I think "unlimited" is just a word that gets people to buy something. It's not economical to actually offer something with unlimited anything.
Even if you buy a dedicated server with "unlimited" transfer, it'll be limited by the connection speed - eg 10mbps uplink "unlimited bandwidth" works out at less than 5TB total transfer per month.
Same with the magic word "free". You'll often see that used such as "free mobile phone (small print: when you sign up to a contract at £19/month)" etc.
Are there true unlimited plans in Germany that aren't subject to any limits then?
This is what at&t/apple does with their 'unlimited' iphone subscription. It might be unlimited but they try their best to stop you from using any actual bandwidth (tethering etc.)
Google has had to take a lot shit lately from non free speech and non free market ideologies.
For internet at home, I think so. Just checked the legalese for the #1 provider (Deutsche Telekom) here, found no wording relating to "fair use". Internet at home is extremely competitive here, though. Lots of different delivery methods (tv cable, telephone cable etc), unlimited internet + landline calls for ~30 EUR/month or less.
For mobile internet, it's a whole different story, obviously. There are all kinds of caps.
I think 'unlimited' should mean unlimited. But I agree, introducing caps sadly makes business sense for some companies.
Same with the magic word "free". You'll often see that used such as "free mobile phone (small print: when you sign up to a contract at £19/month)" etc.
Are there true unlimited plans in Germany that aren't subject to any limits then?