For customers using Virgin Mobile’s Broadband2Go service, the $40/month service is about to fall inline with other carrier policies regarding data transfer, as Virgin Mobile is set to implement a 5GB monthly soft cap by February 15th for new customers and is currently being implemented for billing cycles that have ended and have been renewed. Along with the soft cap, those that consistently go over the cap will have speed throttled until the next billing cycle.
The service experienced a massive explosion in popularity last year because of its unlimited data offering for $40 a month, undercutting more expensive plans from other carriers which require service agreements and feature hard caps with expensive overages. As usage for the Broadband2Go service increased, issues related to service stability and availability began to affect many users, forcing Virgin Mobile to take measures to expand capacity and ensure availability for everyone.
Update: Virgin Mobile PR has confirmed to PhoneNews.com that the Broadband2Go soft cap and throttling will only apply to the service, while phones and smartphones on Beyond Talk plans will be unaffected.
Also worth noting that Sprint Retail Stores have stopped selling Virgin Mobile’s BB2GO altogether as well. There was even instructions to send the remaining inventory back instead of selling through it which is somewhat unusual.
Too bad Virgin… I just bought the Broadband2go modem 2 months ago…. because of the unlimited access to the web.. now it is restricted to 5 gig…. which, with todays webpages full of animated ads…. goes by in no time.. then you are restricted to the most basic of webpages…. So you can guess I am disgruntled with your company Virgin… your hardware becomes another piece of useless junk along with other companies hardware that choose not to update drivers for Windows 7. I have a NO SHOP list… and you have just been added Virgin
It makes sense that Sprint Retail channels would stop selling it. Many Best Buy stores do not sell the Virgin Mobile Intercept because they are afraid it will cannibalize contract sales.
Sprint Retail Stores are probably hitting the same issue. Even with a 5 GB soft cap, and throttling thereafter, it is still cheaper than the on-contract service, especially in pre-4G markets where EVDO is all that is available.
Wow, I would be extremely upset if I spent the money for the device and they so suddenly changed the price or introduced caps.
This is extremely distressing, 5gigs is nothing in modern times. For my job alone, I use roughly 14 gigs a week.
Less than a month ago I switched to Virgin specifically for their unlimited plan. Loved the service, and then get slammed with the cap email.
[…] is implemented on a customer’s account, from the previous 5GB limit to 2.5GB. While the operator previously implemented a 5GB soft cap on the 15th, the latest information suggests that Virgin Mobile has decided to […]