Budget Carriers Get a Data Safety Option -- 400Kbps After the Data Runs Out, and How to Check Whether Your Plan Has It
If you use a budget carrier (MVNO) and have ever watched your speed collapse at the end of the month after the data ran out, this announcement is welcome news. On July 31, 2026, the Ministry of Science and ICT released a plan to revitalize budget carriers, and it includes bringing the Data Safety Option that the three major carriers already offer to MVNOs as well. But "provided wholesale" and "attached to my plan" are two different things, so this post separates what is settled from what you need to check yourself.
The Data Safety Option keeps you connected after the allowance runs out
The option lets you keep using data after your base allowance is gone, at 400Kbps with no extra charge. The three major carriers already use this approach, and the government said it will supply products with the option to MVNOs wholesale in stages starting in August. Since the announcement was two months ago, progress may now differ from one operator to another.
About 90 existing wholesale plans can get it at no extra cost
The government said the option can also be applied, without added cost, to the roughly 90 plans already provided wholesale. Note the phrase "can be applied." It means the wholesale side is opened up; it does not fix when each operator will reflect it in its own retail plans. News coverage also reported that industry players were unsure whether the popular 11GB plan would be included.
What 400Kbps can and cannot do, by the numbers
400Kbps is 400 kilobits per second; divide by 8 and you get about 50KB per second. That is roughly 3MB per minute, or about 180MB over a full hour. It is enough for text-based messaging and simple searches, but not for high-definition video or large downloads. Real-world feel depends on the app and the network, so treat this as a calculated ceiling.
How to check whether your plan has it
The announcement alone does not mean your line has changed. (1) Look for the "after data is used up" wording and a speed figure on your operator's plan detail page. (2) If it is missing, ask customer service whether and when the option applies. (3) Confirm that it does not come with a price increase. The government's announcement assumed no extra cost, so if an operator asks for a separate fee, ask for the basis.
The option only lowers your speed so you can keep going; it does not increase the base allowance. If you watch a lot of video or use a hotspot, first check whether the monthly data itself is enough, and compare whether plans with the option have a smaller base allowance.
Also announced: wholesale rates and spectrum fees
The plan also cuts 5G wholesale rates by 1 to 3 percentage points and widens the spectrum-fee reduction for small MVNOs from 50% to 90%. Whether that reaches retail prices is up to each operator. The government said it will also push eSIM adoption and expand MyData-based plan comparison and recommendations.
User-protection standards are being tightened too
The MVNO market has grown past 59 operators and 10 million subscribers, yet complaints about hard-to-reach call centers have persisted. The government said it will raise call-center staffing standards, run regular evaluations, and set up a process to weed out operators that fall short. The detailed numbers will need to be checked in later notices or guidelines.
The longer-term direction is to move from reselling the major carriers' plans to fostering three or more operators with their own equipment who design their own plans. That is a long-term goal with no immediate effect on users, so there is no reason to rush or delay signing up because of it.
Check contracts and early-termination charges before switching
Even if you find a better deal, the math changes if your current line still has a contract. If you are also buying a handset, see what to check before buying a smartphone after the subsidy law's repeal. The remaining selective-contract period can change the early-termination math, and how to re-apply for the 25% discount after a contract ends is covered in re-applying for the selective contract discount. To make sure no other line has been opened in your name after activation, use the M-Safer line registration lookup.
Order of steps, and what to do if a dispute arises
(1) Check the post-allowance terms of your plan, (2) ask your operator when the safety option applies, (3) calculate contracts and early-termination charges, (4) decide whether to switch. If things are handled differently from what you were told, or customer service cannot resolve it, you can escalate to telecom dispute mediation.
This post is general information compiled from the Ministry of Science and ICT's July 31, 2026 announcement and related news coverage. Whether and on what terms the option applies depends on your operator's own notice.
All content is fact-checked under our editorial standards.