Tethering and T-Mobile

[JuannyBooBoo]

How is tethering handled on T-Mobile? Is it enabled on all plans and deducted from your allotted high-speed cap?

I ask because someone at work finally bought a new T-Mobile Band12 capable phone and demonstrated that reception in our work building is great w/ it, with LTE coverage throughout. Before, T-mo reception was abysmal. I am eyeing the $40 prepaid plan that has unlimited talk and text and 3GB high-speed data. Nowhere does their documentation spell out, explicitly, if tethering is included or additional. It looks like they are trying to pull an AT&T and hide their tethering stance...

Side-point/question: I currently have an AT&T Lumia 640 running Win10Mo Insiders' Preview.. I'm guessing that this phone isn't Band 12 capable, and that I'd be better off getting an Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL w/ Win10Mo running natively.

 

[Guytronic]

From the T-Mobile website:
Full speeds available up to monthly allotment, including tethering (Unlimited on-smartphone 4G LTE data option includes 14GB of tethering); then, slowed to up to 2G speeds through bill cycle. Certain uses, e.g., some speed test apps, may not count against high-speed data allotment or have speeds reduced after allotment reached. U.S. roaming and on-network data allotments differ.

I tethered over 5GB on my 5GB/Unlimited $30 a month prepaid data plan once.
I was promptly warned that I was over the limit.

 

[JuannyBooBoo]

I saw that in the micro-fine-print at the bottom... They certainly don't call it out as a feature...

So, by reading between the lines, tethering is available on all plans, it sounds like? Thanks.

I think T-Mobile and AT&T are reluctant to mention out loud that they have tethering, b/c they're afraid everyone and their mom will start using it. Not sure how Cricket gets off not including tethering, and charging $10 additional a month to have the ability to use your existing phone data pool for tethering.

 

[Guytronic]

I'm guessing that this phone isn't Band 12 capable, and that I'd be better off getting an Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL w/ Win10Mo running natively.

Hate to say it...
Be careful choosing the Alcatel as T-Mobiles only Windows deal.
I have the Fierce and can't say I'm jumping for joy after using it.
IMO another brand/model unlocked or a differing platform might be best for now until T-Mobile decides that the Winphone user has money to spend too.

Good luck!

 

[JuannyBooBoo]

Hate to say it...
Be careful choosing the Alcatel as T-Mobiles only Windows deal.
I have the Fierce and can't say I'm jumping for joy after using it.
IMO another brand/model unlocked or a differing platform might be best for now until T-Mobile decides that the Winphone user has money to spend too.

Thanks for the warning... I'm gonna stick w/ AT&T/Cricket for right now, because, as much as I'm not crazy about their pricing/customer treatment, they seem to be the only one actually supporting and promoting Windows Phone/Mobile the most. I didn't realize that T-mo only had the 1 phone... I ditched Boost Mobile for that reason (they recently dropped their only Windows Phone...).

 

[tgp]

I'm gonna stick w/ AT&T/Cricket for right now

Did you see that Cricket announced that they'll soon have an unlimited data plan?

Cricket Wireless Spreads Smiles with New $70 Unlimited Plan on a Bigger Network than T-Mobile

A couple of my colleagues use Cricket, and I was just chatting with one of them about it. He's curious to see how they'll address tethering.

 

[JuannyBooBoo]

Did you see that Cricket announced that they'll soon have an unlimited data plan?

Cricket Wireless Spreads Smiles with New $70 Unlimited Plan on a Bigger Network than T-Mobile

A couple of my colleagues use Cricket, and I was just chatting with one of them about it. He's curious to see how they'll address tethering.

I did see that! It's a little too rich for my blood. I typically use around 500MB a month. My usage is higher than normal, because of my new phone, at 900MB, but 2.5GB is plenty. I can see how this addition would be nice for other people, though.

Having tethering would be really nice, but, not sure how does Cricket get off charging $10 just for the privilege of adding tethering whereas AT&T GoPhone, AT&T Contract, T-mobile on all plans, and I think Verizon prepaid, and Boost Mobile just have tethering included, no additional charge. And also, unless they reformulate their plans, if I understand it correctly, Cricket only allows you to add tethering if you're on the $50 5GB plan or higher - not the Basic 2.5GB $40 plan that I'm on. That's asinine, if you ask me...

A coworker was laughing at me, saying that I'm paying more for less service, since I left Boost Mobile, paying $30/mo for uncapped speeds, unlimited music streaming, and hotspot included, for data cap that starts from 2GB growing to 5GB.. (And at our workplace, Sprint/Boost gets better coverage than AT&T/Cricket)... But what I am getting for my extra $5/mo? My choice in phones...

Windows 10 Mobile. The choice of discerning wireless users.