It looks like T-Mobile USA has just made it harder to use data aware Java applications like Opera Mini, Google Maps and gMail on the $5.99 (and grandfathered $4.99 and $2.99) T-MobileWeb unlimited data plans. While some users are saying T-Mobile is blocking Java, I think they are just requiring the use of the T-Mobile proxy to get to the Internet. Java applications should be able to use the proxy but on many phones, especially recent T-Mobile branded ones, there is no way to specify a proxy for Java applications.
Also affected are Pay As You Go (PAYG) users - who were never supposed to be able to access the web except for a walled garden of just CNN, ABC News, ESPN and a trivia site. But since October anyone, even PAYG users, could setup a proxy-less connection and access the full Internet with all ports open.
T-Mobile has a history of sometimes requiring the proxy and sometimes not. When I first started with T-Mobile in early 2005, no proxy was required, all ports were open and my T-Mobile to Go PAYG phone had full web access. From what I hear that had been the case for over a year prior. But within weeks proxy-less connections stopped working and the free ride ended. Then last October, proxy-less started working again. As of this Wednesday the proxy is once again required. The proxy keeps users without data plans in the walled garden and limits connections on the $5.99 plan to the few ports needed to support http, pop3, smtp and imap - no tcp, ftp vpn, nntp, etc.
There are active threads about this on Howard Forums and the Opera Mini Forum. Engadget Mobile did a piece on it too. Some users are saying that setting up the proxy lets them use Opera Mini, etc again while others say it doesn't help. I don't know, maybe T-Mobile is blocking socket connections on the proxy. If that is the case re-running Opera Mini's Network Setup tool (Menu/Tools/Settings/Network setup) should get it working again. When Mini's network setup runs it tries to create a socket connection and if that fails configures the app to use http instead.
As a PAYG user, I'm affected but I don't really have any reason to complain as open GPRS was never supposed to be part of the PAYG plan. I do wish that T-Mobile would sell me data access on PAYG. I'd gladly pay the $5.99 a month or even a little more. Setting up the proxy lets me use Opera Mobile (not Mini), Netfront and Doris to access the PAYG walled garden but that's all. Of course I still have my Boost Mobile PAYG phone which has unlimited web access including with Java apps like Opera Mini for $10.50/month.
I think T-Mobile is just trying to keep PAYG users and contract users without data plans for accessing the web for free. They probably want to get data access locked down before the upcoming 3G release. Breaking Java is just collateral damage. The proxy and T-Mobile's WAP gateway both restrict users without data plans to a walled garden where they can check their minutes, buy ringtones, etc. But restrictions in the firmware of most T-Mobile phones combined with the proxy is having the effect of blocking Java applications for many paying customers. I don't understand why T-Mobile cripples Java applications on most of their phones by either removing the option to configure the Java proxy settings (most Nokias and Motorolas) or by requiring applications to be signed in order to use data (all recent Samsungs and some Nokias). I can't believe they are doing it to reduce network traffic as browsing with Opera Mini uses less bandwidth than visiting the same sites using the built in browser and the gMail app generates no more traffic than using gMail's mobile web site. gMail and especially Opera Mini are compelling and addictive applications. I know if I was a contract customer paying for data and I couldn't use Opera Mini anymore, I'd switch carriers ASAP.
T-Mobile does offer a plan called T-Mobile Internet which allows proxy-less connections with all ports open. But that plan is $29.99/month, quite a jump from $5.99. Sure - the 29.99 plan also includes unlimited WiFi at T-Mobile
Pages: 1 2
posted by Dennis Bournique
May 11, 2007 @ 9:54 pm
7 View Comments
