New York Forces T-Mobile to Remove Data Caps on Low-Income Home Internet Plans

New York's attorney general found that T-Mobile was not following the state's Affordable Broadband Act, which sets requirements for offering service to low-income residents. Under the ABA, eligible households must be able to purchase broadband at speeds of at least 25 Mbps for $15 a month or 200 Mbps for $20 a month without additional taxes or equipment fees. Providers are also required to make "reasonable efforts" to promote these low-cost options.

Investigation Findings

The Office of the Attorney General discovered that T-Mobile had placed monthly data caps on its ABA plans. According to the press release, T-Mobile would throttle speeds to as low as 650 kilobits per second after a customer had used 50GB of data, which could happen in about four days of typical broadband use. The company was also only offering its ABA plans in areas where it had 5G wireless deployed and was preventing information about those plans on its website from being seen by search engines.

Settlement Terms

Following the investigation, T-Mobile will remove those data caps, make its ABA plans available in all places in the state where it offers home internet service, and will ensure that search engines can access details about ABA plans.

"Reliable and affordable internet service is a basic need for all New Yorkers, but T-Mobile flouted the law designed to help vulnerable New Yorkers access it," Attorney General Letitia James said. "My office is committed to seeing the Affordable Broadband Act realize its goal of ensuring that New Yorkers in need are not denied access to affordable home internet. I encourage all eligible New Yorkers to enroll in a low-cost home internet plan through the ABA."

In a statement shared with Engadget, T-Mobile said "We have a long history of helping customers in New York stay connected through low-cost broadband, and we're updating our plan to meet the state's requirements while maintaining the same low price. We've reached an agreement with the New York Attorney General that builds on that commitment, provides greater clarity around our offering and makes the plan available to more eligible customers."

Why it matters

The settlement requires T-Mobile to remove data caps on its low-income home internet plans in New York, expand availability of those plans across its home internet footprint in the state, and make plan information accessible to search engines. The agreement covers home broadband delivered over T-Mobile's cellular network rather than its mobile phone plans.

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Sources

• engadget.com: New York Is Forcing T-Mobile To Stop Putting Data Caps On Low-Income Home Internet Plans
• yahoo.com: New York Is Forcing T-Mobile To Stop Putting Data Caps On Low-Income Home Internet Plans
• techspot.com: New York forces T-Mobile to remove 50GB cap that throttled low-income home internet users to 600Kbps | TechSpot

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.