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T-Mobile Capping Android Data Plan At 1GB Per Month

Whoa, hold the phone! Some eagle-eyed readers have spotted some highly disturbing fine print in the new data plan that is required with the HTC G1 Android phone. The data plan limits users to 1 GB of data transfer per month.

Does. Not. Compute.

That's what I have to say. T-Mobile will be requiring one of two data plans with the Android phone. There is a $25 plan that includes a limited use of the mobile Internet and limited number of messages, and then a $35 plan that provides for unlimited Internet and messaging. But in this case, "unlimited" means 1 gigabyte.

One gigabyte just isn't enough, T-Mobile. This month alone, I've already sent/received more than 2 gigabytes of data via my iPhone. T-Mobile is kidding itself if it thinks users are going to restrain themselves.

The entire purpose of the Android platform is to be able to use and access Web-based applications and services. The browser on the HTC G1 (which isn't Chrome, by the way), is based on WebKit, and works very well. With the large screen, browsing the Web is going to be a large part of the Android experience.

Why on earth would T-Mobile think to limit that experience? Is T-Mobile worried about the performance of its network?

T-Mobile didn't say that it will fine users for going over the cap, or shut off their service. It will, however, throttle back the speeds at which the mobile Internet can be accessed. T-Mobile's 3G network should be capable of hitting 1.8 megabits per second. Users who surpass 1 gigabyte of data per month will be dialed back to dial-up speeds of 50 kilobits per second.

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