T-Mobile's Legere Calls Users Who Exploit Tethering Workarounds 'Thieves' and Vows to Throttle Them

[dgstorm]

Apparently T-Mobile's CEO, John Legere, is hopping mad about folks who abuse the T-Mo network by using tethering workarounds to game the system. He called them "thieves" and plans to go after them with multiple methods, including throttling. Here's a quote from his press statement:

However, these violators are going out of their way with all kinds of workarounds to steal more LTE tethered data. They’re downloading apps that hide their tether usage, rooting their phones, writing code to mask their activity, etc. They are “hacking” the system to swipe high speed tethered data. These aren't naive amateurs; they are clever hackers who are willfully stealing for their own selfish gain. It’s a small group – 1/100 of a percent of our 59 million customers – but some of them are using as much as 2 terabytes (2,000GB!) of data in a month. I’m not sure what they are doing with it – stealing wireless access for their entire business, powering a small cloud service, providing broadband to a small city, mining for bitcoin -- but I really don’t care!

These abusers will probably try to distract everyone by waving their arms about throttling data. Make no mistake about it – this is not the same issue. Don’t be duped by their sideshow. We are going after every thief, and I am starting with the 3,000 users who know exactly what they are doing. The offenders start hearing from us tomorrow. No more abuse and no risk to the rest of our customers’ experience. It's over. If you are interested, you can find more info in our support forum.

What do you folks think? Is this a case of hypocrisy from Legere, or are there folks who really are taking advantage in an unfair way? Here at HQ, we tend to support getting the most value for you money when you pay for an unlimited plan, but we have to admit that 2 Terabytes per month is a crazy amount!

Our very own staff writer @DroidModderX recently did an experiment in which he went out of his way to try and download 1 terabyte of data in one month and he couldn't quite get there, stoping at just over 500 gigabytes because his device was overheating. Here's his story and video: Verizon Rant Follow Up: Using 1TB Of Unlimited Data In One Month | Android Forum at DroidForums.net

Source: T-Mobile

 

[Miller6386]

I read these stories on Twitter... I can see both sides. Unlimited in most cases means unlimited... HOWEVER the article also said that those plans only include 7gb for tethering....

I think that 2TB a month is a blatant abuse of any Internet connection... you either have WAY to much time on your hands for YouTube or you are downloading illegal content...

Now in this day and age I don't think there is anyone here who can honestly say they've never downloaded a song, app, movie or video for free that they should of paid for. Back in the days of Lime wire and Kazaa I got all my music from there. Now today with the streaming services available I can't remember the last thing I downloaded other than podcasts which I still pay for...

I am thinking back to my days on unlimited data with vzw and I was tethering for Netflix and downloading ROMS all the time and I think my highest usage was still only 170 gb.

I'm rambling a little here but if you agreed to only tether with 7gb than you need to hold up your end... if t mobile cut you off at 5gb you are going to throw a fit so it's only fair you stay true to your end.

2TB of data a month is an incredible amount for any 1 device to use. Part of me is curious what kind of server they have set up running off a phone. Or is it just a matter of them downloading every illegal album and movie they can get their browser on....

All in all I think if you are using that much data downloading and playing video games you need to pull the plug and get your butt outside!!

Note 4tified

 

[gadgetrants]

There seem to be several very serious weaknesses in his "argument." Let me highlight just one:

If their activities are left unchecked their actions could eventually have a negative effect on the experience of honest T-Mobile customers.

Notice that's TWO IFS in one. "If left unchecked" and "could eventually."

In other words. "This is a huge PR maneuver to show we care for the little guy. The truth is our towers and network have NO PROBLEM dealing with this capacity/bandwidth issue, but we have nothing to lose by playing it up. And LOOK MA I'm being totally honest by saying 'if' and 'could potentially.'"

I rest my case.

-Matt

 

[GAstorino]

Man 2TB is A LOT but what gets me is that they sell the plan as unlimited and then when you use it as such they get peo'd. If you have unlimited buffet and I eat all the pizza don't get upset because that's how you set it up. Just try and word it different for the new people and be thankful you have customers who don't leave you for the next big thing.

 

[johnomaz]

2TB is crazy but...BUT, why does he care where the data goes. Couldn't a user do the exact same thing on their phone with their unlimited LTE and not tether it? I mean, I can connect my phone to my TV and stream Netflix or Youtube all day long. I can download torrents on my phone directly and a bunch of other stuff. If I couldn't get good internet for my house I'd be using my phone for all those services. Whats the difference between doing that stuff on my phone and tethering to my computer and doing it?

 

[cr6]

I have to agree that using 2 TB is a complete misuse of unlimited. I may use 200gb from time to time, but it's all being used by streaming media that I'm actually watching as it's streaming... maybe 1gb it's actually from downloading songs or other media. Unlimited should mean UNLIMITED, but 2TBs is simply abusing the program and making it look bad for all of us.

 

[pc747]

Thieves, wait charging people twice to use their data isn't?

We went over this year's ago when companies first started this tethering plan . Whether I access the network through phone or computer it is the same data.

With that said legally he is right because we agree to the terms when we sign up for their services. If Verizon said that by agreeing to our terms of no Android phones allowed on their network you can not get mad if the kick you off for using an Android phone. Your chance to protest was when you had the chance not to sign up.

But because I think tethering plans are bogus I'm not going to look at a person who use a workaround sideways. But would suggest not drawing attention.

 

[tech_head]

2TB in a month? Show me.
2TB / 30 days = 66GB per day (66000MB).
Let's say you can download at 30 megabits.
30Mbits/8 = 3.75MB/sec
66000MB/3.75MB = 17600 = 4.88 Hours
So each and everyday you would need to be connected and streaming at 30Mbits/sec.

I'm calling BS.

 

[liftedplane]

I use about 1.5 terabytes on my home internet with comcast

that's 4 computers, one server and 3 game systems along with various other smart devices. streaming netflix to 4 devices at a time, downloading updates on my PC... games, steam... etc etc... playing xbox... and I still only use 1.5 tb.

hell even when I had my minecraft server up for my friends and I we used less than 2tb

bitcoin mining... that's possible... but 2TB is ridiculous. and is blatant abuse, tethering and using 100gb,,, sure it's abuse, but it's not 2tb... some people... this is why we can't have nice things.

 

[pc747]

2TB in a month? Show me.
2TB / 30 days = 66GB per day (66000MB).
Let's say you can download at 30 megabits.
30Mbits/8 = 3.75MB/sec
66000MB/3.75MB = 17600 = 4.88 Hours
So each and everyday you would need to be connected and streaming at 30Mbits/sec.

I'm calling BS.

I almost have to agree with you since our own @DroidModderX struggled to reach 1TB and he was actually trying to hit it to stick it to the man (Verizon Rant Follow Up: Using 1TB Of Unlimited Data In One Month | Android Forum at DroidForums.net).

 

[pc747]

I use about 1.5 terabytes on my home internet with comcast

that's 4 computers, one server and 3 game systems along with various other smart devices. streaming netflix to 4 devices at a time, downloading updates on my PC... games, steam... etc etc... playing xbox... and I still only use 1.5 tb.

hell even when I had my minecraft server up for my friends and I we used less than 2tb

bitcoin mining... that's possible... but 2TB is ridiculous. and is blatant abuse, tethering and using 100gb,,, sure it's abuse, but it's not 2tb... some people... this is why we can't have nice things.

I stand corrected.

 

[kodiak799]

I thought their plan limited tether usage to 5 or 7GB a month, and he's talking specifically about exploits or workarounds designed to evade that limit.

This is almost identical to the old VZW arguments. The data is unlimited subject to the uses specified. You have unlimited data on your device. Tethering to supply data to other devices is limited.

 

[Ollie]

I thought their plan limited tether usage to 5 or 7GB a month, and he's talking specifically about exploits or workarounds designed to evade that limit.

This is almost identical to the old VZW arguments. The data is unlimited subject to the uses specified. You have unlimited data on your device. Tethering to supply data to other devices is limited.

This. You can kick the can around as much as you want, but you didn't sign up for unlimited tethered data. Unlimited is for your phone. If you have the time to sit around all day and watch unending Netflix shows then more power to you. On your phone. If 7GBs of free tethering isn't enough for you then something is wrong.

When you are tethering to a PC you have a lot more going on than just browsing. People will abuse things and then cry wolf after. He should not throttle them. They should kick them off of the network completely.

 

[DroidModderX]

As much as I hate to say it. Their plan specifically states that tethering is limited to 7GB. If you sign the dotted line its your own fault for agreeing to that. As far as calling these folks "Thieves" for circumventing the data caps, data is data is data. I don't necessarily think it is right to limit the data that can be tethered since it is no different if you use the data on your phone or on your mom's ipad.

The whole point here is Tmobile is not trying to replace your ISP even though it could be argued that their tech cost less to maintain and they charge you more.

 

[kodiak799]

I don't necessarily think it is right to limit the data that can be tethered since it is no different if you use the data on your phone or on your mom's ipad.

But it is different, and as with VZW this example proves it's different....because peoples time and usage changes depending on the device. Namely, most people prefer to watch movies or do extensive surfing on a larger devices. And it goes without saying that if this wasn't the case, then people wouldn't need or want to tether gigs and gigs of data - you'd just be perfectly content to consume it all right there on your tiny 5-inch screen.