T - Mobile Plan to Charge RV Owners $110/$160 monthly

[dkoldman]

Well they say all good things come to an end.

T mobile home internet announced a plan to charge $160/mo for what I am currently doing unlimited for $25 month. My bet it has something to do with Elon Musk and how they will blend roaming T Mobile customers to seamlessly use Starlink backbone.

https://tmo.report/2024/04/uh-oh-t-mobile-will-now-enforce-home-internet-address-eligibility/

https://9to5mac.com/2024/04/23/t-mo...net-plus-and-new-away-solution-for-travelers/

So for me, when they shut me down on the road, I will no longer have my most prized possession in the RV. I have got about 3 years so I ain't complaining.

Now what I may do, if they truly enforce for our random RV travel, is to use the T Mobile Home Internet at Home and get rid of my wired Spectrum cable. But it is going to be hard to have gone 3 years with Internet wherever we go in the RV to nothing.

 

[EA37TS]

https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/t-mobile-announces-new-away-plan-specifically-targeting-rvers-traveling-with-home-internet-will-soon-be-blocked/

I’ll continue using my PepWave Max Transit Duo with Verizon and AT&T unlimited plans.

 

[Lt Keefer]

I'll keep using my old Tracfone as my hotspot.

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

Now wait a doggone minute... no wonder my Motorola flip phone stopped working! It's THESE kind of shenanigans!

 

[dkoldman]

My RV has gone about 6 weeks outside (at home) with no SP and with a brand new uninstalled Chassis battery (no special reason); but the point is my T-Mobile black box has not had power thus it if off the T -Mobile network.

I think I will bring the Black Box in the House so it will register on the network and and let the GPS indicate to T Mobile that it is at right address.

My next formal planned trip is Memorial day weekend, so I may learn then what happens. It is not clear if it will be an immediate disconnect from the network when away from home or if they are simply going to start enforcing what they told me 3 years ago, which was as long as you don't go a month or two at some foreign address? I never go more than a week anyway.

I get what they doing, but to charge $135/month more :nonono:

 

[Dan-sr@perra-us.net]

Now wait a doggone minute... no wonder my Motorola flip phone stopped working! It's THESE kind of shenanigans!

Your Motorola flip phone quit working because everyone is doing away with 3G transmitters. It really ticked me off when my 2017 Chrysler 200 got disconnected because 3G was discontinued.

 

[Judge64]

Oh well..... I'll be returning my T-Mobile Home Gateway in the near future.

Starlink is a far better solution anyway unless you only camp where there is cell coverage. During our 3-month trip to Alaska last year I would say there wasn't cellular signal 50% of the time so T-Mobile (as well as Verizon, AT&T, etc.) was useless anyway.

After everyone in our Caravan saw that we could make phone calls and had Internet everywhere we went, about 10 of them ordered Starlink and had it shipped to the next place we were stopping.

I should have gotten a commission......

Starlnk also lets you turn it on and off as you need it so that's also a win. I have had it turned off since last September. I just need to purchase a suction cup pole mount since my new coach won't have a ladder on the back.

I might consider getting a T-Mobile Tablet Plan to see if that will work. Not sure the HotSpot Plans are worth it but may look into it. My new coach has the latest 5G Winegard System so I could get a 5G SIM and use the Winegard much like I used T-Mobile Home Internet.

Anyway.... at least I have Starlink to fall back on and I'll always have Internet and phone capability wherever we travel.


*EDIT*

There could be another option to try for some of you. I have had Xfinity Mobile for my wife the past few years and they are the cheapest around and use Verizon's network. I get a super low price because we have Comcast in our home. Xfinity also started offering the same type of Home Internet Plan and Gateway like T-Mobile a year or two ago. For existing customers its like $30/month. I haven't heard about them locking it to an address..... yet.

 

[Judge64]

After a little quick research this morning.......

Here is a secret T-Mobile Data plan if you have your own HotSpot. It is only $10/month for 30GB.

This has been in play since August '23 and as of a week or so ago it is still available. However, the price is not locked forever like Home Internet or TMobile Phone Plans so it will could.... or likely will go up in the future. You can either chat online or call T-Mobile Support to sign up using the code below.

The SOC codes for this plan is MI30TI for taxes included plans (most people), and MI30TE for taxes excluded plans (older ones like simple choice). New accounts would want to use the taxes included version.



https://tmo.report/2023/12/this-sec...is-just-10-per-month-from-t-mobile/#socupdate

 

[Beau388]

After a little quick research this morning.......

Here is a secret T-Mobile Data plan if you have your own HotSpot. It is only $10/month for 30GB.

This has been in play since August '23 and as of a week or so ago it is still available. However, the price is not locked forever like Home Internet or TMobile Phone Plans so it will could.... or likely will go up in the future. You can either chat online or call T-Mobile Support to sign up using the code below.

The SOC codes for this plan is MI30TI for taxes included plans (most people), and MI30TE for taxes excluded plans (older ones like simple choice). New accounts would want to use the taxes included version.



https://tmo.report/2023/12/this-sec...is-just-10-per-month-from-t-mobile/#socupdate

It is only for 5G capable devices, shucks. My old 4G Pepwave Max BR1 Mini doesn't qualify.

 

[Judge64]

It is only for 5G capable devices, shucks. My old 4G Pepwave Max BR1 Mini doesn't qualify.

You can put a 5G SIM in a 4G Device. They are backwards compatible. You will only get 4G speeds.

At least until they eventually deprecate 4G once 6G comes out!

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

There's no perfect solution. Many full-time RV YouTubers carry 2 or 3 cellular plans (with associated hardware) AND have Starlink.

I'm seriously considering Starlink for our next westward trip. Like Judge, even in Colorado (remote areas) we had no cell signal at all maybe 50% of the time. But it would have been ideal for Starlink... we had no problems avoiding the conifers.

We're prepping for an Appalachian trip. The mountain terrain kills cell signals and the tree cover is hell on Starlink We've learned to accept no cell signal if you want to camp in beautiful quiet remote areas.

 

[Judge64]

We're prepping for an Appalachian trip. The mountain terrain kills cell signals and the tree cover is hell on Starlink We've learned to accept no cell signal if you want to camp in beautiful quiet remote areas.

In two years now, I have never been 100% locked out of no Starlink coverage when there was heavy tree cover. But I have had situations where the connection was intermittent / slow so I was limited in what I could do.

The key is to allow the dish to be mobile. I would say 80% of the time I have it mounted on a pole and I can often extend the pole high enough to get past branches and get good signal. The other 20% of the time I put the dish on its stand and move it around the coach on the ground.... and once I had it on the Jeep roof. If you get the optional 150' cable it can give you a lot more flxibility.

If there is absolutely no view of the sky, you are going to be out of luck as you said. But the new generation of hardware has improved connectivity even more with limited views of the sky.

 

[david_reaves]

Your Motorola flip phone quit working because everyone is doing away with 3G transmitters. It really ticked me off when my 2017 Chrysler 200 got disconnected because 3G was discontinued.

I had a RAM 3500 with 3G. T-Mobile provided an ODB-mounted dongle that upgraded to 4G. It worked okay for me. If you still have the Chrysler you might investigate that.

 

[16ACE27]

After a little quick research this morning.......

Here is a secret T-Mobile Data plan if you have your own HotSpot. It is only $10/month for 30GB.

This has been in play since August '23 and as of a week or so ago it is still available. However, the price is not locked forever like Home Internet or TMobile Phone Plans so it will could.... or likely will go up in the future. You can either chat online or call T-Mobile Support to sign up using the code below.

The SOC codes for this plan is MI30TI for taxes included plans (most people), and MI30TE for taxes excluded plans (older ones like simple choice). New accounts would want to use the taxes included version.



This Secret 30GB Hotspot Plan Is Just $10 Per Month From T-Mobile

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

Your Motorola flip phone quit working because everyone is doing away with 3G transmitters. It really ticked me off when my 2017 Chrysler 200 got disconnected because 3G was discontinued.

I was actually just poking nostalgic fun at flip phones...

 

[dkoldman]

Wow, from the Judge of things, I have a few back up options, and with the video, I am sure to ACE if I get backed into a corner.

Right now, I am gonna make T Mobile kick me off the network. I got 5 mobile lines been with them 10-15 years straight. I don't travel that far and long to have Starlink yet. If I needed Starlink, I may look at the new offering Amazon intends to put in the market. I want price and small footprint.

In 4 weeks, I am going to a Family Retreat where there will be no cellular. I don't think I would pay $160 just to have Internet. We are just gonna have to rough it.

I got $50 spending cap / month on Mobile Internet. Because I only pay $25/mo now, no need for me make the 1st move. I just find it hard to believe T Mobile is willing to lose me as a Home Internet customer just because my GPS will show that I occasionally may roam 4 or 5 times a years It is not like we are fulltime and have it running every day. I would assume T Mobile is smart enough to do the math and see low roaming usage of some like me, and come to realization, that there is no way in hell they get me to fork up $110 or $160 .

 

[Dan-sr@perra-us.net]

I was actually just poking nostalgic fun at flip phones...

Be realistic you just want the cool Star Trek looking phone. :whistling::smitten:

 

[Jimbo56]

I too have T Mobile cell service with 5 lines and a home unit. I will use home while traveling until I can’t. However, I have the only hotspot plan offered to me. 10 gigs a month of 5 g for $10. After those 10 are used up I’m back to 4g. Tried Verizon home for a year. Kept having catastrophic SIM cards failures that nobody on their tech support side could fix. I cancelled the service. Nobody wanted the white box back so it sits on a shelf, useless. We just got Spectrum 300 gig wifi for home. They actually ran it 300 yards underground just for us. It’s great. I’ve used the T mobile home unit at home. 2 bars of service. With a tv on. Garage doors linked. Doorbell cam. 2 driveway cams, it buffers too much. Maybe I’ll contact Starlink. To those of you with Starlink, can it be turned on/off weekly? Or only monthly?

 

[Dan-sr@perra-us.net]

I had a RAM 3500 with 3G. T-Mobile provided an ODB-mounted dongle that upgraded to 4G. It worked okay for me. If you still have the Chrysler you might investigate that.

I no longer have the Chrysler. I called Chrysler and asked at the dealer about upgrades and the answer was NO UPGRADES AVAILABLE for the Chrysler 200. The reason given was that the 200 was a discontinued model. 2017 was the last year.

 

[JeffThor325]

I too have T Mobile cell service with 5 lines and a home unit. I will use home while traveling until I can’t. However, I have the only hotspot plan offered to me. 10 gigs a month of 5 g for $10. After those 10 are used up I’m back to 4g. Tried Verizon home for a year. Kept having catastrophic SIM cards failures that nobody on their tech support side could fix. I cancelled the service. Nobody wanted the white box back so it sits on a shelf, useless. We just got Spectrum 300 gig wifi for home. They actually ran it 300 yards underground just for us. It’s great. I’ve used the T mobile home unit at home. 2 bars of service. With a tv on. Garage doors linked. Doorbell cam. 2 driveway cams, it buffers too much. Maybe I’ll contact Starlink. To those of you with Starlink, can it be turned on/off weekly? Or only monthly?

Only monthly. Actually, if you turn it OFF in the middle of a billing month, you get the keep service through the end of that billing month. (No refunds!) When you turn it ON, they do it instantly and you are charged a prorated amount for your partial first month of use.