For wireless users of T-Mobile, Sprint, and Metro by T-Mobile, there is a bit of good news in these tough times: for the next 60 days, all three carriers will remove the caps on their existing data plans, effectively giving everyone unlimited data for the next 60 days at no additional charge. The new caps will be removed for the next 60 days. They will also offer an additional 20GB of hotspot data on all lines.

The move comes as many wireless carriers and residential broadband providers have signed the Federal Communications Commission's "Americans Stay Connected Pledge" to ease restrictions on customer usage as people become particularly dependent on the Internet, such as telecommuting and connecting with loved ones The goal is to ease the

AT&T was quick to act last week, lifting data caps for residential Internet users; Comcast followed suit, and while Verizon has yet to do the same, Verizon is offering residential and small business customers who cannot pay their bills a two-month late waive the fee for the next two months.

If you use T-Mobile, Sprint, or Metro, you do not have to do anything to get these additional benefits. Additionally, even if you do not subscribe to a plan that allows you to use your phone as a hotspot, you will still be offered 20GB for the next 60 days - however, none of the three carriers have rolled it out yet, and according to the press release, these steps will be taken "in the coming days."

As network strains increase, T-Mobile is also considering using more 600 MHz spectrum to expand network capacity during this period. Sprint customers also have free access to T-Mobile's network through roaming, and both networks offer users "free" international calling rates to Level 3 countries as defined by the CDC.

Interestingly, the T-Mobile and Sprint measures do not apply to Boost Mobile customers. Boost is a subsidiary of Sprint, but will likely be spun off as Now Network finalizes its merger with T-Mobile.

It is also unknown whether Verizon and AT&T will remove data caps for cellular customers. These carriers also offer home Internet service, and since most people are likely to be indoors anyway, they are likely to maintain the status quo with respect to mobile. If this situation changes, we will update this article.