T-Mobile began notifying customers on June 29 that legacy plans dating back roughly 15 years are being retired, according to The Verge. The carrier is migrating affected subscribers to current plans tied to its modern 5G network. Some bills will stay flat; others will rise modestly. T-Mobile is offering a five-year price guarantee on the new plans.
Old phone plans exist for a reason: they're cheaper, simpler, and locked into terms that no longer exist. When a carrier forces you off one, you lose the deal you chose and get the deal the company wants to sell today. That's a repricing, not a network upgrade.
This is the wireless business cleaning out its attic, and customers are the ones losing storage space. Old plans are a nuisance for carriers because they limit pricing power and preserve memories of what service used to cost. T-Mobile is betting that most people will grumble, then stay put. That bet usually works.
Filed to the Technology desk · Jun 29