“If you want to download, stream and watch video clips, save that stuff for your home broadband,” T-Mobile U.K. says. On February 1, 2011 T-Mobile U.K. will be realigning its fair use policies so that mobile internet service will have fair use of 500 MBytes a month.
That doesn’t sound like much a bucket of usage, but most users, in most markets, consume something like 200 Mbytes a month on their mobile phones.
In fact, T-Mobile U.K. seems quite sure that level of fair usage will allow people to do all the things they normally do, such as using email or checking social media updates and using websites.
That level of usage, of course, does not cover watching of videos, downloading of big files or playing interactive Internet-based games. As often is the case, uses who exceed the 500 Mbyte usage cap will be limited in ability to download, stream and watch video clips, but will have normal use of email, web and other activities that are not so bandwidth intensive.
If you want to know what the long-term value of a fixed-line service is, it is broadband access. T-Mobile U.K.’s advice to “use video on your fixed connection” is just one bit of evidence.