Virgin Mobile drops cap on full-speed 'unlimited' to 2.5GB
updated 11:15 am EST, Wed February 16, 2011
Virgin Mobile ups price, drops data limit on plan
Virgin Mobile has quietly restricted its unlimited Broadband2Go mobile data plan again recently, capping it at 2.5GB and upping its monthly subscription price. Just over a month ago, Virgin promised the plan will offer 5GB of full-speed data use for $40 per month. The provider is using a soft cap and optionally throttles speeds if the network is congested.
Subscribers will have the option of paying another $50 for restoring speeds after they go over 2.5GB. This makes the previously industry-leading 3G data plan now less than average when compared to postpaid (subscription) plans.
When the no-contract service was introduced last summer, it offered true unlimited data and was considered a bargain versus carriers that at the time were charging as much as $60 for 5GB with steep overage fees. Virgin Mobile USA's parent company Sprint has tried to keep unlimited data rates on smartphones but raised prices to offset what it believed were overly high costs for supplying large amounts of mobile Internet traffic.
