The Peru Gazette

Investigation Found T-Mobile Was Slowing Customers’ Internet Speeds After They Used 50 Gigabytes of Data and Hiding Affordable Plans From Online Searches

November 9, 2026, News Release – Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced an agreement with T-Mobile USA, Inc. (T-Mobile), requiring the company to improve and expand the home internet service it offers eligible New Yorkers under the New York Affordable Broadband Act (ABA). An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found T-Mobile’s offerings did not meet the ABA’s requirements, which mandate that home internet providers offer high-speed broadband to income-eligible households for $15 per month at speeds of at least 25 Mbps, or $20 per month for speeds of at least 200 Mbps. The ABA also requires providers to make reasonable efforts to promote and advertise the availability of these affordable broadband plans. As a result of OAG’s investigation, T-Mobile will end data caps that slowed the internet speeds of customers on ABA internet plans, offer ABA plans to more areas throughout the state and make it easier for eligible New Yorkers to find and sign up for affordable internet plans.

“The Internet is a lifeline in today’s world: it’s essential for work, school, accessing emergency services and staying in touch with loved ones. No New Yorker should struggle to access reliable and affordable internet, which is why my administration has made it a priority to ensure families and businesses across the state can thrive in today’s digital world,” Governor Hochul said. “Together with Attorney General James, I will continue to hold companies accountable and make sure everyone has the tools they need to participate fully in our society, democracy and economy.”

Attorney General James said, “Reliable and affordable internet service is a basic need for all New Yorkers, but T-Mobile flouted the law designed to help vulnerable New Yorkers access it. My office is committed to seeing the Affordable Broadband Act realize its goal of ensuring that New Yorkers in need are not denied access to affordable home internet. I encourage all eligible New Yorkers to enroll in a low-cost home internet plan through the ABA.”

T-Mobile offers home internet plans to New Yorkers using a technology known as fixed wireless, which uses the company’s existing mobile network to provide internet access. T-Mobile offers an ABA plan to eligible New Yorkers that advertises a download speed of 25 Mbps for a monthly price of $15, but the OAG’s investigation revealed that customers were actually receiving significantly slower download speeds because of a monthly data cap. After an ABA customer used 50 gigabytes of data in a month, T-Mobile would reduce the customer’s download speed by more than 97 percent, to 650 Kbps. A typical customer could hit the data cap after about four days of usage.

The OAG’s investigation also found that T-Mobile was only offering ABA plans in areas where it had deployed 5G wireless service, even though it offered full-price internet plans that could deliver 25 Mbps download speeds in areas where it had 4G service. In addition, T-Mobile specifically coded its website to hide its ABA plan information from search engines, making it difficult for New Yorkers searching for low-priced internet to find their plans.

As a result of OAG’s investigation, T-Mobile will remove the data caps associated with its ABA plans and deliver 25 Mbps download speeds to all ABA plan subscribers, unless network congestion requires temporary reductions. In addition, T-Mobile will offer ABA plans in all areas where it provides home internet service and make its ABA plan webpage discoverable by search engines.