raysfan

MetroPCS to Overhaul Monthly Plans Next Monday, Adds Throttling on LTE | PhoneNews.com



$40 plan will limit you to 250mb of 4g access
$50 plan will limit you to 2.5gb
$60 plan will get you 5gb
$70 plan gets you unlimited


I don't think this is a good move by Metro. There are some better options out there (I am trying out T-Mobile prepay and love it so far) and $70 is too much for unlimited. For $10 more I could go to Sprint and have better coverage, and get a free phone.

What do you guys think about this? Is this a bad move by Metro?

epayne123

Have you confirmed this with MetroPCS? i will be contacting them today to confirm the story. This is just a move to get closer to competitors as they can without going past them as far as prices restrictions go but this is definitely a bad move IMO unless this is due to an IMMEDIATE boost in speed and coverage range which would justify the price boost. winner how they will be FORCING the new bill pricing upon us. This will be a negative.

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raysfan

But I have heard this was in the works, and if you look up MetroPCS in Google News, it's there. I've seen it on a few different websites already that are very credible.

raysfan

These rates are still very competitive compared to a Sprint or Tmoble, The only problem is that you get a free phone with those carriers, and with Metro you have to come out of pocket around $250 for their cheapest 4g phone. If its only $10 - $15 more per month, I'd go with the larger carrier and take the free phone and save my $250. If the difference is $25 per month or more, then its worth the savings to buy the phone up front.

THE W

Sprint and tmobile aren't giving anyone unlimited everything for anywhere near $70 let alone $60. The free phones they give on their contracts aren't gonna be their best phones. You'll get their mid to low grade phones for free while their top of the line phones will be $200 to $300 with a two year commitment.

The key will be whether metro will improve their 4G speeds. If metro can get us up to 8 or 10mbps, that would be adequate. Honestly though, with no tethering, having Verizon speeds isn't gonna do much for you. At 4mbps you're gonna be able to stream whatever you need without rebuffer.

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epayne123

Yes that is what my opinion was. They are going to be going to be much Closer to t the other carriers which takes away the Metro Kills Everyone thing

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THE W

even at $70 they're stilling killing everyone else in terms of price. if we compare plans with unlimited talk/text/data:

metro - $70(flat rate, no throttle)
t-mobile - $79(throttled after 2gb. taxes and fees extra)
sprint - $99( mostly 3g, limited 4g. taxes and fees extra plus $10 premium data fee for smartphones)

ATT and verizon dont have "unlimited" data(honestly, neither does tmobile)

ATT - $70 for unlimited talk and text and $50 for 5GB of data(taxes and fee extra)
verizon - $70 for unlimited talk, $20 for unlimited text, and $30 to $80 for data(taxes and fees extra).

epayne123

Yes but when we are onky talking about $30 after fees fire me to have unlimited 4G then i can switch. I get discounts for wherei work

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THE W

the only other major carrier thats giving you unlimited high speed data is sprint and its not even 4g.

but if you dont mind paying more money for less service, go for it.

im not fortunate enough to work somewhere where i get discounts on my phone bill. neither are most other people. you could get a good deal if you're on a legacy plan with verizon or ATT.

Last edited by THE W; April 1st, 2012 at 12:38 PM.

UKCatFan

One of the biggest questions is if this will affect existing customer's plans. If so then I will not be happy since I just bought this 4G phone. I might be requesting a complete refund if this really goes down that way. I probably could get by with the $50 plan since I have used about 1GB in 18 days and much of that was from right when I got the phone and was downloading apps. I could have done that on wifi, but wanted to see how the 4G was performing.

Since it is relatively easy to switch rate plans on Metro, I wonder if some people will drop to the $40 each first day of the billing and then continue to upgrade as they hit each mark? That would save some money from prorating the bill.

As for the move itself, I think it is pretty stupid and think they are shooting themselves in the foot. They need to offer significant savings in order to be considered worthwhile over a big carrier.

AppleUser

Are 3G rates going to change also ? A friend of mine uses a Samsung 3G phone on Boost and pays $55/month unlimited everything Nationwide.

UKCatFan

Since this is a "leak" and nothing is official, nobody knows. It might not even be real or could have been an intentional leak to see how people react.

UKCatFan

So far this is the only news outlet reporting anything about this. I am starting to question the authenticity of it. It is very unusual that nobody else picked up on it. Either that or they have a great inside scoop that isn't talking to anyone else. We shall see.

THE W

so either today or next monday there will be a $70 plan?

........

what month is it?

raysfan

Yes but honestly, neither is Metro Pcs. The highest speeds I ever saw were about 5mps. That's not really considered true 4g. I know people that have sprint that get around 3mps on average, which I was lucky to get with Metro.

Since switching to Tmobile, I can say I am more than satisfied. I have the $30 plan with 100 minutes, unlimited text, and 5gb high speed internet. I don't talk on my phone a lot and use a fair amount of data, so this plan is perfect for me. As far as speeds go, the phone I have is 3g and its just a hair slower than Metro's 4g speeds. Overall though, its more consistent. I've had the phone over a week and not once lost 3g service. Never had any "could not load this webpage" errors which i saw with Metro repeaditly. (I live in a good coverage area)

I've even turned my 3g off just to see how their speeds are, and honestly its just as good as my wife's 3g is on Metro.

All I'm saying is that Metro can't expect people to pay $70 for a service that is far from top notch. I'd much rather pay that $70 to Tmobile prepaid (if I needed unlimited minutes) and get 5g high speed data. Yes, they throttle you, but at least the 5gb you get is faster, and more reliable. And even when you go down to 2g, it isn't that horrible.

Not to mention, the phone quality is WAY better. I just got a Galaxy S Vibrant, and even though its 2 years old, it blows away anything in Metro's stable.

Last edited by raysfan; April 2nd, 2012 at 07:52 PM.

raysfan

I don't think so, As 3g is capped with Metro and really isn't 3g. It's more like 2.5g. I can't imagine them trying to charge more for that.

raysfan

You can get top of the line phones for free if you look around a little. I've seen the Nexus S, Galaxy S2, Evo 3d, and HTC Amaze for free on contract. Those are some of the best phones on the market right now.

raysfan

Metro should improve their network before charging more. I understand they need money in order to improve their network, but business doesn't work that way. You can't expect people to pay more for something that will pay off in the long run. Most of Metro's customer aren't willing to shell out $70 a month, because if they were, they would just go with a larger carrier.

Last edited by raysfan; April 2nd, 2012 at 07:37 PM.

AppleUser

Thank you. Very well-stated. Agree that Metro should make a substantial improvement BEFORE charging more.

THE W

link?

im looking at tmobiles website and they have the galaxy SII for $229 w/contract. same with the HTC amaze. if you can get those phones for free, it wont be with tmobile.

fair enough man, you have a plan that works for you since you dont talk on the phone or use much data. i use tons of data and would be screwed with only 5gbs a month. like i said, if you can live with less service, go for it. not everyone will be okay with those restraints.

you probably live in a good area for tmobile and a bad one for metro. i have never gotten a page loading error on metro and i've had this phone since it came out(i live in a good coverage area for metro). metro is very competitive with the big 4 in everything except coverage area...and phones. still, they're pretty damn good for a budget service.

all im saying is(assuming this is actually gonna happen) while charging people another 10 bucks is a bad look and WILL hurt metro...badly, you're still getting a much better combination of cost and service than the big 4 when comparing unlimited services even at $70. people arent gonna think about that, they're just gonna see that they're being charged an extra 10 bucks.

and im not here to tell you that you should have stayed with metro. you found a plan that met your specific needs at a better price. you would've been dumb not to take it. myself, i want unlimited everything and nobody is giving me anywhere near as good a deal for that than metro.

Last edited by THE W; April 2nd, 2012 at 10:43 PM.

raysfan

EVO DESIGN 4G : AmazonWireless: HTC EVO Design 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

EVO 3D : AmazonWireless: HTC EVO 3D 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

NEXUS S : AmazonWireless: Samsung Nexus S 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

MYTOUCH4G : Unsupported Browser

The GALAXY S2 is $49.99, but it was free a few weeks ago. I would consider all of these phone mid to high end phones, and are far better than anything offered by MetroPcs.

THE W

you should switch to sprint.


EDIT: thats odd, im looking at sprints official site and both EVOs and the nexus are $99, and the galaxy s2 is $199.

guess they have a deal with amazon to sell them cheaper there.

Last edited by THE W; April 2nd, 2012 at 11:22 PM.

jtw1216

Hey guys, don't panic yet lol. Remember that the story came out on April Fools Day. This could all be a big hoax. I sure hope it is lol.

UKCatFan

I thought that as well, but the thing is that there is nothing funny. I wonder if it was a hoax by someone really mad at Metro for some reason.

THE W

yeah if this is BS then this is a total arsehole prank.

its been 2 days since the announcement and the only website that has reported this is phonenews.com. this is gigantic news and for only one news outlet to have reported it is pretty strange.

Last edited by THE W; April 3rd, 2012 at 07:38 AM.

raysfan

Its on their site now.

THE W

yep, its there.

metroPCS is gonna regret this move. who knows, after seeing the negative impact of this change they may go back to $60.

now the question is for someone such as myself who is on the $60 plan, are they gonna treat me as a legacy customer and still allow me to have unlimited all or am i gonna be under the restrictions next month?

Last edited by THE W; April 3rd, 2012 at 08:24 AM.

UKCatFan

OK, so now what happens to existing accounts? Are any of the Metro employees reading this? Typically in the past you stayed on the plan you have. How does changing phones affect this?

I am supposed to be getting my warranty replacement on Thursday and I want to make sure that does not mess up my plan.

UKCatFan

I just noticed that it says music, video, and other media. Maybe they just got wise to the streaming apps they were not counting and this leaves non media apps still unlimited. If that is the case then I might still be good at the $40 plan.

THE W

so i just talked to a "liveperson" on the metroPCS site and they said that those under the old plans will retain the same restrictions or lack thereof($60 plan) even if they change handsets.

so im a grandfather..haha.

metro is REALLY shooting themselves in the foot with this.

UKCatFan

I got the same response from the live chat. So, as long as you do not change plans then you are good.

alfick3

Yeah, I looked at the web site and saw that too. From what I read, it looks to me, like that is just streaming media. It says metro web is unlimited. To me that means general web browsing is still unlimited.

lingming

You just have to read it better what ever plan you was on will just change the data so if your on $50 Lte in may you will get 2.5G 4g LTE data once you go over that you will get you data at 3g or 1x BUT also i hoping this is a typo on their site but $50 LTE plan loses the Unlimited MetroNavigator Unlimited Metro411 Premium Directory Assistance Unlimited Loopt
Unlimited Mobile Instant Messaging Visual Voicemail Visual Voicemail Plus mail@metro
Hoping thats an typo if you had the $60 lte you will lose the MetroSTUDIO Video On Demand and all those other thing and you will get 5g 4g lte once you use that with will be using 1x or 3g speed
Now on the other hand if you have an android phone you might not use metro app
On the other hand i know us indugle phone owner you can even have 4g on or the phonw will die in 2-4 hr without use Also metro speed where i live vegas is always under 1mb DL or 1 mb DL that is if you get 4g if you dont get it their no 3g so you get 1x speed data so if where you live has no 3g yet your speed will be 1x
About other phone seller their 3g is faster then my 4g also their mid line phone are metro high end phone and some place have deal and buying phone from other place gets you an cheaper phone

UKCatFan

Lingming, we got confirmation that they will not change your plan on you. You keep the one you have now unless you change it. Once you change it, you can never go back though. Also, please try to use some punctuation and proper grammar because that was painful to read.

alfick3

Thank you. If you hadn't asked that I would have.

AppleUser

Plans - MetroPCS

OnyxJay

I look at it this way, you are getting 2.5 times more bandwidth than before on the $50 plan. I use an indulge and where I live, honestly 4G is kind of a joke. About 150 kBps on a good day up and 170 kBps down. I got better then that on my old Palm Pre from Sprint. But anyhow, I don't mind this change as much as others might. I don't use any of the bloatware crap that came on the phone. They want to charge for crappy navigation? Ok, I have Location and Google Maps. Metro wants to charge for MetroStudio (did anyone actually USE this?) OK. I have Youtube and Netflix. Wanting to charge for Rhapsody? Keep it. I use Google Music or TuneIn radio. In the end, thanks for more bandwidth and making me even happier that I rooted this turd of a phone and deleted your crap. In the end, I'll do that EVERY TIME! But again, thanks for 2.5 times more bandwidth. That was swell of you!

UKCatFan

If you make a change to your plan then you are stuck using one of the new ones. Period. You cannot switch from the old $40 plan to the old $50 plan for example.

lingming

that might be true you will stay on your plan for now but well im thinking dose metro really have 4g well maybe someone can find what are the standers to be called 4g LTE like i said at good time DL speed can be 800 other times i feel like im using dialup

ohbaby

Metro PCS has officially screwed an existing customer. Yes folks, it is true. My unlimited 4g has been capped. I bought the LG Connect 3/2/12. Had unlimited all through March. Infact I made sure I was unlimited by downloading 6 gigs of vids and then streamed many hockey games. Yesterday I got a text saying I have reached my 4g limit, and will now get reduced speeds. Not one word what my limit was btw. After calling. I was told I had the $50 1 gig plan. Regardless I was paying $50 for unlimited, which is what they gave me at the store,.. cause I was willing to pay the $60 before I walk in, It was unlimited. In the month and a half I had this cell, my lifetime data is 13 gigs. They are trying to tell me that only 2 gigs was 4g speeds. I was absolutely dumbfounded by this reply. Could they really be so incredulous?
I am dropping metro like a hot potato. The disdain in which they treat new customers is appalling. They wanna raise my unlimited 20 bucks after one month,.... bite me. I'll smash the handset in the corporate store just on principle.

And what is with these customer service reps? "Is there anything else I can help you with?" Well that would be nice,... if you were of any help in the first place!

THE W

so you were on the $50 plan?

UKCatFan

Ohbaby,

After dealing with Metro for about eight years now, I am not surprised. They have always had awful customer service. I am not surprised that they changed your account though. That is a whole lot of usage over that amount of time. They likely think that you are going to keep using at that rate and are therefore someone that they will not make money from. They don't really care if you leave them now. It is not the right way to do business, but that is Metro.

UKCatFan

I just double checked mine and I am still on the unlimited $40 plan. I have used just over 1GB in a month and week or so. I am not a heavy user so they will likely leave me alone.

UKCatFan

It is not new customers, it is all customers. Don't damage your phone. That would only make you a laughing stock to them. You already paid for it and don't have to return it to them if you leave. That is like intentionally wrecking your car because the dealership raised the price of an oil change.

THE W

If you were on the $50 plan before the change then you only get 1gb a month so if you went over that then they're gonna hit you up.

ohbaby

Yes, I paid $50 for my plan. But the guy at the store assured me it was unlimited 4g. I went into the store looking to get the $60 unlimited, but he said the $50 was unlimited also. What was I going to say,........ yes I would like to pay $10 extra anyway

Bottom line,.... It was definitely unlimited 4g service. I checked and tested it thoroughly. Downloaded over 6 gigs of stuff and streamed constantly. Believe me, if it wasn't unlimited high speed, they would have heard from me last month. And I would have gotten the $60 plan. But it was unlimited so why pay $10 more?

So now, I can't upgrade to the $60 like I would have last month, if infact I did not have the unlimited.

I have 12 gigs of lifetime data in a month and a half. There is no way this is possible at EV speeds.

UKCatFan

The new $60 plan will not work for you if you are going to keep using data at that pace. It is limited to 5GB per month at 4G. The $70 plan is the only one completely unlimited.

They did promise me that I would be grandfathered in on the old plans and I saved a transcript of the chat in case they messed with mine. You might call the support number and tell them that you were promised a similar deal and see if they will put you back on the old one. They also said that only they have the ability to do that and that the reps in the stores would not be able to help.

UKCatFan

I was told that all existing customers would not be changed to the new pricing structure. They should all be grandfathered in to the old rates. In this case of really high usage though, they may have broken that promise because they really don't want a customer like that.

ohbaby

That's just great,.... cause I was told by a supervisor on the phone to go to a corporate store to show them the data.

And yes the new $60 plan would not help me. That's the entire point. I would need the $70 unlimited. I would be paying an extra 20 dollars for the same service I had my first month. If they had capped my 4g last month (after the 1 gig) instead of yesterday,.. I would have upgraded to the $60 unlimited. But they never did throttle my speed. So now I have to pay $20 more? They can bite me.

I should be grandfathered with the $60 unlimited, if not the $50 unlimited. I will not pay 70 for this service.

And I only used that much data last month, cause I was testing to see if it was truly unlimited.

One other note is they said, I had used my 1 gig this month on 4/17. My lifetime data is 12 gigs. So if that was true, I downloaded 11 gigs in 30 days, and then 1 gig the last 17 days? I don't think so. I had them upgrade me to the new $50 plan which is 2.5 gigs. So I get an! extra 1.5 gigs. Theoretically this should last the rest of the month. Bet it won't last 3 days.

THE W

The salesperson that told you the $50 plan was unlimited was telling you a half truth. Under the old plan you got one gig of "video streaming" which means only stuff like netflix, hbogo, and rhapsody counted towards your data usage. You could still surf the web and do everything else and not be charged for data usage. Under the new plans all data usage is counted so you were doing the things you usually do and it was all counting towards your data usage.

This is why you were able to use so much data before and not get throttled. You can't do that now.