T-Mobile has tweaked its terms of service for its home broadband users to add a new clause: If you are a heavy internet user that passes 1.2TB of data in a monthly billing cycle, you may have your speeds slowed in “times of congestion,” or when there is a lot of pressure on the network.
As spotted by The Mobile Report, the change went into effect on January 18. In its updated terms, the carrier says that these users “will be prioritized last on the network” in congestion situations, which could mean painfully slow speeds for however long the congestion persists. T-Mobile does note that since its Home Internet service is only available in “limited areas” and intended to be used in a “stationary” setting, as opposed to a phone that could be in a busy place like a packed stadium, “these customers should be less likely to notice congestion in general.”
So what exactly is going on? Here is what you need to know.
Read more: T-Mobile raises home internet price back to $60 per month for new users
Is T-Mobile adding a data cap?
While it may seem similar to a data cap that other broadband providers have done — where your data fully stops after you’ve reached a maximum amount unless you pay more — this isn’t that. Instead, it’s a potential limitation that T-Mobile is adding so that in areas where its network is being taxed by too much demand, heavy home internet users could see their data slowed down while things are busy (or as wireless carriers like to describe it “congested”).
Presumably, once that busy period subsides and the network has its normal room available your home internet speeds and experience should return to normal. Still, for heavy home internet users, it’s not hard to imagine that this change could potentially lead to some problems.
Will T-Mobile be throttling speeds for heavy data users?
The carrier tells CNET that it is not throttling speeds for users who pass 1.2TB of data in a month, except in these “congestion” situations. “Heavy data users may…
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