We have already written about the awkward economics of “unlimited” mobile data. It remains one of telecom’s most controversial promises: simple in an advertisement, far less simple once fair-use thresholds, device restrictions and network costs enter the picture. The latest Revolut Mobile case shows why the argument refuses to disappear.

Two UK customers have reportedly had their mobile lines terminated immediately after using very large amounts of data, according to ISPreview. Both were also using their SIMs in dedicated 5G routers rather than mobile handsets. This is not someone watching too much Netflix on a phone. It is a test of where an “unlimited” mobile plan ends and an unofficial home-broadband replacement begins.

What happened

Revolut Mobile began rolling out in the UK in December 2025. Its £14.99 monthly plan includes unlimited UK data, calls and texts, 20GB of roaming in the EEA and US, Vodafone 5G coverage, and speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

On paper, it is a strong offer. Revolut’s own product page also promises “no throttling or hidden limits” and notes that a Fair Use Policy applies.

The customers were reportedly using approximately 200GB to 500GB, with one case potentially much higher. More importantly, their lines were operating in dedicated 5G routers.

READ MORE: Revolut’s eSIM Strategy Is Bigger Than Travel Data

The termination message sent by Gigs, the company providing the underlying mobile service, cited both issues:

“We have identified that your SIM has been used in a device other than a mobile handset, alongside data usage significantly in excess of what is expected for personal use.”

The lines were closed immediately, although both customers received codes allowing them to move their numbers elsewhere.

The evidence does not suggest normal phone users are being disconnected for crossing 150GB once. These were unusually heavy users whose device choice resembled fixed broadband more than personal mobile service.

What the policy says

The Gigs Acceptable Use Policy does not describe 150GB as a hard data cap.

Using more than 150GB twice within six months can instead trigger an investigation into whether the service remains within its personal-use conditions.

The policy also addresses excessive hotspot activity, continuous sessions, commercial use, resale and unsuitable devices. Its tethering language is awkward because customers often consider occasional hotspot use normal.

READ MORE: What Fair Usage Policy (FUP) Really Means for eSIM Users (And Why You Should Care)

If Gigs believes the policy has been broken, it can reduce speeds, impose charges or move the customer. A separate clause permits immediate restriction, suspension or termination without notice.

Revolut Mobile said:

“Revolut Mobile plans are provided by Gigs, the electronic communications service provider and owner of the Acceptable Use Policy. To ensure network integrity, Gigs takes action only in cases of severe, network harmful misuse. While immediate action for such instances aligns with standard industry practice, such interventions remain rare and reserved for exceptional cases.”

Only two such terminations have been reported. The issue is not that Gigs restricts router-based or network-harmful use, but how far those rules sit from the simplicity of the customer promise.

Rivals allow much more

The 150GB investigation point looks low beside the published thresholds of the UK’s established mobile operators.

• Vodafone may investigate customers who exceed 600GB a month twice within six months.
• O2 uses 650GB twice within six months and also flags regular tethering to 12 or more devices.
• EE applies a 600GB fair-use threshold and can deprioritise affected traffic at congested sites.

The policies are not identical, but the difference is substantial: Revolut Mobile starts asking questions at one quarter of Vodafone’s and EE’s thresholds.

READ MORE: What eSIM Providers Don’t Tell You About Throttling

The response is different too. Deprioritisation, a warning or a move to a suitable plan gives the customer a way back into compliance. Immediate termination gives them a PAC code and a deadline.

Revolut Mobile remains competitively priced for normal phone use. Anyone powering a household, office or high-volume router should choose dedicated 5G home broadband or a router-specific plan. A cheap subscription is poor value when its rules exclude the job you bought it to perform.

“Unlimited” still has rules

The UK Advertising Standards Authority does not treat “unlimited” as a word providers may qualify however they like.

Its guidance says crossing a usage threshold does not itself make a customer illegitimate. Legitimate users should not face charges or suspension merely for crossing a fair-use limit, and restrictions must be explained clearly.

That does not prove Revolut Mobile breached advertising rules. Router use and the alleged violation of personal-use conditions complicate the cases; any judgment would depend on the advertisement, contract and evidence.

Still, placing “no throttling or hidden limits” beside a policy that permits investigation after 150GB and termination without warning creates avoidable tension. Most consumers will not interpret “unlimited” as “unlimited on a handset, provided your usage pattern remains within an unpublished idea of normal.”

Revolut and Gigs could show the 150GB review point during purchase, define tethering clearly, add in-app usage alerts and warn customers before disconnection unless there is immediate network harm. A router tier could turn an enforcement problem into a product opportunity.

Conclusion

This case exposes a challenge that will follow every bank, travel platform and consumer app moving into mobile service.

Platforms such as Gigs let digital brands launch connectivity without building networks. Operational responsibility may sit with the enabler, but the promise belongs to the visible brand. Users bought Revolut Mobile, not an abstract wholesale arrangement.

The market is moving toward embedded mobile, app activation and familiar brands replacing carrier storefronts. The next step must be embedded transparency: visible thresholds, clear device rules and predictable post-threshold treatment.

“Unlimited” will probably survive because customers like its simplicity. But the winning offers will not be those with the loudest claim. They will be the ones that explain the limits before the customer discovers them through a termination email.