T-Mobile UK has announced that it will restrict mobile data usage as from 1st Feb. In a strange twist, the restriction applies to watching videos, downloading content and playing games once the usage goes over 500meg. In these days, half a gig isn’t much to use in a month. As with O2, it is probably only a few percent of people who spend their time watching videos, but nonetheless the content restrictions will be likely to anoy their customers. I wrote in my mobile predictions for 2011 that data limits would be applied across most operators – looks like it’s happening already.

UPDATE: With a great deal of confusion over the T-mobile data restrictions, The Guardian spoke to them to attempt more clarification. It seems that it’s illegal to restrict those on existing contracts, so the new data regime only applies to new or renewing customers. According to the interview once you hit your 500 meg limit, you get a restricted service. You can’t get streaming content such as YouTube, but you can browse websites. You can get emails but you can’t download attatchments. Unlike other network providers the one advantage with T-Mobile is that you will not be charged extra for going over your limit, but just restricted. In the UK Three are now the only network provider (outside of MVNOs) to offer unlimited data to their customers.