it cost them some thing for every GB I use, or is it a fixed cost, pay for the tower and then it just works.
Click to expand...
Nah, cellular towers have a finite capacity. When too many people connect to one tower, the performance degrades.

Cellular providers have ongoing costs associated with cellular towers, not just equipment maintenance. Purchasing the property on which to build the tower is capital expenditure. They can also lease locations like sticking a cellular transmitter in a church's bell tower.

Moving from 3G to early 4G LTE to more mature 4G LTE requires additional expenditure, labor, etc. Newly available spectrum will probably require the installation of new antennas optimized for the new frequencies. UPS batteries need to be replaced. Replacing the copper wiring that was stolen by some meth addict. Stuff like that.

This finite capacity means that sometimes cellular operators need to bring in temporary capacity. These are known as "COWs" ("Cells On Wheels") and are frequently used at short-term duration events (stuff like the Super Bowl or Coachella) or sometimes emergency response (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes) when demand outstrips regular capacity.

COWs aren't free. They cost money. They take people to run. They need to be trucked in and hauled away.

They also aren't new. COWs have been around pretty much since cellular telephony was no longer some sort of weird affectation by a handful of telephone geeks and entered mainstream consumer life. So way back in the Nineties. You do realize that Twitter's legacy 140-character tweet limit was originally enforced for SMS, yes? Back in the day, it was all text, no photos.

In the same way, if you have too much data moving on your home network, you will likely see degraded performance. This is particularly obvious in streaming video as the feed may start buffering or pixelating.

Cellular operators will typically prioritize customer classes. Postpaid customers on high-value plans will get the top priority connections to cellular towers. After all of the postpaid customers, the company's own prepaid brand's customer usually get precedence over MVNO users.

In the same way, if you donate generously to an art museum, you may get early member pre-opening access to a special exhibition.
 
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MacBH928

MacBH928

macrumors G3
May 17, 2008
8,553
3,841
Erehy Dobon said:
Nah, cellular towers have a finite capacity. When too many people connect to one tower, the performance degrades.

Cellular providers have ongoing costs associated with cellular towers, not just equipment maintenance. Purchasing the property on which to build the tower is capital expenditure. They can also lease locations like sticking a cellular transmitter in a church's bell tower.

Moving from 3G to early 4G LTE to more mature 4G LTE requires additional expenditure, labor, etc. Newly available spectrum will probably require the installation of new antennas optimized for the new frequencies. UPS batteries need to be replaced. Replacing the copper wiring that was stolen by some meth addict. Stuff like that.

This finite capacity means that sometimes cellular operators need to bring in temporary capacity. These are known as "COWs" ("Cells On Wheels") and are frequently used at short-term duration events (stuff like the Super Bowl or Coachella) or sometimes emergency response (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes) when demand outstrips regular capacity.

COWs aren't free. They cost money. They take people to run. They need to be trucked in and hauled away.

They also aren't new. COWs have been around pretty much since cellular telephony was no longer some sort of weird affectation by a handful of telephone geeks and entered mainstream consumer life. So way back in the Nineties. You do realize that Twitter's legacy 140-character tweet limit was originally enforced for SMS, yes? Back in the day, it was all text, no photos.

In the same way, if you have too much data moving on your home network, you will likely see degraded performance. This is particularly obvious in streaming video as the feed may start buffering or pixelating.

Cellular operators will typically prioritize customer classes. Postpaid customers on high-value plans will get the top priority connections to cellular towers. After all of the postpaid customers, the company's own prepaid brand's customer usually get precedence over MVNO users.

In the same way, if you donate generously to an art museum, you may get early member pre-opening access to a special exhibition.
Click to expand...

How do you explain ISPs that give unmetered internet access then?
 
A

Aardman

macrumors newbie
Jun 13, 2013
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IMO T-Mobile is one of the best-managed companies in the US and John Legere is one of the best CEOs. Been with them when it was VoiceStream before Deutsche Tel took over. At first their selling point was price and not much else but Legere went on a mission to upend the whole industry. Their customer service is impeccable, the reps are a pleasure to deal with, the whole un-Carrier strategy offered the customer features and benefits (such as free data on music streaming, no fixed contracts, free foreign roaming, etc.) that the other major carriers said were unaffordable, all the while being the lowest price carrier. And now unlimited data throughout the Covid emergency. Not only a very civic-minded gesture that enhances customer good will in a time of deep anxiety but a stroke of business genius. How many new customers will they sign up because of this gesture? Verizon and AT&T management don't have the creativity and foresight that T-Mobile has and it shows again. That's why T-Mobile has the lowest churn among the Big 3 Carriers. And to think at one point Deutsche Telekom was looking to unload T-Mobile USA.

And no, I am not an employee or stockholder, just a customer who believes that if you are quick to complain about a bad product you should also be willing to praise a good one.
 
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