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"Unlimited" iPhone data plans on T-Mobile, O2 and Orange not so unlimited
- B7 m0 a5 j' M! [8 d g"Unlimited" iPhone data plans on T-Mobile, O2 and Orange not so unlimited
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9 ~. {# R" I( [! w0 o% O% tPosted Oct 29th 2007 10:26AM by Paul Miller
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' L, R9 H4 W8 F B+ J Europeans are pretty used to paying through the nose for usage charges,whether it be by-the-minute charges for local calls in the landlinedays of yore, or per-KB charges for wireless data. The up side is thatthere are usually some pretty sweet prices on phones, since wirelesscompanies know they can make it up on the back end, but for heavy usersthings can get expensive fast. And unfortunately, the glorious promisesof "unlimited" data usage tacked onto iPhone plans offered by T-Mobile,O2 and Orange in their respective iPhone-exclusive markets aren't quitethe revolution we might've hoped for. T-Mobile just posted its rateplans for the November 9th iPhone launch,though it quickly pulled them from the site. Eagle-eyed observersgrabbed a screenshot of the rates (pictured), but what's notable is thefine print: depending on which plan you select -- M, L or XL -- you'relimited to 200MB, 1GB or 5GB of data, after which your data speeds arelimited to 64Kbps, instead of EDGE's traditional 220Kbps max. O2, whoserates have been up since day one,has a slightly vaguer "fair usage policy" that gives O2 the right toslap you with extra charges or change your rate plan if you exceed200MB of use, though they claim this rarely happens. Details on Orange'srate plans for the iPhone haven't emerged yet, but Orange France hashistorically some of the priciest unlimited data rates, and has astanding policy to just go ahead and slap per-KB charges once the limitis crossed. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. |
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