Want an Unlimited Mobile Data Plan? Go to Russia

Whilst mobile operators in Europe and North America seem to be doing all they can to restrict the amount of data downloaded by their customers, Russian carrier MegaFon wants its customers to enjoy the true definition of unlimited data by handing out prizes worth up to 1 million rubles ($33,000) to people who downloaded the most data in a week.

Russian news website C News reports that between November 1, 2011 to January 31, 2012, MegaFon customers that bought a 3G modem were asked to download as much data as they physically could, rewarding the person who downloaded the most data during that period with a 150,000 ruble (around $5,000) holiday overseas courtesy of Russian travel agency Neva.

The winner of the contest managed to consume 419GB of 3G data in one week, securing a trip abroad, but also helping MegaFon show its data prowess. The company used the competition as a chance to show the breadth of its data coverage, announcing that it covers over 80% of north-western Russia with its 3G services.