Unlimited data coming to T-Mobile and MetroPCS in September

The iPhone 5 will land on second tier U.S. carriers T-Mobile and MetroPCS when it launches in September, according to a report which says both T-Mobile and MetroPCS are quietly offering unlimited data plans in an attempt to woo iPhone users from larger current iPhone carriers including AT&T and Verizon. The nation’s third largest carrier Sprint is currently the only U.S. carrier to offer unlimited data to iPhone users. Verizon briefly used unlimited data to lure customers away from AT&T when it first gained the iPhone in early 2011, but has since ceased offering the plan. AT&T eliminated unlimited data options years ago, and while some longtime iPhone users are still grandfathered in, the carrier has made moves to try to force them onto limited data plans by throttling their data speeds.

MetroPCS will offer an unlimited talk, text, and data plan for $55 per month beginning in September in an attempt to lure iPhone users. T-Mobile, which had also been throttling its unlimited data users, will cease the throttling for new unlimited data users starting September 5th – a week before the iPhone 5 is expected to be unveiled at an Apple Press event in the Bay Area – according to a MarketWatch report.

Little is known about the iPhone 5, beyond the fact that it’ll run the new iOS 6 operating system and may have a larger screen and embrace 4G LTE networking. But while its current availability on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint is expected to continue, it appears T-Mobile and MetroPCS are ready to get in on the action. And they’re going out of their way to be nice to any new customers who want to use the iPhone 5 launch as an excuse to switch away from a larger carrier who’s been giving them grief when it comes to data usage.