Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

T-Mobile offering free ‘unlimited speed’ international data to some subscribers

t mobile tuesdays uncarrier free smartphones galaxy legere
Perhaps the most annoying thing about traveling abroad is having to shell out bundles of cash for slow mobile data speeds. Most cellular providers don’t offer international roaming plans on the cheap, exactly — AT&T’s Passport plan starts at $40 for a month of 200MB of data, and an equivalent, weeklong plan on Sprint is $25 — and don’t guarantee a minimum download speed. Perhaps sensing an opportunity for a bit of publicity, self-styled “Un-carrier” T-Mobile is doing something about it: it’s offering free “unlimited speed” data to its Simple Choice subscribers this summer.

From July 1 through August 31, T-Mobile is upping the speed of Simple Choice customers’ roaming data. Transfers on foreign networks, which are typically capped at a measly 128Kbps, are getting a boost to the highest downlink available in selected regions — up to “4G LTE speeds,” T-Mobile said. And better yet, customers who take advantage will retain unlimited text messaging and a discounted, 20 cent-per-minute international rate on voice calling.

The benefit is available on T-Mobile’s roaming partners in Europe with the exception of the Pyrenean country of Andorra, plus Belize. (In the case of the latter, T-Mobile said subscribers will be limited to 2G data speeds and text messaging, albeit without caps.)

“The carriers see your summer trip as the perfect occasion to slam you with insane international roaming charges,” said T-Mobile CEO John Legere in a press release. “Travel with T-Mobile, and you can use your phone the way you want without thinking twice.”

T-Mobile took the opportunity to announce a second, simultaneous promotion: Gogo in-flight internet for all. During the weekend of June 24 through 11 p.m. June 26, the mobile service provider will offer gratis one-hour web sessions to all passengers — including nonsubscribers — who happen to find themselves on flights equipped with Gogo service. It’s a taste of what T-Mobile began offering Simple Choice customers on June 13 as part of a new subscriber benefit: an hour of in-flight Gogo Wi-Fi on “more than 4 million flights per year” across the U.S., plus no-strings-attached unlimited usage of messaging services like Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, iMessage, and Viber.

T-Mobile’s latest promotion is the second in recent years to expand overseas benefits and plans. In May, it debuted The Tourist Plan, a three-week international pass that offers customers 200MB of 4G LTE data, a bucket of minutes, and unlimited texting. And T-Mobile began offering Simple Choice customers unlimited data, texting, and 20-cent-per-minute calling in select countries beginning in late 2013.

The promo follows the launch of T-Mobile’s “Un-carrier 11” benefits package, which saw Simple Choice subscribers gain company stock, VUDU rental credit, free movie tickets from Fandango, and other treats and goodies. It’s had a bit of a rough go, though, lately: the carrier was forced to drop an offer for a free Domino’s pizza when T-Mobile customers “overwhelmed” the chain.

See T-Mobile’s Simple Choice Plan

Editors' Recommendations

Kyle Wiggers
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
T-Mobile takes big 5G coverage and speed wins in new report
T-Mobile smartphone.

T-Mobile is taking a victory lap today, after a new report by the independent analytics company Opensignal found T-Mobile won out in several key 5G categories against its competitors AT&T and Verizon.

T-Mobile came in first in a comparative writeup that measured the three leading cellular companies' 5G availability, reach, download speed, and upload speed in the United States. Verizon beat T-Mobile out on the 5G video, voice app, and games experiences; AT&T was shut out entirely and went home with a nice shiny "I tried" gold star.

Read more
T-Mobile lures subscribers with 500GB of Google One cloud storage for $5 a month
T-Mobile smartphone.

Starting October 12, T-Mobile and Sprint customers are eligible for a new and exclusive plan that will allow them to pay $5 a month for 500GB of Google One cloud storage.

The plan, announced Monday morning, allows for cloud backups of photos, videos, and contacts; extra storage for services such as Google Drive and Gmail; file storage and access from any compatible device; and the ability to share the extra storage with up to five additional people, who don't all necessarily have to be on the same T-Mobile account.

Read more
AT&T launches 5G-powered AR program Game View within the WNBA app
att 5g ar game zone wnba app at t view  bracket challenge

AT&T will soon offer a new augmented reality experience to fans who use the official WNBA app, which you can download on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, though the feature won't available to Android users at launch. Starting on September 23, fans of women's basketball will be able to use the AT&T 5G Game View feature to view interactive, customizable stats for WNBA players in live and recorded games. It also provides the ability to share images and clips on social media, track teams' progress in the postseason, follow teams' and players' stats with real-time 3D during live games, and use "fun AR animations" to celebrate teams' and players' milestones.

Through the app, Game View also lets users participate in the Bracket Challenge for WNBA postseason games. Users can review past games' data in order to fill out their bracket for the playoffs and try to predict how the tournament will unfold, scoring points for successful guesses. Game View's Bracket Challenge is also compatible with unspecified social media platforms, to allow for the most efficient gloating possible whenever long shot picks pay off.

Read more