Via an official statement in its website, the third biggest mobile operator in the country is announcing that it has decided to limit LTE roaming for its subscribers traveling to Canada and Mexico starting on November 12th. The cap will be at 5 gigabytes each month, and while it is true that T-Mobile will not be charging for overages, mobile users will have to expect connection speeds as sleepy as 128 kbps if they go beyond the 5 gigabyte limit per month.
Of course, those customers who have already signed up for a T-Mobile One option can always add unlimited LTE roaming by getting One Plus International, but doing so will mean paying an extra $25 every month apart from what they are already paying for their original plan. It is an excellent option for those always traveling to Canada or Mexico who can afford the additional charge, but not all may be willing to shell out the extra twenty five bucks on a monthly basis.
As for those who have availed of limited plans, it may be a wise decision to plan their data usage ahead, especially if in a given month, they will be traveling to Canada or Mexico. Moreover, those under capped T-Mobile plans will no longer be able to take full advantage of their Data Stash when visiting the two aforementioned countries. Any unconsumed data, however, will still be carried over.
Still, when you really think about, 5 gigabytes is actually not bad, especially if one is staying only for a while in either Canada or Mexico. Besides, travelers can always try to be resourceful, like making full use of the Wi-Fi network of whatever hotel they are staying, or at the nearest cafe (with free Wi-Fi).
To T-Mobile’s credit, it is helping its traveling subscribers take better care in tracking their data consumption when going abroad. For instance, customers can monitor their LTE usage by dialing the short code #WEB# using their handset. The major US wireless carrier is also sending notifications to users who have consumed 80 percent of their LTE data.
It was in the summer of 2015 when T-Mobile first unveiled its Mobile Without Borders program, which among other things, brought unlimited LTE data usage for the carrier’s subscribers who have plans to visit Canada and Mexico. To be perfectly clear about everything, the program is still there, but customers better start bidding their farewells to the unlimited roaming in Canada and Mexico inclusion.
