Deprioritization vs Throttling: The Key Differences

As you’re researching cell phone plans, whether it be because you’re looking to switch from your current plan or you’re curious about your options, two terms you may come across a few times are data deprioritization and data throttling. For the average person these terms might not mean anything at first glance, but to a seasoned cell phone plan connoisseur- these two terms and how they are directly related to a cell phone company might be the deciding factor on whether you switch over your phone service. 

Deprioritization and throttling are often paired together but in reality there’s actually a few key differences between the two that you should know when viewing the fine print of a wireless provider’s cell phone plans. We thought we’d help clear up any confusion and give you the full download on deprioritization vs throttling and a few other important questions you may have.

• What is data deprioritization and throttling?
• Why does this happen?
• What happens to your data when it gets deprioritized and throttled?
• Deprioritization vs Throttling
• Where can you find data deprioritization and/or throttling info on your wireless provider?
• Where to find Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile’s Data Deprioritization and Throttling Info

What is data deprioritization and throttling?

Before we get into what makes them different, we should thoroughly cover what these two terms mean. Starting first with data deprioritization:

• Data Deprioritization: To sum deprioritization in one sentence it would best be described as the temporary slowing of data speeds for certain customers in order to give priority to other customers. This normally happens in high traffic areas like concerts, sports events, and any highly crowded areas. It also can happen when a customer uses up their “data threshold” for the month. 

A data threshold is the maximum amount of data you can use per month before your speeds are temporarily slowed- (when the start of your next billing cycle begins, your speeds will go back to normal if you’ve exceeded your data threshold for the month). 

Data deprioritization can also happen when there’s network congestion. According to IR, network congestion “occurs when a network is overrun with more data packet traffic than it can cope with.” 

In today’s society, more and more people are on their devices making calls, sending texts, gaming with their friends, and using network bandwidth to its fullest potential and sometimes there are “too many communication and data requests” all at the same time so the network has trouble processing all of that or they don’t have the current bandwidth to process it. 

High traffic areas, data limits, and network congestion are the three major causes for data deprioritization. 

Now let’s move onto throttling:

• Data Throttling: Although throttling also affects your data speeds like data deprioritization, throttling affects it in a different way. Throttling is the dramatic slowing of your data speeds to the point that it becomes almost unusable. You can get lucky and look up the odd term on Google, maybe even send an email, but that’s about it. Any heavy data-reliant apps or activities you normally use on your phone are pretty much unusable. 

Why does this happen?

We know that data deprioritization happens because of being in high traffic areas, data threshold, and network congestion. In these circumstances, network’s will temporarily slow your data in order to assure that all users have consistent data speeds. However, some mobile companies will enact deprioritization in order to help higher paying customers. 

For example, if a cell phone company has three major wireless plans, users who subscribe to the lowest tier plan may have their data deprioritized in favor of those with a higher paying plan.

Along with that it’s good to note that just like most internet-based things, mobile companies don’t have unlimited resources and they must manage data and data speeds amongst all paying customers. So if you’re trying to look up something on your phone’s internet browser while you’re at the ball game, you may have to prepare yourself for a longer loading time than normal because thousands of others are also connected to data. 

Data throttling happens because nowadays data “cut-offs” and overage fees are a thing of the past. Instead of having your data shut off completely or being charged for your additional data use, phone companies will instead throttle your speeds to speeds that are, like we said before, basically unusable. 

• Good to Know: Some smaller wireless carriers will throttle users with an “unlimited” data plan when they’ve used up their monthly allotment of data until the start of their next billing cycle. “Unlimited” data doesn’t actually mean unlimited. Usually unlimited plans offer you a large data threshold- anywhere from 50GBs to 100GBs or more and when you have used up all of that data for your current billing cycle that’s when you’ll see those throttled speeds in those smaller carriers. Bigger carriers will instead deprioritize your data instead of throttling your speeds.

Why do smaller wireless companies throttle when bigger wireless companies deprioritize?

Generally you’ll find that most of the time bigger wireless companies, aka Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile will deprioritize their data- (more on the big three’s data deprioritization and throttling info later) when users go over a certain amount of data in a billing cycle. While smaller wireless companies will sometimes, not all the time, throttle their data speeds when users go over their data allotment for the cycle.

So what gives?

Well, we’ll start off by saying every phone company and their policies are different, not all small carriers will throttle their speeds, some may stick with data deprioritization or none of the above. But you’re more likely to find throttled speeds on smaller networks because most wireless companies in the country besides the big three are MVNOs.

MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator and that means that they are a wireless network that instead of owning their own cell phone towers with their own reception, they instead will piggyback off of a major wireless network’s cell towers- e.g. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. MVNOs will essentially “buy” packs of data from the companies and will sell phone plans to you at lower costs. It’s a great option for many who don’t want to or don’t have the big bucks to spend on higher costing phone plans. 

Customers who have their phone service under a MVNO will almost always have their data deprioritized and/or throttled in order to make room for customers who subscribe to the major network directly. Usually you’ll see in small print under the plan you’re looking at a little blurb on data deprioritization and/or throttling, they may even give you the data allotment gigabyte number too. If you’re a heavy data user, you’ll want to look at those allotment numbers so you can judge for yourself on whether a certain plan is right for you.

What happens to your data when it gets deprioritized and throttled?

When your data is deprioritized you’ll notice that all of your usual internet-based services that require data, things like email, video streaming, browser searching, apps that require an internet connection, playing games, and more will be a tad bit slower when you’re in high traffic areas, pass the data threshold, or your network is congested. Although data deprioritization is rare, it can happen, but it should go back to normal once you move locations or wait till the network levels back out.

When your data is throttled all of those internet-based services we talked about above will be dramatically slower, so slow that it’s not even worth using. And this won’t be as temporary as data deprioritization, throttled speeds will continue to happen until the start of your next billing cycle.

Deprioritization vs Throttling

Now that we know what data deprioritization and throttling is, it’s time to talk about what makes the two of them different and detail which you’d rather have as a con for your cell phone plan- (cause let’s be honest, no one wants to have their data deprioritized or throttled).

Deprioritization

• Occurs when a network is too “busy” to handle the current level of traffic; when there’s a crowd of people, and/or the network becomes congested with the amount of data it’s trying to process, so things need to slow down in order for those transmissions to go through the proper channels and for other customers to get the same levels of service. You’ll also notice deprioritization if you go over the cell phone company’s data allotment of the month’s billing cycle. This is only temporary and would conceivably go back to normal when congestion clears. 

Throttling

• Occurs when you’ve used your allotted data for the month. It doesn’t have anything to do with network congestion or high traffic areas, this only happens when you’ve gone over the “limit” of data stated in said phone plan for that billing cycle. This is the dramatic slowing of data where speeds will be a lot slower than those who’ve just been deprioritized. This is fixed when your next billing cycle begins. 

What would you rather have in a cell phone plan: deprioritization or throttling?

If we had truly unlimited data use and there was no such thing as network congestion then we wouldn’t have to worry about deprioritization or throttling. No one wants to deal with either but unfortunately we do have to, but which would you rather have to deal with?

Now from what you’ve read so far it seems that deprioritization is the better end of the stick- and in some cases you may be right! Getting your data speeds turned all the way down when you’ve used your allotted data for the month can suck, but if you aren’t a heavy duty data user then this might not be a big deal to you. Light or even medium data users won’t ever notice theri speeds being throttled if they are constantly connected to wifi and only use their data sparingly. 

However if you are someone that is constantly out and about always using their data at every possible second, throttling can be a real kick in the teeth, and waiting till the start of your new bill for your data speeds to return to normal can be even more of a bummer.

Limited Data Plans vs Unlimited Data Plans

• Limited Data Plans are plans that will give you a number of gigabytes you can use per month before your speeds are deprioritized or throttled. You’ll typically see these plans through MVNOs. They will have multiple “limited” data plan options ranging from 1GB to 30GB- (GB sizes and plans vary depending on where you go).

• Unlimited Data Plans will advertise that you will get “unlimited” amounts of data but in actuality you’ll also experience a data deprioritization threshold but the gigabytes you do have are super high so reaching that threshold would require a lot of usage on the consumer's end. 

Where can you find data deprioritization and/or throttling info on your wireless provider?

As most phone plans will have a version of data deprioritization or throttling, you’re probably wondering where you can find that information so you know if that phone plan and their limits are right for you. When you’re signing up for something, everyone always tells you to “look at the fine print” and in this case they’d be 100% correct as that’s where deprioritization and throttling information is usually stated. Mobile carriers don’t like to advertise that they prioritize and/or throttle their data so you have to go hunting for it. 

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Usually for most MVNOs you’ll find that information either in small text underneath the data plan on the respective website, in their “Frequently Asked Questions” tab, or in their terms of service. But what about our major wireless networks?

Where to find Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile’s Data Deprioritization and Throttling Info

Since Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are the country’s biggest and most popular wireless providers we figured we should put up a little guide on how to find out about their info regarding data deprioritization and throttling:

Data deprioritization and throttling are good terms to know when you’re shopping for a cell phone plan and they can heavily impact your phone usage if you’re one to constantly use data or find yourself on the move in populated spaces. Be sure to look at the small print the next time you’re comparing cell phone plans.

And speaking of comparing cell phone plans, if you want to compare and contrast Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or any wireless carrier to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.