T-Mo Drops Overage Charges On 5GB Data Plans

In its usual customer-friendly fashion, T-Mobile has made a small, but significant change to the way it is handling data hogs. Rather than charging an arm and a leg for each megabyte, it will just throttle web speeds down.Nobody likes paying overage fees. They can get expensive fast. Business travelers who use T-Mobile's webConnect laptop dongles no longer have to worry about being slapped with high data charges if they over do it. T-Mobile has eliminated overage charges for those subscribing to the 5GB plan. T-Mobile also cut overage charges in half for the entry-level 200MB plan.

T-Mobile explains, "Instead of overage charges, T-Mobile will reduce data speeds if a customer exceeds 5GB of usage per month. When used as a mobile broadband solution in conjunction with an existing home broadband service, only a very small number of customers use more than 5GB per month. These changes are another measure to free customers from any worry of overages." T-Mobile didn't say how slow it would make things for bandwidth bullies.

I've never been able to beat the 5GB per month limit, and I use the web a lot. The closest I've come was 3.7GB, and that was during a month that I traveled heavily and also downloaded a couple of movies from the iTunes store. It's a good customer service move for T-Mobile to eliminate the charges for what are essentially some of its best customers.

T-Mobile is also hoping to spur interest in its data services with some promotions for its webConnect plans. There is a $10 discount on the 5GB overage-free plan for all new webConnect-only customers. and a $10 discount on the 5GB overage-free plan and $5 discount on 200MB plan for T-Mobile customers who have or purchase another line of service.

T-Mobile's speedy HSPA+ network is being rolled out across the U.S. this year. It has already launched in Philadelphia and T-Mobile has HSPA+ available in parts of New York City, New Jersey, Long Island, and Washington D.C., with sites in Los Angeles coming soon.

The early tests I've seen of T-Mobile's HSPA+ 3G network having it beating the pants off of Sprint's "4G" WiMax network.