Skip to main content

T-Mobile rolls out new ‘tiered unlimited’ data plans, promises no overages

T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide

T-Mobile just announced it will offer a new set of tiered unlimited plans, called Value plans, alongside their current offerings, which have been newly rebranded Classic plans. As silly as ‘tiered unlimited’ sounds, T-Mobile is aiming to eliminate overage charges through data throttling. So while customers will technically be able to use as much data as they want, they’ll only be able to download 2, 5 or 10GB per month at 4G and 3G speeds, depending on their plan. All data that exceeds that soft limit will only flow at 2G speeds, but won’t cost anything extra.

The new service is slated to roll out July 24, and it’s an interesting counterpoint to the limited data plans of AT&T and Verizon. In any of the carrier’s offerings, customers still decide how much baseline data they’ll need each month to set their standard monthly fee. However, its when you run out of data that the competition kicks in. AT&T and Verizon both charge $10 per GB, while T-Mobile (and now Virgin Mobile USA) just slow your downloads down.

Recommended Videos

For the user who occasionally goes over their plan’s limit, and will definitely need speed when they do, AT&T and Verizon’s tiered pricing models seems to make sense. In that case, having the carrier slam on the data brakes once you hit your limit would be a real pain. It’s unclear how T-Mobile might free up your data for the rest of the month, but it most likely involves changing the base monthly plan, rather than paying a flat fee for some extra data.

However, for the value conscious (and that’s what the plans are named for, after all), T-Mobile’s throttling system does guarantee zero overage charges. If data speed isn’t crucial towards the end of a particularly data-heavy month, the plans save users the hassle of trying to see how close to their sometimes-fickle data caps they’re coming.

Derek Mead
Former Digital Trends Contributor
AT&T is ringing in the New Year with a price increase for some subscribers
A robot standing a wall with an AT&T branding.

Happy New Year! AT&T is starting 2025 by increasing the bills for some of its customers.

According to Android Authority, AT&T FirstNet customers will soon see a monthly price increase of $3 per line. This change has been confirmed in a posting on the AT&T website.

Read more
T-Mobile’s long-awaited satellite service is finally ready for testing
Texting over T-Mobile direct-to-cell satellite network on a phone.

T-Mobile pledged to “end mobile dead zones” all the way back in 2022, thanks to a deal with SpaceX that would entail using Starlink satellites to enable communication across the entirety of the country. In September this year, the carrier successfully relayed a satellite-driven emergency alert to assess the service.

Now, T-Mobile seems ready for real testing.

Read more
T-Mobile has completely revamped its 5G home internet plans
Cell phone tower shooting off pink beams with a 5G logo next to it.

As we approach the new year, T-Mobile has announced significant updates to its 5G home and small business internet plans. The new plans start at $35 per month for customers who sign up for AutoPay and have a voice line. Overall, they are slightly less expensive than current plans.

First up is the T-Mobile Rely Internet plan that offers essential home Wi-Fi services at a competitive monthly rate backed by a Price Lock guarantee. The T-Mobile Amplified Internet plan provides faster internet speeds, along with advanced cybersecurity for home users or a mesh device for small business customers.

Read more