T-Mobile rumored to be swapping throttling for overage fees

T-Mobile may have a memorable Saturday night planned. If documents rumored to have been leaked from the carrier prove correct, T-Mobile is planning to put an end to "unlimited" data plans that currently apply the brakes after the first 200MB of data, knocking users off its high-speed HSPA+ network.

The current 200MB unlimited data plans will be grandfathered at the end of the day on August 13, states the document (so if you're already a customer, you're in the clear). Everyone else will be charged an extra dime per MB, though — happily — there's a $30 Max Overage Charge, so things can't get too crazy.

Plus, in a courtesy the government has suggested that carriers extend, T-Mobile will send users text messages, alerting them when they've hit the 200MB line, so they have the option of trying to avoid additional charges.

Competitor Sprint has taken pains to point out that it's the last major carrier to offer truly unlimited access to data (Unfiltered: Sprint ad asks the question: 'what does unlimited mean, anyway?'). In its latest ad, Sprint shows AT&T and Verizon to drop overage fees on users after the 2GB mark, while a T-Mobile phone loses steam after the 2GB mark. The commercial could actually still keep airing, with just a quick fix — have the T-Mobile phone start its huffing and puffing at the 5GB mark.

The fine print of the T-Mobile document reads: "These features also have data speed reduction if customer reaches 5GB within a bill cycle."

Virgin Mobile, on the same bandwagon, similarly launched a new ad (Unfiltered: Virgin Mobile's T-Mobile 'party crash' not its finest effort) both dissing T-Mobile as "depressing" and insisting it's not the only "unlimited" act in town. Virgin Mobile, which is owned by Sprint, offers a $35 unlimited plan.

“T-Mobile has anointed itself as the value leader in wireless ... so we're crashing their party," a Virgin Mobile executive said in a statement introducing the ad.