Earlier this week, Maxis unveiled the brand-new Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited plan which as per its name offers unlimited usage of data and calls, although there is a speed cap between 3 to 5Mbps depending on the internet passes that a customer chooses.
However, as it turns out, the Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited plan still has data quota. As pointed out by popular local tech Twitter user @XavierNaxa, the data ceiling has been listed inside the FAQ document of the plan at Hotlink’s official website and is being implemented as part of the plan’s Fair Usage Policy (FUP).
With the monthly internet passes which cost between RM 35 to RM 45 a month, customers are subjected to a 50GB ceiling for high-speed Internet while the RM 12 weekly and RM 3 daily passes are provided with a quota of 15GB and 5GB respectively. Once a user reaches these limits, their speed will be reduced to 512kbps.
But oddly enough, another Twitter user, @tariqnzmee pointed out that the data ceiling was not published on Hotlink’s website at launch. It was only added at a later time and this can be verified through Google’s search cache:
Truth to be told, FUP is a standard practice among telcos in Malaysia. However, telcos never voluntarily reveal their exact FUP data cap to the public and we usually only get to see these figures either through leaked documents or responses by the respective telco’s support team.
Hence, in general, there is no such thing as a ‘true’ unlimited plan in the market at this point in time, as all telco’s offerings out there are subjected to some kind of FUP. We urge all telcos to move past vague formalities and be more transparent with their FUP figures in their respective data plans.
