TIM changes the 4G connection speed: in download you will be able to reach up to 150Mbps, while before the limit was 700Mbps. The cause? The arrival of 5G
Bad news for TIM customers: In conjunction with the presentation of the new 5G offers, the historic telephone operator has announced that the performance of 4.5G will become pay-as-you-go. Translated in practical terms: those who don’t pay will have their connection speed cut off.
The 4.5G connection, which is technically called 4G LTE Advanced Pro, allows speeds of up to 700 mega per second in download and 150 mega in upload. Almost 5G performance that, until yesterday, were included in Tim’s 4G offer. The operator, which claims to have complied with the provisions of AGCOM resolution 154/12CONS, has now included 4.5G in a new offer linked to 5G and the 4G speed has been limited to 150 Mbps download and 75 Mbps upload. This has infuriated tens of thousands of customers who are showing their disappointment on social.
The 4.5G offer of TIM
Those who want to continue surfing with TIM at the maximum speed allowed by the old 4G will now have to pay 19.99 euros per month (plus 15 euros one-off) to join the TIM Advance 4.5G offer. With this price we are entitled to 40 gigs of data per month, unlimited minutes and SMS, downloads up to 700 Mbps and priority on the TIM network even if we are on the move or in very crowded areas. Undoubtedly a premium service, but at an equally premium price while before you had the same performance (but with a different amount of data) included in the 4G offer.
TIM had warned customers
It must be said, however, that 4.5G surfing with a 4G contract was a kind gift from TIM and that it had an expiration date: the launch of the 5G offer. The possibility of surfing at 4.5G at no extra cost, which dates back to mid-December 2016, was repeatedly extended by TIM until, finally, TIM’s 5G really arrived. In any case, not all Italian cities are covered by 4.5G: 700 mega per second was only available in Bologna, Milan, Turin, Naples, Palermo, Rome, Taormina and Giardini Naxos, while in Florence, Bari, Salerno and Parma you could surf up to 500 Mbps.
What TIM customers can do
Unfortunately, there is nothing that TIM customers, who until yesterday were surfing at 700 mega and today are down to 150, can do. The behavior of the operator, regardless of the AGCOM resolution put forward as justification, had been widely announced two and a half years ago. The only hope you can still have (if you are not going to change operator) is that, given the rain of criticism received, TIM will launch a 4.5G entry level offer less rich than the 4.5G Advance but, at the same time, even cheaper.