T-Mobile had been throttling speeds for plans offered under the Affordable Broadband Act.
Kevin Carter/Getty Images
New York’s attorney general found that T-Mobile was not following the state’s Affordable Broadband Act, which sets requirements for offering service to low‑income residents. Under the ABA, eligible households must be able to purchase broadband at speeds of at least 25 Mbps for $15 a month or 200 Mbps for $20 a month without extra taxes or equipment fees. Providers are also required to make “reasonable efforts” to promote these low‑cost options.
The Office of the Attorney General discovered that T-Mobile had placed monthly data caps on its ABA plans. According to the press release, the carrier throttled speeds to as low as 650 kbps after a customer used 50 GB of data—a limit that could be reached in roughly four days of typical broadband use. The company also offered its ABA plans only in areas with 5G wireless coverage and blocked search engines from indexing information about those plans on its website.
Following the investigation, T-Mobile agreed to remove the data caps, make its ABA plans available in all locations where it provides home internet service across the state, and ensure that search engines can access details about the ABA offerings.
“Reliable and affordable internet service is a basic need for all New Yorkers, but T-Mobile flouted the law designed to help vulnerable New Yorkers access it,” Attorney General Letitia James said. “My office is committed to seeing the Affordable Broadband Act realize its goal of ensuring that New Yorkers in need are not denied access to affordable home internet. I encourage all eligible New Yorkers to enroll in a low‑cost home internet plan through the ABA.”
In a statement shared with Engadget, T-Mobile said, “We have a long history of helping customers in New York stay connected through low‑cost broadband, and we’re updating our plan to meet the state’s requirements while maintaining the same low price. We’ve reached an agreement with the New York Attorney General that builds on that commitment, provides greater clarity around our offering and makes the plan available to more eligible customers.”
Update, November 11, 6:20 PM ET: Added a statement from T‑Mobile.