New York is forcing T-Mobile to stop putting data caps on low-income home internet plans
The company was throttling speeds for plans offered under the Affordable Broadband Act.
T-Mobile has been ordered by New York's attorney general to stop putting data caps on low-income internet plans under the Affordable Broadband Act. The company was found to be throttling speeds for ABA plans, going as low as 650 kilobits per second after customers used 50GB of data. This could happen in about four days of typical use. Additionally, T-Mobile had only offered these plans in areas with 5G deployment and hidden information about them in search engine results.
Attorney General Letitia James stated that reliable and affordable internet service is crucial for all New Yorkers, but T-Mobile failed to comply with the law aimed at helping vulnerable residents. The investigation revealed that the company had not followed the ABA's requirements, which mandate broadband speeds of at least 25 Mbps for $15 a month or 200 Mbps for $20 a month without extra taxes or equipment fees. Providers must also make reasonable efforts to promote these low-cost options.
In response, T-Mobile will remove the data caps, make ABA plans available throughout the state, and ensure search engines can access information about these plans. The attorney general emphasized her commitment to ensuring the Affordable Broadband Act achieves its goal of providing affordable home internet to New Yorkers in need.
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