T-Mobile has halved the data allowance available on its handsets under its fair usage policy.
Up until now T-Mobile customers had been able to access 1GB of mobile data under the policy before the provider cut off their access it claims customers then "never need to worry" about extra charges.
However, from 1 February 2011, a new limit of 500MB will be put in place, and the company has offered advice on how customers should best utilise it.
"We'll always let you email and browse the internet and you'll never pay more than you agree to," T-Mobile said in a statement on its website. "We do have a fair use policy but ours is there to make sure we deliver the best service possible to all our customers. This means that you'll always be able to browse the internet."
The statement added: "So remember our Mobile Broadband and internet on your phone service is best used for browsing which means looking at your favourite websites like Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, BBC News and more, checking your email and looking for information, but not watching videos or downloading files."
The company concluded that if its customers did want to watch videos or download files, they should "save that stuff for [their] home broadband."
A number of providers have put in more stringent data caps recently as the trend for mobile browsing has increased with smartphones and tablet devices. However, the smallest provider of them all 3 removed its policy late last year to allow for unlimited data usage.
Last week, communications regulator Ofcom ruled mobile providers were able to use their 2G spectrum allowance to provide connectivity for 3G. However, this seems to be only a temporary fix for the ever-growing problem of an overcrowded network.
