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T-Mobile is rolling out a dirt-cheap new plan in response to the coronavirus crisis

Updated: Sep 04, 2020, 9:07 AM

T-Mobile got a lot of flak from the competition for announcing a series of "breakthrough connectivity initiatives" last fall that were entirely contingent on the completion of the company's merger with Sprint, but while said combination of the nation's third and fourth-largest wireless service providers is technically not closed yet, one of those "supercharged Un-carrier" moves is now scheduled to come into effect this Wednesday, March 25.

As you can imagine, the early launch was largely prompted by the ongoing and rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak, although in all fairness, we also have to highlight the creation of a robust "New T-Mobile" rival for Verizon and AT&T is facing almost no obstacles anymore, looking like a simple matter of days.

Still, the introduction of an ultra-affordable T-Mobile Connect plan is only the latest in a series of big and bold "moves" recently made to ensure as many people as possible can communicate with friends and loved ones in complete safety and sans worrying about speeds or data caps. The Connect plan, mind you, is capped as far as data consumption is concerned, but it does include unlimited talk and text and it costs a measly $15 a month.

That's half the price of T-Mo's cheapest option right now, and apart from the standard 2GB high-speed data allotment, you will also receive an extra 500MB a month every year for the next half a decade as part of the Annual Data Upgrade initiative. And because the T-Mobile Connect plan is merely a small piece of the operator's big "5G for Good" puzzle, your 15 bucks a month will be enough to access Magenta's nationwide and soon-to-be-vastly-upgraded 5G network.

There's a $25 Connect service tier too, bumping up your high-speed (4G LTE and 5G) data bucket from 2 to 5 gigs per month, and naturally, that option is eligible for a nice Annual Data Upgrade as well.

T-Mobile is stepping up to the plate in a lot of different ways

Also starting March 25, Metro by T-Mobile customers will be able to get unlimited talk and text plus 2 gigs of high-speed smartphone data for just $15 as well, although that particular "initiative" is set to expire 60 days after you activate your special new plan. From then on, we assume Metro's most affordable option will go back up to a $30 monthly rate, including the same aforementioned amenities.

But wait, there's even more. New and existing Metro customers will get the chance to score a free unnamed 8-inch slate (probably the Alcatel Joy Tab) with a $15 unlimited tablet data plan and seemingly no other strings attached, while MetroSmart Hotspot devices have a 50 percent discount and a doubling of the normal 10GB monthly data included in the $35 mobile hotspot data plan for the next 60 days.

In a nutshell, T-Mobile is going above and beyond to cater to the needs of more and more customers forced to stay inside and keep themselves entertained or work from home during these very troubling times. And that, our friends, is why the "Un-carrier" is likely to end up beating the traditional leaders of the US wireless industry in the long run in terms of both speeds and subscriber numbers.

Granted, Verizon, AT&T, and even US Cellular have done a few things to encourage social distancing, keep their employees safe and their customers connected, but T-Mobile just seems to be a significantly more active, energetic, and reliable fighter against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.