Project Dark?

I must ask, why "Project Dark?" Why did T-Mobile choose to cover their secret plans under the name "Project Dark?" What's so dark about it?

It's not like the name really matters, I suppose, but the so-called Project Dark certainly has my attention. First broken by the Boy Genius Report, Project Dark or "Project Black," as it was also thought to be named, was rumored to be a three-prong operation.

First, new unlimited plans, which T-Mobile has just set in motion with Even More Plus. A lot of people are wondering why the 2-year contract plans are more expensive than the no-contract plans. My guess is because the no-contract plan doesn't have the costs of a discounted (subsidized) new handset factored in. If that's the reason I applaud T-Mobile. T-Mobile has had problems in the past with customer service giving customers without a contract much less compensation for their problems than on-contract customers. Let's hope the new plans are a sign that T-Mobile will start treating customers without a contract the same way they treat all others.

Second, there was talk of bringing on three new handsets, one of which was the N900, two of which weren't so I can't be bothered to remember their names. Do remember that T-Mobile is the only US carrier whose network the N900 is fully compatible with.

Third, it was rumored that T-Mobile would very rapidly begin to upgrade their network to support data transfers as fast as 21 Mbps.

As I said, the first "prong" of the rumor is true (they've flaunted Engadget's warnings). I haven't seen any confirmation of the N900 being officially branded by T-Mobile yet, in fact I've heard some people now claiming it won't happen. The device hasn't even been released yet, not until November, so hope is not lost for those who wanted a subsidized N900. The 21Mbps HDSPA rollout seems to be taken as fact by many reporters, and it's projected to start in early 2010.

I wish T-Mobile would make an unlimited data only plan. I also wish I could find some info on what "unlimited' data means on T-Mobile. To Sprint it means 5 Gb/month. I've heard for T-Mobile in the past unlimited data means 10 GB/month. How are carriers allowed to blatantly lie like that? Unlimited means unlimited, no?

Anyway, I tweeted a while ago (can't be bothered to find it) that T-Mobile better release an fairly-priced data plan with no contract that I could use with the N900. They did, so I guess I'm stuck, and I have to buy one now.

By January of next year, I will be the proud owner of a Nokia N900, which I will be running on T-Mobile. Now to decide whether or not to keep my Sprint account as well...

David