T-Mobile quadruples tethering speed on “unlimited” plan—to 512kbps

The new $70-per-month "unlimited data" plans announced by T-Mobile USA in August came with some big limits. Mobile hotspot speeds were to be throttled to 128kbps unless customers paid more, and online video resolution reduced to 480p unless customers paid extra to unlock high-definition video. But after a wave of criticism from those who think T-Mobile is violating network neutrality and others who think the new deal just isn't that good, the carrier announced some changes. It's a mixed bag, though, as there is apparently no way to permanently enable high-definition video, and T-Mobile is killing an option that would have let customers buy high-speed hotspot data in 5GB increments.

The standard T-Mobile One unlimited plan will now provide tethering speeds of up to 512kbps instead of just 128kbps. (T-Mobile's announcement calls 512kbps "3G" speed, though in reality T-Mobile's 3G network technology is quite a bit faster.) Half a megabit per second will be fast enough to let customers "use their mobile hotspot to check e-mail, share files, check the news or watch their favorite YouTube videos," T-Mobile said. Video resolution will still be limited on the standard T-Mobile One plan. But T-Mobile is making it cheaper to unlock unlimited high-speed hotspot usage and high-definition video for customers who want both features every month. Originally, T-Mobile said it would charge $15 for each 5GB of high-speed mobile hotspot usage, and another $25 a month for HD video. But today's announcement includes a "T-Mobile One Plus" plan that unlocks both high-definition video and unlimited 4G LTE mobile hotspot usage for an extra $25 a month ($95 total).