Last month, T-Mobile introduced two new Home Internet plans, including one called Away meant for frequent travelers. Perhaps not by coincidence, it decided on the same day to crack down on those who were using their Home Internet service at places other than where they were supposed to use it. Thankfully for users, both services have been delayed.
T-Mobile's Away plan is for those who are often on the road and need an internet connection that's widely available. This plan was initially going to be available from May 8 but The Mobile Report says the rollout has been delayed due to some issues that cropped up at the last minute.
The report also notes that only customers with home addresses that are eligible for standard unlimited Home Internet will be able to sign up for Away, which doesn't make sense, considering Away is meant for digital nomads.
A separate report from the same outlet says that T-Mobile has also decided to delay the rumored clamp down on those not using Home Internet only at the address where they signed up for it.
All you need for Home Internet to work is the 5G gateway device and technically it should work wherever 5G is available. That said, since the service is marketed as a fixed wireless solution, you are authorized to use it only at the location where you signed up for it.
T-Mobile was never strict about this but the gateway device did have an integrated GPS, and we now know why it was there. It will allow T-Mobile to track where the device is and notify you if you move it beyond the bounds of your house.
Presumably because no one would want to sign up for the pricier Away plan if they could just take their gateway devices with them wherever they go, the decision to enforce location requirements was taken at the same time as Away was announced. But now that Away has been delayed, T-Mobile has reportedly decided to continue giving leeway to Home Internet users.
According to an alleged internal document, T-Mobile's policy is still that Home Internet is meant to be used at a specified address but it will start enforcing it sometime later this year, and not from today, which was the original plan.
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The policy would require you to either only use Home Internet at the address you provided during the signup process, update your address, or choose a new plan.
Even if T-Mobile has a right to implement the policy, most customers will likely be annoyed at the company's firmer approach toward putting it into practice, especially those who were encouraged by representatives to use a wrong address to sign up for the services in places where it wasn't officially available.
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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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