To anyone who cannot speak or hear in real life (mute or deaf), you are not alone. I have informed Valve on this matter. Until a solution is presented, please rely on other messaging services such as Steam Chat or Discord Chat for in-game communication.

I will also add alternatives here as I find them to assist.

The chat rate works like this when you spam anything, including Quick Chat (such as z+2 "Thanks!"):

1. Message
   
2. 
   
3. 
   (One second delay)
   
4. 
   (One second delay)
   
5. 
   (One second delay)
   
6. 
   (Two second delay)
   
7. 
   (Two second delay)
   
8. 
   (Two second delay)
   
9. 
   (Three second delay)

...
And so on. I have reached 10 seconds delay between messages. Unsure what is the maximum delay value. The delay may be off due to latency but the main point is that there exists a delay between messages being spammed continously.

It does not matter what you spam, even when you change the spam, the delay is set between any messages you type.

Several tests have been done with my alt that I used. It seems that sometimes the Premium DLC is NOT registered when you buy something from the Mann Co Shop or buy The Orange Box.

To rectify this, see (7) below!

Firstly, when someone advises "your account is new", this has nothing to do with TF2 playtime!

What it means is that your Steam Level is too low. See (7) below to fix!

Secondly, it does not matter how many hours you have in TF2. You can be 2000+ hours pro yet still be F2P and/or Limited.

See (1) for the possible categories of players!

You must pay to become Premium and/or Unlimited. Time spent is irrelevant.

If you must wonder why, then remember that bots can be left idle in-game to accumulate playtime.

Benjy52|YT's video on the new restrictions. Thanks lad 😁
https://youtu.be/ZXcPDQKp8NI
P.S: Please note that at the bit where he mentions "This problem cannot be solved by buying TF2 items in-game", what he meant was this:

For example, buying a key from the Mann Co Shop that costs $3 equivalent will make you TF2 Premium but not Steam Unlimited. You still need an additional $2 spending to become Unlimited Steam.

Yes, you can spend the remaining $2 equivalent in the Mann Co Shop or Steam. This means Mann Co Shop items count towards the minimum $5 equivalent requirement.

ONLY MANN CO SHOP ITEMS. The crates you see on the Mann Co Shop come from the Community! COMMUNITY MARKET ITEMS DO NOT COUNT!

Why do only Mann Co Shop items count? Because to pay for them, you would need to add funds to your Steam Wallet which is one of the ways to getting Unlimited Steam!

If you have already added more than $5 to your Steam Wallet, then you are already Unlimited Steam (might have to wait a few days, look at (7)).

For a progress bar on how much ye need to spend for your account while logged in, Click Here. This is also a surefire way to tell if you are Limited Steam or not 😅

Please refer to (1) for a rundown on your possible player type.

1. What does it mean?
   Firstly, Steam account status is independent of TF2 account status & total playtime. This gives three possibilities no matter the amount of total playtime:
   
   • You are Limited Steam and F2P (see (2)).
     
   • You are Unlimited Steam but F2P (see (3)).
     
   • You are Limited Steam but Premium (see (4)).
   
   NOTE: Full FAQ on Limited Steam Accounts. CHECK THIS LINK TO HELP YOU IDENTIFY IF YOU ARE LIMITED.
   
   Look for the sentence "Click here to view your current limited user spend."
   (Thanks to Benjy52 for informing me that players get confused on how to know if they are Limited or not 😁)
   
   If you are in any of the above three categories, then you cannot use:
   
   • Team Chat.
     
   • Public Chat.
     
   • Voice Chat.
     
   • Quick Chat/Voice Commands (like 'E' for "Medic!" and Z+2 for "Thanks!")
   
   You can still use:
   
   • Party chat, default is ‘;’ or 'p'.
   in any official modes.
   
   Community servers are free from this restriction.
   
   Note: See (7) if you are Unlimited & Premium but still cannot chat!
   
   
2. How do I rectify this?
   If you have not yet spent any cash through Steam (including Mann Co Shop), then you can spend:
   
   • $5 equivalent through the Mann Co Store. I recommend the “Upgrade to Premium” tool which is conveniently $5 equivalent as far as I can check.
     
     As long as the spending amount in the Mann Co Shop is > $5 equivalent, you can check the price difference between items in the Mann Co Shop and the Community Market. If the Mann Co Shop is lower than the Community Market, then you could buy the Mann Co Shop FIRST and sell it on the Community Market for a profit.
     
     NOTE: MUST buy >$5 equivalent from Mann Co Shop first! Not the other way around!
     
     Favourites are keys and MvM tickets. But you will need to check the prices in your currency first! ALSO, note that it takes some time (based on my experience, about 48 hours maximum) to make your Steam a/c Unlimited.
     
     Remember that Limited Steam a/cs CANNOT USE THE COMMUNITY MARKET. So this time difference should be taken into account.
     
     Finally, my best advice would to spend on something you definitely want, that way if the chat don't turn out to be great, at least ye got stuff you will use in-game 😁
     
     
   • $5 equivalent anywhere on Steam (including gifts for your friends) AND then spend any amount in the Mann Co Shop.
     
     You can add $5 equivalent to your Steam Wallet and still be made Unlimited without any purchases (thanks to micwoj92 for pointing this out 😁).
     
     So don't feel pressured that ye have to buy something. As long as you added funds to your Steam Wallet, it counts towards the minimum.
   
   
3. If I have already spent > $5 equivalent on Steam, then do I become Premium in TF2 as well?
   NO. Even though you are now Unlimited Steam, you still need to spend any amount in the Mann Co Shop to become Premium TF2.
   
   
4. If I have already spent < $5 in the Mann Co Shop to become Premium, then do I have to spend an additional $5 through Steam Wallet to become Unlimited?
   NO, you do not need to spend an additional $5 equivalent. Instead, you need to spend the remaining balance between your Mann Co purchase and $5 equivalent in order to reach the total of $5 equivalent.
   
   In short, purchases made through the Mann Co Shop ARE COUNTED towards the Unlimited Steam minimum $5 equivalent requirement.
   
   Example: You bought a $1 Knife. The minimum is $5. So $5-$1 = $4. You now need to spend $4 to reach the minimum required.
   
   
5. Can I be gifted the minimum $5 equivalent such as receiving a game or gift worth > $5 equivalent?
   NO, you cannot make your Steam account Unlimited by receiving anything. YOU MUST SPEND THE $5 equivalent YOURSELF!
   
   
6. Can I be gifted Premium in TF2?
   YES, you can but ONLY from someone who bought and sent to you the “Upgrade to Premium” tool in the Mann Co Shop.
   
   
7. What to do if I am both Unlimited Steam & TF2 Premium but still cannot chat?
   Try the following BEFORE contacting Steam Support:
   
   1. Kindly ensure you are BOTH Unlimited Steam & Premium TF2. If you have:
      
      • Never spent any money on Steam before = See Question 2.
        
      • Spent at least $5 on Steam before but not in TF2 = See Question 3.
        
      • Spent any amount < $5 in TF2 ONLY = See Question 4.
      (Thanks to Benjy52 | YT for emphasis 😁)
      
      
   2. Wait for 1-3 days for Steam to record your transaction.
      
      
   3. Get to Steam Account Level 2. Recommend following Community Ambassador Badge achievements.
      
      
   4. Go to Library > right-click TF2 > Properties > DLC > ensure Premium is checked & installed (Thanks to General Pie 😁)
      
      
   5. Then check your Advanced Controls Dialog Box.
      
      
   6. Check whether console command "hud_saytext_time 0" and/or Options>Voices>"Enable Voice in-game" checkbox have hidden/muted your chat and voice.
      
      

   7. Originally posted by Postmaster General:

      I had an error where you could talk in voice chat and not in text chat. You could open up the window and send it, but it would not be sent in the server chat. I found a fix for it by typing "cl_mute_all_comms 0" into the console, enabling "Enable text chat" in advanced settings then entering "cl_mute_all_comms 0" again.

      (Thanks to Postmaster General 😁)
      
      
   8. Check the Mute Dialog (ear/👂 symbol beside ⚠️ symbol) box when in a match to see if you muted yourself. Use your 'Ctrl' button to select all players and unmute if you cannot unmute yourself (Thanks to Ham Walrus 😁)
      
      
   9. Check in your computer sound settings if your current mic device is set to "Default Device".
      
      
   10. Ensure current mic device drivers are up to date.
       
       
   11. Check for Steam Client updates.
       
       
   12. Then verify TF2 game files.
       
       
   13. Reinstall Steam Client.
       
       
   14. Other Fixes:
       
       • Check for Windows Updates.
         
       • Check for Graphic Card updates.
         
       • Check for Direct X updates.
   Note: This list will be updated as solutions are confirmed.
   
   Note: It is logically reasonable to infer that any VAC ban on your Steam account (regardless of game) prior to this update would have an effect on your inability to use public & team chat but I have no way of testing this. Remain vigilant.

1. Reworded and added an emphasis on being both TF2 Premium and Unlimited Steam to chat in TF2 to (Main, 7).

1. Added a solution for those who could Voice chat but not text chat to (Main, 7).

1. Reworded (Main, 7) by adding on 'Ctrl' select as solution to those seemingly unable to mute themselves in the Mute Dialog Box.
   
2. Added a Youtube Video to (Intro, Addendum 5) with permission from Benjy52|YT for your viewing pleasure.

1. Removed Addendum 5 from (Intro).
   
2. Changed (Main, 7) solutions list into table form for easier reading.
   
3. Reworded (Main, 2) to help those wondering how to check Limited Status & how much remaining to spend to reach Unlimited Status.

1. Added Addendum 5 on problems with my comment ability in this guide to (Intro). Am currently rectifying.

1. Reworded one of the solutions in (Main, 7) to provide better clarity, specifically on waiting period.

1. Added texts to (Main, 7) on check for computer's default microphone device as I have received a number of questions on why text chat work but voice doesn't register.
   
2. Rearranged (Main, 7) for better clarity.

1. Added text to (Intro) about community servers as a pre-emptive response to future questions on whether community servers had these restrictions. "A man can only have so much sanity."
   
2. Rearranged & reformatted (Main) to achieve better clarity.

1. Reformatted (Main, 2).
   
2. Added (Intro) Addendum 4 emphasizing difference between playtime and player type/account status.

1. Removed Addendum 4 from (Intro) because decided that it didn't answer anything related to chat restrictions. The short answer is bots have presumably bypasssd captchas.
   
2. Added to (Main) a quick copy text for anyone wishing to share this guide to anyone having problems with these chat restrictions.

1. Added a new Addendum about captchas during Steam account creation with picture proof in (Intro).

1. Reworded (Main, 1) to answer those that are still confused between TF2 Type & Steam Account Type.
   
2. Reworded (Intro, Addendum 3).
   
3. Added in another question to (Main) which details what to do when you are Unlimited Steam but F2P.

1. Renamed Addendums in (Intro).
   
2. Removed from (Introduction) text on Orange Box test.
   
3. Added to (Intro) text on Premium DLC problem.
   
4. Added to (Main, 6) text on checking whether DLC Premium is checked and/or installed.

1. Added change-log.
   
2. Added to (Main, 6):
   
   • "Reinstall Steam Client".
     
   • Added console command "hud_saytext_time 0".
3. Added to Introduction text on Orange Box test.