U.S. MVNO Mint Mobile has introduced an unlimited mobile plan priced at US $30.00 per month. Under the new unliMINTed deal, users will get monthly updates showing their usage. This will enable Mint Mobile to recommend the right plan when it is time to renew. Customers will then be able to downgrade if they wish to. Customers can also check data usage from the company’s app.

Tarifica’s Take

This offer from Mint Mobile (which runs on the T-Mobile US network) is quite interesting in that it offers unlimited data while acknowledging that customers may not in fact need it or want it ultimately, and offering a mechanism by which those customers can decide on a lower level of data allowance.

The monthly usage-tracking updates will give users the information they need to make a decision about service level at renewal time. By starting at the top, with unlimited service, subscribers get the opportunity to use data without worrying about how much, with the understanding that they will then make a determination, based on this usage experience, as to how much data they actually need and downgrade accordingly. Of course, they may also choose to keep the unlimited service.

We applaud any functionality that enables users to understand their usage and costs, and believe that MVNOs and MNOs alike will gain substantial credit and loyalty by providing subscribers with these metrics. Accepting that unlimited data is not universally appealing or necessary is also of value. One caveat we should mention is that in order for users to judge whether unlimited data really is for them or not, it is necessary for the data they are trialing to be truly unlimited. Many so-called unlimited offers are not truly worthy of the name, in that they throttle speeds under certain conditions.