T-Mobile: We Own Your Soul

[kingandy]

Hmm, it looks like T-Mobile have changed their Fair Use Policy somewhat recently (like within the last few months). Back in February, if you went over your limit once they wagged the finger; twice and they artificially throttled your bandwidth to 64kB/s or something arbitrary. It lasted for a month, then they gave you another chance; a third breach would result in more permanent sanctions being taken. Now, though, if you go over your Fair Use Policy^[1] you are for the rest of the month slapped with a "No non-internet usage between 4pm and midnight" restriction. I know this because I used all my bandwidth watching Torchwood that one week.

I think they can do that, change the terms of the policy. I think it was in the terms of the policy that they can change it at any time (something like "as the network's bandwidth usage changes over time, so will the fair use policy").

However there's no restriction on website access (it specifically mentions Facebook, Gmail, Hotmail), only on file downloads and streaming.

"This means that for the rest of the calendar month, between the hours of 4pm and 12 midnight, you'll continue to be able to browse the web and use your web-based email accounts, e.g. Hotmail and Gmail. However you won't be able to do anything else, so for example you can visit websites like Facebook and YouTube, but you won't be able to watch videos or download files.

One can naturally raise the question of exactly what the purpose of visiting YouTube would be without the ability to watch the videos, but regardless, that is the state of affairs.

On the plus side:

"Before 4pm and after 12 midnight your Mobile Broadband service will continue to run as normal.

Which I'm taking to mean that they don't care what I do with my bandwidth between 12 midnight and 4pm (well, once I've gone over my allowancepolicy, anyway). This may in fact be a blessing in disguise.

I'ma start up that filesharing app that I've been holding off on, I reckon...


[1] The amount of bandwidth you are allowed to use under your Fair Use Policy is consistently referred to as your "Fair Use Policy". Not "Fair Use Allowance" or "Limit" or "Level" or anything similar; it is your "Policy". Which of course means several parts of the policy are completely nonsensical.

Comments

[samharber.livejournal.com]

I can think of one situation where you'd go to YouTube but not watch any videos:
If you're a commentard.

I'm not sure which is more painful, reading the comments on YouTube or IMDB. I suppose on IMDB they normally at least write a sentence or two of something approximating english.

[ash1977law.livejournal.com]

Huh? Their T&Cs make no sense.

[kingandy]

The linked page is not T&C's exactly, it's a support site.

The actual T&C's for the support site are great, though. Well I say they're great - I didn't actually read beyond "We do not endorse, nor do we make any warranty as to the accuracy, suitability, completeness, reliability or continuous supply of any information or content supplied on this website" because I was laughing too hard.

[invisible-al.livejournal.com]

Fuck's sake, I'm suffering through legal hell getting my forums online at the moment but there's no excuse for allowing language like that out onto a website.