Simple Choice vs T-Mobile ONE: Tethering & Tablets

chalupalicous
chalupalicous Nov 27, 2017 9:18 PM
  • Member Since: Sep 26, 2016

    I have Simple Choice and have a tablet with 6GB of High Speed Data (with a $10 credit for also having a voice line).

     

    I am considering making the upgrade to T-Mobile ONE, being a T-Mobile customer for over 10 years.

     

     

    My concern is all their legal jargon about the way they will treat customers who use Tablets.

     

    I saw that Tablets can be unlimited for $20/mo as long as you have T-Mobile ONE for a voice line. This is what is most attractive.

     

    However, I am concerned because I use my Tablet PRIMARILY for Tethering. The Tablet is pretty much acts as my Wi-Fi router in my small apartment, and it works fine. I sometimes go over the 6GB, so I have to walk to Starbucks for high speed internet until the plan resets.

     

    The wording on some T-Mobile ONE promotional ads explain that "on device browsing must be the primary use over tethering) which sounds very CARRIER not UNCARRIER. I should be able to chose what how I use my Tablet Data. It mostly is used as a Router and that should be my choice.


    So if I upgrade to T-Mobile ONE, what exactly would happen? Would they shut off my hotspot feature, will they slow it down to 2G (I also saw that hotspotting is 3G, which is silly).

     

    What exactly is the point of being UNCARRIER when they want to decide how you use your Data. T-Mobile ONE sounds like it has many new restrictions, forcing all new customers to opt for Unlimited Data even if they don't need it.

     

    So, since I use Hotspotting as my primary use for my Tablet Data line, should I stick to the 6GB Simple Choice, or go for the Unlimited Tablet Data?

     

     

    Anyone in the same situation? Anyone knows what T-Mobile will do if I only hot-spot my "unlimited" tablet?

    • 18801 Views
    • 4 Replies
    • Latest reply on Apr 3, 2017 1:32 PM by barcodeable

      All replies

      • smplyunprdctble

        Re: Simple Choice vs T-Mobile ONE: Tethering & Tablets

        smplyunprdctble Sep 27, 2016 8:22 AM (in response to chalupalicous)
        • Member Since: Jul 15, 2011

        I don't know if it's the same for tablet lines, but they've stated tethering is being limited to some slower speed (512kbps) for their T-Mobile ONE plans.

        • tmo_marissa

          Re: Simple Choice vs T-Mobile ONE: Tethering & Tablets

          tmo_marissa Oct 3, 2016 1:05 PM (in response to chalupalicous)
          • Member Since: Sep 7, 2016

          Hey chalupalicous!  I'm sorry that you're not stoked about the T-Mobile ONE terms - you're right that the unlimited data option does come with the caveat that on-device browsing be the primary use.  To be candid, this is probably because with the shift away from capped data plans, we're simply not able to support the level of usage that may occur if every customer (or even half?) decided to cut ties with their cable company's broadband service and use their T-Mobile hotspots to provide their families' wifi instead.  Sometimes when we make decisions like this - with rules - it leaves our customers feeling understandably Carrier-ified.  I'm sorry about that.  Please know that there are practical reasons behind business decisions.  Although it's wordy, our Open Internet page may help break down some of this.

           

          The good news is you can keep the plan you're on.  We won't make any changes to your existing setup for as long as our billing system supports it (which in my experience can mean years and years and years).  Even if we streamline plans for billing purposes, we always find customers the same or better services at the same or better pricing.  So no worries there. 

           

          I know this might not assuage your disappointment but I hope it at least helps to provide a little honest reasoning for the setup.  Thank you so much for sticking around for ten years!  I hope you'll stay for another decade. 

           

          - Marissa

          • kevinmcmurtrie

            Re: Simple Choice vs T-Mobile ONE: Tethering & Tablets

            kevinmcmurtrie Oct 5, 2016 9:31 PM (in response to chalupalicous)
            • Member Since: Aug 10, 2013

            I've only seen limits and throttling when using the T-Mobile app for tethering, but there's a lot of fine print and conflicting information for the ONE plan.  The Simple Choice plan isn't throttled when using native tethering.

            • barcodeable

              Re: Simple Choice vs T-Mobile ONE: Tethering & Tablets

              barcodeable Apr 3, 2017 1:32 PM (in response to chalupalicous)
              • Member Since: Sep 18, 2016

              i just stumbled upon this post... as i was trying to find information relating to T-Mobile customers that utilize their on device browsing as primary use.

               

              I did some digging, trying to find where exactly this can be found. And I have found a T-Mobile page stating something a little different, I'm not a lawyer by any means, nor do I have a desire to ever be one. But T-Mobile's own statement says that "On-Device Data as a Primary Use" applies solely to those customers that go over the 30GB threshold per month. So if i use my unlimited phone line data to tether 80% of the time... i am operating within the guidelines of T-Mobile's agreement just as long i am not in that 3% Group that uses over 30GB of tethering data per month.

               

               

              T-Mobile ONE | T-Mobile Support

              TABLET POSTPAID | THINGS TO KNOW:

              "For the top 3% of data users, the majority of data usage must be on your smartphone. Tablet usage is prioritized over tethering usage."