Question

archaic 3g hotspot speed -- age 55+ plan

F
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So I misplaced my t-mobile phone while traveling and had to buy a burner to get back home, find my phone, etc.

 

T-mo's price was so high that I walked over to a major competitor in the same mall. The sales manager tried to upsell me until I got out the door.

 

The recovery burner was about 40% less at the major competitor, and their age 55+ plan is about $5 more per month (month-to-month prepaid for now).

 

What really shocked me was the hotspot speed -- almost 600% faster (4g lte vs t-mo capped at 3g data) -- all for a few dollars more per month.

 

plus my t-mo needs a network extender in my home to work, but the competitor's network doesn't need it.

 

I was pleased with t-mo before this issue popped up, but with high priced recovery options, poor salesmanship, low speeds, and poor radio penetration it looks like I might have to switch.

13 replies

C
Userlevel 5
Badge +5

It’s odd that your TMO plans puts you on 3G because they are in the process of shutting that down like all other carriers. What plan do you have where they drop you to 3G? All current plans are 5G that drop you to LTE once you hit the data cap.

F
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t-mo web site says t-mobile hotspot / tether is capped to 3g data rates and I see 70-100 kbps rate on my computer's network monitor.

The major competitor's web site says 4g lte on mobile hotspot / tether and I do see it running at 400 - 500 kbps.

So unless something changes in the next month or so I will start the process ... packing up the range extenders and porting my number.

mvnos are also offering good deals without the throttling and caps ... lots to choose from. A few are also going 5g on hotspot / tether at a similar price.

 

 

C
Userlevel 5
Badge +5

t-mo web site says t-mobile hotspot / tether is capped to 3g data rates and I see 70-100 kbps rate on my computer's network monitor.

The major competitor's web site says 4g lte on mobile hotspot / tether and I do see it running at 400 - 500 kbps.

So unless something changes in the next month or so I will start the process ... packing up the range extenders and porting my number.

mvnos are also offering good deals without the throttling and caps ... lots to choose from. A few are also going 5g on hotspot / tether at a similar price.

 

 

So if I understand correctly, your speed comparison is strictly measured while your phone is functioning as a hotspot. For prepaid, it looks like TMO throttle you to 3G speed even though you are connected to LTE or 5G. Definitely shop around with other pre paid plans like Mint. If you are only have 1-2 lines and you prefer pre-paid, TMO is not a good option. Also keep in mind that hotspot features are generally capped to a specific amount per month at the highest speed.

If you are interested in a unlimited plan, TMO Magenta for 55+ is $50 per month 1 line and $70 for 2 lines. This gives you 5GB per month of LTE hotspot tethering,

F
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I am on t-mo's age 55+ essentials unlimited plan and they charge me monthly.

the competitor's burner is prepaid, month-to-month, and running 4g lte hotspot data rate but capped to 5 gb.

It is true that 55+ magenta and magenta max change the hotspot throttling and caps ... at additional cost.

 

gramps28
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Userlevel 7
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The Essential plan you’re paying tax on also while the other two 55+ plans the tax is included and you get more.

Compare plans

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I signed up before they added the pay up for extras magenta plans, a couple of years ago.

It's past time to reassess all options rather than blindly boost up a tier. 

gramps28
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Userlevel 7
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The essential plan is rather new and is geared for people who don’t use those services that much.

I’m still on the original 55+ One plan for $60 a month for 2 lines but wasn’t interested is the Magenta version and the added cost to upgrade.

F
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My recollection is t-mo renamed the original age 55+ plan to "essentials" when they created the magenta upgrades and grandfathered people like me into it.

But I could be wrong about that. In any case, it's obviously past time to review the provider landscape.

I can't spend time on it right now but 4g lte or even 5g mobile hotspot looks like a possibility for less than I am paying currently, and no more cell tower booster in my window.

 

 

gramps28
Rank
Userlevel 7
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The essential plans came out late in 2018 and the Grandfathered 55+ plans came out before 2017.

Good luck on finding another provider , Try google fi. You basically pay for what you use.

TMobile Essential plans

D

I am on t-mo's age 55+ essentials unlimited plan and they charge me monthly.

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Google fi is just another service provider. It has caps and throttling like most of the others.

There were no magenta plans when I was grandfathered into t-mobile's lowest data bucket, which has not been upgraded in years.

I don't have time to build out a spreadsheet of the various takings and givings right now, but the mvno's appear to be on the rising edge again.

 

 

H
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I just read all of these Q & As about the 55+ Hotspot speed, which I have, and if I understand correctly, it runs at 3 GHz, right?  I have a device that needs 2.4 GHz.  I’m SOL, aren’t I?

T

I just read all of these Q & As about the 55+ Hotspot speed, which I have, and if I understand correctly, it runs at 3 GHz, right?  I have a device that needs 2.4 GHz.  I’m SOL, aren’t I?

No 3G means 3rd generation not 3GHz

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