Does the $20 unlimited data add-on use LTE speeds?

[JohnJSal]

When I signed up with T-Mobile about a year or two ago, I chose the $50 base plan (unlimited talk and text) and the $20 option for unlimited data. My understanding at the time was that it was the LTE network, and I always seemed to get those speeds.

But recently I noticed that there are several new add-on options, and that the one I have ($20 option for unlimited data) only says "Unlimited Nationwide 4G data" and doesn't specify LTE as all the other options do. There is even another $20 add-on that gives 5GB of LTE data per month. Why would there be a 5GB option and an unlimited option for the same price if there weren't some difference between them? Or is there some other difference I didn't notice?

So basically I'm wondering if the $50 + $20 plan I've been on has somehow been reduced to just what T-Mobile calls "4G" speeds and is no longer LTE speeds.

Thanks,
John

 

[horsecharles]

When I signed up with T-Mobile about a year or two ago, I chose the $50 base plan (unlimited talk and text) and the $20 option for unlimited data. My understanding at the time was that it was the LTE network, and I always seemed to get those speeds.

But recently I noticed that there are several new add-on options, and that the one I have ($20 option for unlimited data) only says "Unlimited Nationwide 4G data" and doesn't specify LTE as all the other options do. There is even another $20 add-on that gives 5GB of LTE data per month. Why would there be a 5GB option and an unlimited option for the same price if there weren't some difference between them? Or is there some other difference I didn't notice?

So basically I'm wondering if the $50 + $20 plan I've been on has somehow been reduced to just what T-Mobile calls "4G" speeds and is no longer LTE speeds.

Thanks,
John

What would you fancy most:
100 gb @ 4G, or 5 gb @ LTE?
Depends too where you are located...

 

[JohnJSal]

What would you fancy most:
100 gb @ 4G, or 5 gb @ LTE?
Depends too where you are located...

This is irrelevant. I just want to know what I have, not what I might need or what I can get in my area.

And as I said, I signed up when there were only three plans: $50 for 500MB of data, $60 for 2.5GB, and $70 for unlimited. That was LTE at the time, and I want to know if it changed without my knowledge.

 

[horsecharles]

I misread your post.
You are most likely on truly unlimited LTE, grandfathered in and tmo would never alter that.
One way to tell...on your tmo app, if you see 0.0 mb data.

 

[JohnJSal]

I misread your post.
You are most likely on truly unlimited LTE, grandfathered in and tmo would never alter that.
One way to tell...on your tmo app, if you see 0.0 mb data.

No problem.

I see "0.0 MB High Speed Data" in the app. That means LTE?

And if I'm grandfathered, does that mean that the new $70 plan *isn't* LTE? Because there is also an $80 unlimited plan that seems to be the same as what I have for $70. Did they raise the price of the unlimited data plan? If so, that's why I was worried my plan might have been downgraded to just 4G and not LTE.

 

[horsecharles]

No problem.

I see "0.0 MB High Speed Data" in the app. That means LTE?

And if I'm grandfathered, does that mean that the new $70 plan *isn't* LTE? Because there is also an $80 unlimited plan that seems to be the same as what I have for $70. Did they raise the price of the unlimited data plan? If so, that's why I was worried my plan might have been downgraded to just 4G and not LTE.

Exactly re LTE, that's tmo quirk LOL.
I'm not sure on the different plans, haven't needed to follow them anymore, wink.
I am one million percent sure we will not be downgraded even if prices go up.

 

[JohnJSal]

Exactly re LTE, that's tmo quirk LOL.
I'm not sure on the different plans, haven't needed to follow them anymore, wink.
I am one million percent sure we will not be downgraded even if prices go up.

Thank you. I was planning on calling and asking them, but I wonder if they'd really tell me if they did downgrade anyway.

Granted, my data icon often shows the "4G LTE" symbol, but it is most definitely not always LTE speeds. Sometimes it is around 2-5 Mbps.

 

[horsecharles]

Thank you. I was planning on calling and asking them, but I wonder if they'd really tell me if they did downgrade anyway.

Granted, my data icon often shows the "4G LTE" symbol, but it is most definitely not always LTE speeds. Sometimes it is around 2-5 Mbps.

Tmo is one company I trust, Sprint..ehh.
Look at the folks on the tzones plans since from the 90's.
Anyhow, it'd be illegal without even informing you ahead of time.
I'm sorry about your speeds.

 

[JohnJSal]

Tmo is one company I trust, Sprint..ehh.
Look at the folks on the tzones plans since from the 90's.
Anyhow, it'd be illegal without even informing you ahead of time.
I'm sorry about your speeds.

Lol, don't get me started with Sprint ;-)

But sometimes my speeds depend on the area. Sometimes I get 70Mbps! It's just been weird lately.

 

[horsecharles]

Tmo Achilles heel is it can't sustain the speeds everywhere.
I'm hoping fcc grants request for favored status in the next bandwidth auction...only way it can improve and compete vs AT&T n Verizon.

 

[horsecharles]

Some areas are getting tower upgrades n combining w/ decommissioned 2g...that could be what you're seeing.

And I think eventually 4G will give way likewise.

 

[mogelijk]

As others have stated, you are grandfathered under the old Unlimited plan. The new unlimited plan is $80/month.

As for speeds, T-Mobile speeds recently have been slow in some areas -- Houston has only had 15x15 bandwidth and, from what I can tell, a lot of new subscribers. IOW, there has not been enough bandwidth for all the customers in some areas. T-Mobile, in the last week or so, shut down some of the HSPA+ to free up spectrum for LTE. You should be seeing better speeds now as most of Houston is now converted to 20x20 LTE.