T-Mobile Agrees To Improve Disclosures for Consumers Using Mobile Speed Tests

The Federal Communications Commission announced that T-Mobile US has agreed to take steps to ensure that customers who run mobile speed tests on the carrier’s network will receive accurate information about the speed of their broadband Internet connection, even when they are subject to speed reductions pursuant to their data plans.

As part of the agreement, T-Mobile will send text messages to customers that will enable them to more easily get accurate speed information, place direct links to accurate speed tests on customer handsets, and revamp its website disclosures to provide clearer information about the speeds customers actually experience. The FCC and T-Mobile have agreed that T-Mobile will begin implementing the agreement immediately and will fully implement it within 60 days.

Specifically, T-Mobile will take the following steps to ensure that consumers have clear and accurate information about the speed of their broadband connections:

• Provide a button on customer smartphones linking to a speed test that will show actual reduced speeds;
• Modify the text messages it currently sends to customers once they hit their monthly high-speed data allotment to make it clear that certain speed tests may show network speeds, rather than their reduced speed. The modified texts also will provide more information about the speeds that will be available after customers exceed their data cap; and
• Modify its website disclosures to better explain T-Mobile’s policies regarding speed test applications and where consumers can get accurate speed information