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The Mystery of the Unlimited* Plan

What that little asterisk is really hiding

By Detective Data · · Updated · 5 min read

The Mystery of the Unlimited* Plan

🔍 THE CASE OF THE SUSPICIOUS ASTERISK, REOPENED

"UNLIMITED* DATA!" screams the ad. And here's the twist nobody saw coming: the ad is mostly telling the truth.

On my desk: the datasheets of all 177 Swiss plans (July 2026). 142 of them (80%) genuinely sell unlimited data in Switzerland. The buffet really is all-you-can-eat: no hidden gigabyte cap, no small print that stops you when you go back for seconds. Unlimited isn't the premium exception anymore; it's the market's default promise.

So why is the asterisk still on the loose? Because it moved. Two new hideouts, right where nobody looks: the speed tier, and the border. Magnifying glass out. 🕵️

“The asterisk moved!”

🐌 CLUE #1: UNLIMITED SAYS HOW MUCH, NOT HOW FAST

Two plans, both "unlimited", can sit 20× apart in top speed. The speed tier is where providers actually duel:

  • Quickline sells the same unlimited data at 300 Mbit/s (CHF 14 to 24), 1 Gbit/s (CHF 29) or 2 Gbit/s (CHF 69): the speed IS the product
  • Swisscom's blue ladder climbs from 1 Gbit/s (blue Mobile M) to 2.3 Gbit/s (blue Mobile XL), and the climb costs CHF 50 a month
  • Yallo caps its Start family at 300 Mbit/s while the BLACK line runs 2 Gbit/s

And plenty of plans publish no speed at all; our cards mark those "Standard", with a ? that explains what to expect (spoiler: usually plenty).

The detective's rule: on an unlimited plan, MAX SPEED is the real spec. 📄

Unlimited answers one question: how much. How fast, and where, are separate lines of fine print, and those decide how the plan actually feels.

✈️ CLUE #2: UNLIMITED STOPS AT THE BORDER

Cross the border, and the honest word "unlimited" grows its asterisk right back.

49 plans advertise unlimited EU roaming data. Every single one carries a throttle clause, straight from the case file:

  • The usual suspect: "40 GB at high speed, then 256/128 kbit/s"
  • The stricter cousins: 20 GB or 25 GB at high speed, then 128 kbit/s
  • And one plan switches roaming data off entirely after 40 GB

Life at 128 kbit/s? Welcome back to 1998. WhatsApp texts crawl through, a map tile loads if you ask nicely, video doesn't even knock.

In fairness: 40 GB of holiday data is a LOT. The throttle isn't a scam; it's a boundary. The scam would be hiding where it sits. Every MatchMyMobile card prints the exact clause under the roaming line. 🔦

✅ HOW TO READ AN UNLIMITED PLAN IN 10 SECONDS

Flip the card. Three lines crack the case:

1. MAX SPEED (Network & Speed): a number is the provider's stated top speed; "Standard" means none is published, and the ? explains what that delivers

2. The throttle line (Abroad): under any unlimited roaming bucket, how many GB at full speed, and what happens after

3. The reset rhythm: monthly or yearly allowance, printed right there

And once more, the good news: honest unlimited is cheap now. The least expensive unlimited plan in the catalog costs CHF 9.90 a month. The asterisk lost. 🏆

🎯 CASE CLOSED: CHECK YOUR OWN PLAN

Your move, in three steps:

1. Open the top 10 unlimited plans, ranked by lasting value

2. Flip every card on your shortlist: MAX SPEED row, throttle clause, reset rhythm

3. Compare your current plan against the winner: the gap is usually CHF 100 or more a year

The fine print didn't disappear. It just met a detective with the full database. Case closed. 🕵️

Start Comparing Plans!

“Case CLOSED!”

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