T-Mobile and Microsoft Team Up to Give 30GB of Free 5G Data to Surface Pro 9 Users

T-Mobile and Microsoft are giving Surface Pro 9 with 5G users a gift as the holidays approach: 30GB of free 5G data. T-Mobile says that the new promotional offer, announced on Thursday, is available to anyone who doesn't already have its 5G service active on their Surface. 

This isn't the first time T-Mobile has offered free tablet data. Back in 2013 it was giving iPad users free 200MB of cellular data per month "for life." It ended the program for new users, however, in 2017. 

With this deal, T-Mobile is upping the data to a much more usable 30GB, but it should be noted you'll only have 90 days to use it. If the 90-day window closes (or you use up the 30GB) you will need to start paying for a connected device plan to continue accessing T-Mobile's network. 

If you have a Surface Pro 9 with 5G, activate the T-Mobile eSIM by heading to "Network," choosing the "connect with a data plan" option and select "T-Mobile" followed by "get connected." T-Mobile says you will not need to enter in payment information for the trial. 

Under T-Mobile's tablet plans (assuming you have a voice line with the carrier), 2GB of high-speed data is $10 a month while unlimited data (with 50GB at high-speed internet) starts at $20 a month. If you don't have T-Mobile as your wireless provider you can still use the trial, though after that period ends, the carrier offers a variety of different prepaid data tiers if you still want to keep its 5G service with packages ranging from 2GB for $10 a month, 5GB for $20 a month and going all the way up to 50GB of data for $50 a month. 

The extended free data trial on the Surface is similar to what T-Mobile offers prospective phone switchers with its Network Pass. That program allows unlocked phone users a similar ability to sample T-Mobile's network for free over 90 days and you similarly won't need to give the company a credit card for that trial.