Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- T-Mobile was planning to roll out address verification for existing Home Internet subscribers on May 8.
- The company has now delayed those plans for “later this year.”
- It has also delayed the launch of its new Away plan.
After discovering that its customers were taking advantage of a loophole to access its Home Internet service while traveling, T-Mobile announced a fix would be coming. The fix was scheduled to roll out on May 8, but the company has now postponed it.
On May 8, it was expected that T-Mobile would send out notifications to Home Internet subscribers announcing a crackdown on using the service while on the go. Specifically, the crackdown would enforce address verification on gateways, so customers would no longer be able to take their 5G gateway with them on travel to access free internet without penalty. As an alternative, the company was planning to offer a new Away plan for those who are frequently on the road.
In a document obtained by The Mobile Report, it appears T-Mobile has put a pause on the launch of address verification. The outlet also received a document that says the carrier has put the new Away plan on hold as well.
It’s reported that the firm encountered an issue during the final phase of testing the Away plan. According to the document:
During the final pre-launch testing of the Away plan, we encountered an issue with a setup that would have resulted in a customer experience that didn’t meet T-Mobile’s high bar. We’ve decided to delay the launch of the Away plan so we can make the experience amazing for customers.
In addition to this, it seems the Away plan would only work for those who were already eligible for the standard Home Internet plan. This would make Away pointless as Home Internet is unlimited and cheaper than the Away plan.
It’s unclear if these are the reasons why T-Mobile has delayed rolling out the new plan and address verification. You probably shouldn’t get your hopes up that this is over, however, as address verification will likely still be coming, as well as a retooled Away plan.
