Comments For This Post

1. My personal use will not interfere with this limitation BUT, I think they should raise the limit up at least to 4-5GB.
   At the same time - this could be just a precaution not to over-load the 3G network that will just be launched ...    by NetCom
   
2. I am trying to figure out whether or not this will play a factor in MY monthly data usage...1GB = 1024MB, right? I am not even coming close to 1024MB/mo and I am on my phone constantly. Can anyone put 1GB/mo amount of data usage in perspective for me?    by razor1981
   
3. Bump. I am wondering this as well. Break it on down.    by shmokinponcake
   
4. Basically, unless you are downloading large files/p2p downloading, or watching a lot of youtube videos, you won't touch 1GB.    by mZimm
   
5. I think the people that are making a stink out of this, are people that don't really know what it means. They just see the word "cap" and instantly think THEY'RE going to be the one to exceed it. Meh, I think I'll be fine.    by Audemars
   
6. I want to know if text messages are counted towards the data cap. Texts have such a small data amount, but I used 11000 last month, which might take up a bit of the 1GB if it contributes toward the total.    by mZimm
   
7. Text messages ~ 2kb so 500,000 is 1GB
   MMS ~ 20kb so 50,000 is 1GB
   Google Street View Im not sure but I would say ~ 500kb so 2,000 is 1GB
   Pictures ~ 20kb-1MB (depending on source, assume aroung 100kb) so 50,000 to 1,000 is 1GB (assuming 100kb is 10,000 for 1GB)
   Youtube Video ~ 3MB/minute is 333 minutes for 1GB
   Songs ~ 3MB-4MB is about 300 songs for 1GB
   
   Hope this helps.    by cdlazzari
   
8. Yeah. I use the internet on my phone more than most and am not too worried about reaching the limit. SMS/MMS will not count towards your data usage, they are included with the "unlimited messaging." MMS might (cingular used to do that) go on your data usage, but I don't think T-Mobile would do that.
   
   It's not as horrible as it sounds folks, although I would much rather have a 5gb limit.    by Jorsher
   
9. Quote:

   Originally Posted by cdlazzari Text messages ~ 2kb so 500,000 is 1GB MMS ~ 20kb so 50,000 is 1GB Google Street View Im not sure but I would say ~ 500kb so 2,000 is 1GB Pictures ~ 20kb-1MB (depending on source, assume aroung 100kb) so 50,000 to 1,000 is 1GB (assuming 100kb is 10,000 for 1GB) Youtube Video ~ 3MB/minute is 333 minutes for 1GB Songs ~ 3MB-4MB is about 300 songs for 1GB Hope this helps.

   Thank you for the break down, that help give people a better perspective.    by New World
   
10. well done. youtube junkies will definitely have issues with this.    by shmokinponcake
    
11. Again: The language doesn't say they WILL throttle. It says they CAN. That said, I would rather see the limit higher as well, just in case. But for me there are a few points that keep me from losing sleep over this:
    
    It's not as if they are going to charge you or cut you off. They would in theory slow you down. Big difference.
    
    Also, do I think I might break the 1 GB barrier on downloads on my phone? Yes, I do, BUT not on the 3G network. In my experience, there's wifi practically everywhere. Day to day, I have it at work, at home, at my parents', my friends' pretty much everyone's house, and I've found, when hanging with friends, most restaurants even have open wifi networks. The phone will seamlessly jump onto these networks as I understand it, so I would be surprised to see my data usage going over a couple hundred MB. This is the experience my friends are having with their iphones. One of them doesn't even have a data plan (bought his phone without contract), and doesn't miss it.    by DesignDawg
    
12. Quote:

    Originally Posted by cdlazzari Text messages ~ 2kb so 500,000 is 1GB MMS ~ 20kb so 50,000 is 1GB Google Street View Im not sure but I would say ~ 500kb so 2,000 is 1GB Pictures ~ 20kb-1MB (depending on source, assume aroung 100kb) so 50,000 to 1,000 is 1GB (assuming 100kb is 10,000 for 1GB) Youtube Video ~ 3MB/minute is 333 minutes for 1GB Songs ~ 3MB-4MB is about 300 songs for 1GB Hope this helps.

    thanks!    by baked ant
    
13. DesignDawg - why don't you think you'd go over the 1gb on the 3G network?    by sushi420
    
14. Quote:

    Originally Posted by sushi420 DesignDawg - why don't you think you'd go over the 1gb on the 3G network?

    - Most of us will not always be in a 3g network
    - The phone automatically switches to open access points (saves T-Mobile as a company, and us as a consumer bandwidth)
    - Most of the heavy traffic can be done on a computer
    - I'd have to use 33MB a day, which I don't think I'll do since I mostly want it for IM/Email, and the occasional web-browsing    by Jorsher
    
15. Quote:

    Originally Posted by sushi420 DesignDawg - why don't you think you'd go over the 1gb on the 3G network?

    Yeah. Answer above and below. I pretty much covered all that in great detail.    by DesignDawg
    
16. Quote:

    Originally Posted by DesignDawg Also, do I think I might break the 1 GB barrier on downloads on my phone? Yes, I do, BUT not on the 3G network.

    i guess i read that like, you didn't think you'd break the 1gb barrier on the 3G network, but on EDGE you would....my bad    by sushi420
    
17. Quote:

    Originally Posted by sushi420 i guess i read that like, you didn't think you'd break the 1gb barrier on the 3G network, but on EDGE you would....my bad

    Got ya. No, what I was explaining (and I could have said it clearer, I guess) is that I'm sure I will download more than 1 GB per month with my phone, but very little of it will be over 3G. I see 3G being, for me, just a "gap filler" between wifi networks.    by DesignDawg
    
18. Also, lets not forget we'll still have browsing at 50kbps, which is still 8-10x faster than dialup. A lot of us dealt with dialup at home for years, so what's the biggie about having a not-3g-but-faster-than-dialup connection on a mobile device.    by Jorsher
    
19. Quote:

    Originally Posted by Jorsher Also, lets not forget we'll still have browsing at 50kbps, which is still 8-10x faster than dialup. A lot of us dealt with dialup at home for years, so what's the biggie about having a not-3g-but-faster-than-dialup connection on a mobile device.

    Yeah, I know what you mean, but I'd still rather have 3G available when its needed.
    
    Anyways, as its been repeated over and over. T-Mobile has the right too, but it doesn't mean they'll actually do it.    by New World
    
20. Hey Guys! Unlimited with a cap!
    Bwhahaha good one T-Mobile... I smell class action LAWSUIT!    by kgman
    
21. Possible Things that will push you to the 1Gb limit
    - Tethering
    - VOD and other streaming media
    - mp3 download
    
    
    Amazon has the section for mp3 download as well as VOD. I'm guessing that's what we'll have access to. Now how much of that counts towards your 1Gb cap and how much of it falls under "... Some downloads, such as movies, music, and games, not included." we don't know.    by ariesboy
    
22. Hey Guys, Unlimited with a cap! Makes total sense right? Thanks T-Mobile!
    I smell a class action LAWSUIT!    by kgman
    
23. Quote:

    Originally Posted by ariesboy Possible Things that will push you to the 1Gb limit - Tethering - VOD and other streaming media - mp3 download Amazon has the section for mp3 download as well as VOD. I'm guessing that's what we'll have access to. Now how much of that counts towards your 1Gb cap and how much of it falls under "... Some downloads, such as movies, music, and games, not included." we don't know.

    Actually, if I remember correctly, the Amazon MP3 store WILL NOT work over 3G It's against the TOS. So, whenever you DL from that, you'll be doing so over Wifi. Plus, tethering isn't supported. (People will do it, I know, but it's not supported, and that would definitely fall under "breaking the rules and getting penalized for it."    by DesignDawg
    
24. Quote:

    Originally Posted by kgman Hey Guys, Unlimited with a cap! Makes total sense right? Thanks T-Mobile! I smell a class action LAWSUIT!

    Hey. Welcome to the forums. We heard you the first time.
    
    Thanks.    by DesignDawg
    
25. ... REmove this post por favor    by kgman
    
26. Quote:

    Originally Posted by kgman Hey Guys! Unlimited with a cap! Bwhahaha good one T-Mobile... I smell class action LAWSUIT!

    It is still unlimited, just "reduced to 50 kbps or less".    by ariesboy
    
27. Quote:

    Originally Posted by DesignDawg Hey. Welcome to the forums. We heard you the first time. Thanks.

    Hey Thanks Design Dawg but the site choked... Cheel bro    by kgman
    
28. Quote:

    Originally Posted by kgman Hey Guys! Unlimited with a cap! Bwhahaha good one T-Mobile... I smell class action LAWSUIT!

    Why isn't anyone noticing it is still legally an Unlimited internet service? They are limiting the SPEED not the amount of DATA you can transmit, thus it is UNLIMITED DATA. entiendes?
    
    They've also covered their butts by disclosing that speed will be limited after using 1gb of bandwidth. Class action lawsuit for doing what they said they'll do?    by Jorsher
    
29. Tis true...    by kgman
    
30. Quote:

    Originally Posted by kgman Hey Thanks Design Dawg but the site choked... Cheel bro

    Look man cool it, he doesn't need to "cheel" your the one screaming
    "LAWSUIT" for something that you can't sue for. They're still giving you unlimited data, just at a reduced speed like all the members have been telling you.
    
    EDIT: Jorsher beat me to it... Never mind.    by New World
    
31. Quote:

    Originally Posted by New World Look man cool it, he doesn't need to "cheel" your the one screaming "LAWSUIT" for something that you can't sue for. They're still giving you unlimited data, just at a reduced speed like all the members have been telling you. EDIT: Jorsher beat me to it... Never mind.

    New World, I mistakenly posted the same thing twice I was referring to that. It's not a big deal.    by kgman
    
32. Quote:

    Originally Posted by kgman New World, I mistakenly posted the same thing twice I was referring to that. It's not a big deal.

    OK, cool    by New World
    
33. Sending bar codes and getting back useful data about where the item is priced lower; using GasBuddy et al to find out where low gas prices are; reading mail; checking calendars; checking news feeds; watching some YouTube videos while waiting in line; streaming MP3s and video... you know, all the functions the device was meant to do, all of these take bandwidth. I think that a lot of people will hit 1gb/month without even trying if they're using Android as it was designed.    by ickyfehmleh
    
34. Quote:

    Originally Posted by ickyfehmleh Sending bar codes and getting back useful data about where the item is priced lower; using GasBuddy et al to find out where low gas prices are; reading mail; checking calendars; checking news feeds; watching some YouTube videos while waiting in line; streaming MP3s and video... you know, all the functions the device was meant to do, all of these take bandwidth. I think that a lot of people will hit 1gb/month without even trying if they're using Android as it was designed.

    I can definitely agree with that... Especially if you are purchasing a ton of music off the Amazon site... That can add up pretty quick.    by kgman
    
35. Quote:

    Originally Posted by ickyfehmleh Sending bar codes and getting back useful data about where the item is priced lower; using GasBuddy et al to find out where low gas prices are; reading mail; checking calendars; checking news feeds; watching some YouTube videos while waiting in line; streaming MP3s and video... you know, all the functions the device was meant to do, all of these take bandwidth. I think that a lot of people will hit 1gb/month without even trying if they're using Android as it was designed.

    Watching old episodes of your favorite TV series will eat up your bandwidth too. That is if you're viewing from the show's website.    by ariesboy
    
36. Quote:

    Originally Posted by kgman I can definitely agree with that... Especially if you are purchasing a ton of music off the Amazon site... That can add up pretty quick.

    Again, you will not be able to download any music from Amazon over 3G. That's part of the TOS. All Amazon store downloads will have to be done over WiFi, thus not affecting the "cap".
    
    (Need to find the source for this I think...anyone have a link?)    by DesignDawg
    
37. Quote:

    Originally Posted by DesignDawg Again, you will not be able to download any music from Amazon over 3G. That's part of the TOS. All Amazon store downloads will have to be done over WiFi, thus not affecting the "cap". (Need to find the source for this I think...anyone have a link?)

    Oh really? Wow, I was def not aware of that. Are they blocking you from certain sites and services then? Interesting...    by kgman
    
38. Quote:

    Originally Posted by kgman Oh really? Wow, I was def not aware of that. Are they blocking you from certain sites and services then? Interesting...

    No, they're not blocking sites and services. They're limiting the use of their Amazon application. But I have just found that you WILL be able to browse the site and listen to samples over 3G, which could definitely eat into your cap, but you will have to be on WiFi to download. I wonder if they will have a queuing feature built in?    by DesignDawg
    
39. Quote:

    Originally Posted by DesignDawg No, they're not blocking sites and services. They're limiting the use of their Amazon application. But I have just found that you WILL be able to browse the site and listen to samples over 3G, which could definitely eat into your cap, but you will have to be on WiFi to download. I wonder if they will have a queuing feature built in?

    I see. Now, do you know if there will be an app that will keep track of all of our 3g usage from month to month? I hope so...    by kgman
    
40. Quote:

    Originally Posted by kgman I see. Now, do you know if there will be an app that will keep track of all of our 3g usage from month to month? I hope so...

    "That sounds like an excellent opportunity for a third party developer"    by divestoclimb
    
41. Quote:

    Originally Posted by kgman I see. Now, do you know if there will be an app that will keep track of all of our 3g usage from month to month? I hope so...

    Now THAT my friend is a great idea!    by New World
    
42. Does TMobile keep up with this on their site like they do minutes? At any time, you can log on and see how many minutes you've used, or you can type in a little code on your phone and it will text you your minutes (what is that #MIN# or something?) Do they do this with data plans as well?    by DesignDawg
    
43. Quote:

    Originally Posted by DesignDawg Does TMobile keep up with this on their site like they do minutes? At any time, you can log on and see how many minutes you've used, or you can type in a little code on your phone and it will text you your minutes (what is that #MIN# or something?) Do they do this with data plans as well?

    I'll check right now...hang on
    
    EDIT: OK, I didn't see that option among the others    by New World
    
44. I highly doubt they will keep track of that. Or even limit the amount transfered. At least I haven't been informed of throttling or caps here at my store, and I just spoke with our Eastern United states Rep and got all the details about some things I've seen on here as far as rumors are going. be sure to check your sources when hearing information, and recheck the source's words if you're sure its a valid text, sometimes companies will say things that are directed in an entirely different demeener    by kaziko
    
45. Washingtonpost.com just posted a blog about this issue. Here's my response:
    
    Quote:

    If they really have these capacity issues, I think they should do something analogous to a voice plan: - advertise that you're paying a monthly rate for 1 GB of data (NOT "unlimited") - make it really easy to track your data usage via the phone AND via a web portal (a la how dialing #MIN# on a tmo phone will tell you your minutes used this billing cycle) - send a warning text message to a user who is approaching their monthly cap - either throttle the user down, or set a per-MB fee for exceeding the cap. Ideally, *let the customer choose* which penalty to accept when they sign up (then they can choose whether money or performance matters more to them). With the exception of giving choice in the last one, anything less than this I would consider sub-par customer service on the part of the carrier. If they implemented that last item I'd consider that going above and beyond.

    Note that I only think they should do this if they really, seriously have an issue with not enough bandwidth for everybody.    by divestoclimb
    
46. dives, as said above, it can legitimately be called unlimited data because they are NOT limiting your data. After you pass 1gb your speed *might* be throttled to 50kbps. You can still use data after the 1gb mark, so it is unlimited.
    
    They obviously weren't calling the speeds unlimited, because it's always limited. The data IS unlimited.    by Jorsher
    
47. Quote:

    Originally Posted by kaziko I highly doubt they will keep track of that. Or even limit the amount transfered. At least I haven't been informed of throttling or caps here at my store, and I just spoke with our Eastern United states Rep and got all the details about some things I've seen on here as far as rumors are going. be sure to check your sources when hearing information, and recheck the source's words if you're sure its a valid text, sometimes companies will say things that are directed in an entirely different demeener

    They already keep track of it for charging by-the-kb fees for people without data services. It would be extremely simple to add a couple lines of code if (usage > 1gb) {speedcap = 50kbps} of course that's generic english but you get the point.    by Jorsher
    
48. Right, but the speeds of the unlimited data plans aren't monitored. When I log into a customer account and check usage it will almost always give me a 999999 when it comes to data which means it is unlimited usage and not watched over like the foresaid rumors have stated    by kaziko
    
49. When it gets down to it, at the end of the day, this little piece of fine print has been the #1 go to for naysayers and fanboys who want to see Android fail (why people don't want competition, I'll never know). It my eyes, a good PR move would be for TMobile to simply CHANGE the contract to a more standard number (3 or 5 GB - they all have limits, I think), OR simply rely on a "details subject to change" kind of a line instead of specifically relying on the wording of the 1 GB thing. I doubt they have/had any plans to limit speeds, so I would think, had they know so many people would be making so much hay off this little piece of fine print, they wouldn't have gone there. It's never too late.    by DesignDawg
    
50. ^ I gotta agree. Maybe one of the head honchos should talk to T-mobile.
    
    I mean it wouldn't hurt to let them know and see what happens.    by New World
    
51. IT'S DONE! They've already changed it! They heard us, and they've changed their wording to...drumroll...EXACTLY what we've been saying:
    
    
    Quote:

    To provide the best network experience for all of our customers we may temporarily reduce data throughput for a small fraction of customers who use a disproportionate amount of bandwidth. Your data session, plan, or service may be suspended, terminated, or restricted for significant roaming or if you use your service in a way that interferes with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users. Some devices require specific data plans; if you do not have the right plan for your device, you may not be able to use data services. Additional charges may apply.

    This is via none other than www.t-mobileg1.com
    
    I think we should probably put a front page story up about this!    by DesignDawg
    
52. Vicotry!    by New World
    
53. Can I get a Hoohah two times tuesday!    by cdlazzari
    
54. I thought it pretty odd tmobile would start a cap on a brand new product they're trying to market better than others. Just struck me odd, not to mention I know all of tmobile's policies and procedures and throttle capping was clearly not one of them. So I'm guessing it was a wording mistake that they have now retracted once they woke up from their all night coffee drinking "Lets release it" craze.    by kaziko
    
55. I just upgraded to G1! I'm very excited I did it yesterday right before the cutoff time (They said 5:30 pm pacific time on October 3) and hopefully it comes by October 22. The rep confirmed the cutoff time and actually said the data limit usage will be CAPPED at 10gb a month, and throttling users to lower speeds until the end of the billing cycle, but no deactivation or threatening of the account. So don't worry, 10gb is a lot right? Even though I said I didn't like it because right when the G1 releases everyone will be on it 24/7..so we'll just see..    by ryoriel
    
56. Quote:

    Originally Posted by Jorsher Yeah. I use the internet on my phone more than most and am not too worried about reaching the limit. SMS/MMS will not count towards your data usage, they are included with the "unlimited messaging." MMS might (cingular used to do that) go on your data usage, but I don't think T-Mobile would do that. It's not as horrible as it sounds folks, although I would much rather have a 5gb limit.

    but if you have the ALL unlimited data plan will that still effect you? when im at work i spend alot of my time on my phone browsing the net how many hours of browseing will i have to do before i hit the 5GB mark?    by RussianSolja
    
57. In the article it QUOTES! If your total data usage in any billing cycle is more than 1GB, T-Mobile reserves the right to lower your bandwidth usage to 50 kbps or less for the remainder of your billing cycle, and/or terminate or suspend your contract.i knew there would be a downfall to all this... im sure t-mobile is doing this cause the whole 3G thing is a 1st big step for them.... give them about a year or two to get over the whole 3G thing and im pretty sure things will look better then.    by RussianSolja
    
58. Quote:

    Originally Posted by RussianSolja In the article it QUOTES! If your total data usage in any billing cycle is more than 1GB, T-Mobile reserves the right to lower your bandwidth usage to 50 kbps or less for the remainder of your billing cycle, and/or terminate or suspend your contract.i knew there would be a downfall to all this... im sure t-mobile is doing this cause the whole 3G thing is a 1st big step for them.... give them about a year or two to get over the whole 3G thing and im pretty sure things will look better then.

    You might want to read this.
    
    http://androidcommunity.com/t-mobile...ewed-20080924/    by New World
    
59. Quote:

    Originally Posted by cdlazzari Text messages ~ 2kb so 500,000 is 1GB MMS ~ 20kb so 50,000 is 1GB Google Street View Im not sure but I would say ~ 500kb so 2,000 is 1GB Pictures ~ 20kb-1MB (depending on source, assume aroung 100kb) so 50,000 to 1,000 is 1GB (assuming 100kb is 10,000 for 1GB) Youtube Video ~ 3MB/minute is 333 minutes for 1GB Songs ~ 3MB-4MB is about 300 songs for 1GB Hope this helps.

    whoa! i youtube A LOT!! I hope i won't be reaching the cap. but this is assuming that i use the 3g network right?
    
    what if i use the wi-fi at my house for youtube? does that still count towards exchanging data with the tmobile servers or will it just exchange data through MY servers (comcast internet wi-fi thingy) ??    by justme467
    
60. so if i use wifi my 1gb wouldn't be in use?    by dosz
    
61. Quote:

    Originally Posted by dosz so if i use wifi my 1gb wouldn't be in use?

    This cap was removed a LONG time ago son
    
    Look at the front page or use the search button    by New World
    
62. The cap was removed a few days after release.
    
    Thread Closed to avoid future misconceptions.
    
    Added by Big Al
    Here ya go:
    
    
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Chris Davies After some unfavorable press and caution from would-be buyers over the threatened 1GB data cap, T-Mobile have backtracked on their throttling policy. In a statement just issued by the carrier, they describe their intention as to �provide the best network experience for all our customers�; however they also remove the 1GB soft-cap, pending further review of the data plan terms & conditions....

    http://androidcommunity.com/t-mobile...ewed-20080924/
       by Cricketman