Summary
- T-Mobile now offers home internet with a 5G-based modem-router gateway combo, which some customers have taken traveling with them.
- Recent internal documents have revealed T-Mobile’s plan to crack down on home internet customers who aren’t at their registered address.
- While T-Mobile had temporarily put these plans on hold, internal documents now suggest the policy is going into effect imminently.
Since its Sprint acquisition, T-Mobile has gone from an also-ran in the carrier wars to one of the largest mobile service providers in the US, drastically narrowing its subscribership gap with Verizon and AT&T. The reason for its growth goes well beyond phone service — T-Mobile now provides a wide array of products and services, including home internet. That being said, customers have found ways to make use of their internet service while traveling, too – but T-Mobile may finally be prepared to crack down on those who are gaming the system.
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According to internal documents obtained by The Mobile Report, T-Mobile could begin cracking down on home internet customers for spoofing their location on June 20. As noted in the leaked documents, the company will supposedly start notifying “a small group” of users who may be using the service away from home. They will then be notified via SMS or email to contact T-Mobile to maintain their internet connectivity.
How T-Mobile may track home internet spoofing
Once an individual contacts T-Mobile, the internal document says that they will be asked to verify their eligibility for service via customer care or a store location. Assuming they weren’t spoofing their location, their home address will be re-verified and activated. If their address cannot be verified, however, they will be directed to either T-Mobile’s Internet Lite plan or Away plan for continued service. Thus far, there is a lack of clarity surrounding how verification will be executed. However, it’s possible that the internet gateways given to customers for use at home may soon include internal GPS tracking.
When the original plans for a crackdown on home internet spoofing became fairly evident, some thought it would never happen once rumors of a setback began swirling. Back in May, another internal document leaked that suggested T-Mobile had hit a snag when testing its Away plan options. The Away plan options were developed as T-Mobile’s preferred ways for customers to use internet access away from home. Ultimately, this means being charged for yet another service rather than spoofing, which is free. Only time will tell if these leaked documents are factual and proof of a looming crackdown.
