T-Mobile UK Defend Smartphone Mobile Data Usage Cuts

T-Mobile have today confirmed that their recent mobile data limit cuts will affect Android smartphone users that were previously allowed a 3GB allowance.

The data usage reduction means that T-Mobile Android owners will see their monthly mobile data usage slashed by 83%.

Yesterday, T-Mobile announced that they would be reducing the monthly data limits for smartphone users on their network down to 500MB. The data cut will affect both new and existing T-Mobile customers regardless of whether they are on 1GB or 3GB smartphone contracts.

T-Mobile claim that the majority of their mobile users only use around 200MB per month of data allowance so they expect only a small percentage of users will be affected by the data usage cuts.

If you happen to be in the minority, then you’ll be pleased to hear that T-Mobile won’t charge you should you go over the new 500MB limit, and you’ll also still be allowed access to mobile email and web browsing.

T-Mobile issued the following update regarding the data usage changes on their official discussion forum early today.

Yesterday we began notifying our contract customers of changes to their Fair Usage Policies (FUPs) relating to data usage on mobile phones. In line with the industry, T-Mobile will be reducing its FUP for data downloading to 500MB/month from 1st February 2011.

These restrictions will affect both new and existing customers, and will ensure an improved quality of service for all of our mobile internet users. As the average mobile internet customer uses only 200MB of data each month, this will only affect a small minority of users, whom we have begun notifying.

T-Mobile will not charge its customers additional rates for exceeding these data limits, and those who do will still be able to access important services such as email and website browsing, but will have file downloading restricted. Customers who have a need for higher volumes of data will be encouraged to take up a separate mobile broadband plan. We are confident that these changes will result in a better experience for all of our customers who use internet on their phone.