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SmarTone's data flip-flop dials up users' frustration

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Dozens of angry and confused smartphone users rang Consumer Council hotlines yesterday after SmarTone reversed its decision to scrap unlimited mobile data plans.

The operator, which boasts more than a million subscribers, announced two weeks ago it would stop offering unlimited plans to new clients from February 13 to meet new rules requiring phone service providers to spell out the devil in the detail of their unlimited plans.

The rules were introduced this week in response to consumer complaints about restrictive 'unlimited' service plans. They say service providers offering such plans must ensure they offer the service free of restrictions. If limits are necessary, the provider should consider offering plans with a high-usage cap, telecoms regulator Ofta says.

With competitors CSL and Hutchison's 3 announcing they would continue to offer the service, SmarTone made a U-turn on Monday and said it was resuming unlimited plans.

Consumer Council chief executive Connie Lau Yin-hing said the watchdog received three complaints and 27 inquiries yesterday about confusion over conflicting information from 'a telecom company'.

'It's hard to establish that the consumers were misled,' Lau said. 'But the company did not have consumers' interests at heart.'

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