Last Updated on October 9, 2023 by Ron D. Morgan
If your Mint Mobile phone data slows down suddenly, it could be that you are experiencing data deprioritization on your network.
Mint Mobile like most Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) does deprioritize data. When that happens, you as a customer will notice that your network and general service will be slow.
This phone explains what Mint Mobile Deprioritization means, how it works, and what you can do to ease the issue.
What Is Data Deprioritization?
Data deprioritization happens when a network provider intentionally slows down data speed for some subscribers in favor of other subscribers. This usually is a temporary issue and does happen when there is network congestion in a particular location.
Data deprioritization also affects some unlimited plan subscribers. What most networks pose as unlimited plans is usually limited. The plans usually come with a cap and once a subscriber exceeds the data cap, the network becomes deprioritized.
This means that the network will become temporarily slow once a customer exceeds the data allotment.
Data Deprioritization Vs Data Throttling
Data deprioritization differs from data throttling. Although most people confuse both terms, they differ. For data deprioritization, the network slows down your data temporarily. That means that you can still use the data but it will be quite low. But for data throttling, the network makes the network so slow that you can barely use it to access the internet.
Another difference is that data deprioritization usually is a temporary situation especially if it is caused by congestion in your location. Throttling on the other hand continues until the end of the data plan period or until you upgrade your plan.
Does Mint Mobile Deprioritize Data?
Yes. Many Mint Mobile customers have complained of their data being deprioritized especially if there is congestion in the location.
Mint Mobile is an MVNO and makes use of T-Mobile’s towers to provide telecom service to subscribers. When there is network congestion, T-Mobile will prioritize T-Mobile subscribers over Mint Mobile subscribers.
When that happens, Mint Mobile customers will experience a slow network for the duration of the network congestion.
Why Does Mint Mobile Deprioritize Data?
As mentioned earlier, Mint Mobile is a virtual network that makes use of T-Mobile’s towers to offer its service to customers. When there is network congestion in a location, it is only natural that T-Mobile will prioritize its direct customers over Mint Mobile customers.
What Happens If Mint Mobile Deprioritizes Your Data?
If Mint Mobile deprioritized your data, you will experience slow data usage compared to T-Mobile customers who will experience faster network usage. It is only fair that it happens this way because T-Mobile customers usually pay more for their plans.
What To Do When Mint Mobile Deprioritize Your Data
This depends on if your data was deprioritized as a result of network congestion or exceeding data allotment. But these are some of the tips to help if you notice your mobile data has been deprioritized:
a. Wait it Out
Most times, data deprioritization is a temporary issue. When it happens, there is little you can do than wait it out. Your mobile data will get back to normal speed after a while.
b. Change Location
I mentioned earlier that network congestion can be the reason for Data deprioritization. For instance, there may be an event that will pool a large crowd to a location.
If that happens, you can change your location (that is, if you are not interested in the ongoing event).
c. Switch To Another Network
Another option is to switch to another network for the duration of the network congestion.
Conclusion
Dealing with Mint Mobile data deprioritization issues can be annoying. This post has explained everything you need to know about why Mint Mobile deprioritized data. The latter part of the post provides steps you can take to ease the issue.
Hi, I’m Ron D. Morgan. TECODY IS MY BRAINCHILD. I’ve worked in a tech startup in the last 7 years. I decided to branch out and start TECODY as a side project to provide tech troubleshooting tips for readers.
Got my two friends who are Nerd Heads too and here we are. The aim here is to provide readers with accurate info to help them resolve basic troubleshooting issues with Network and devices. You can always reach out to us via our Contact Us Page.