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Verizon To Drop Unlimited Data Plans In Two Weeks
itwbennett writes "The rumors have converged and now it appears that Verizon will be dropping its unlimited data plans on July 7, says blogger Peter Smith. Droid-Life lists pricing, starting at 2 GB for $30/month and going up to 10 GB for $80/month. 'The one ever-so-slightly bright side,' says Smith, 'is that 4G LTE will cost the same as 3G. Of course, you'll be able to burn through your data even faster.'"
pricing, starting at 2 GB for $30/month and going up to 10 GB for $80/month.
With prices like that I bet they start encouraging tethering (or maybe even give it away for free). The overage penalties are high so the 10GB will actually appeal to some. Will they let victims, er, users change their plans on a monthly basis?
Nice spin, eh? Here's an idea, Verizon. If you want to "tailor" things to our unique needs, how about going all the way. If we're paying $30 for 2 GB, how about you refund us $15 for any month we use less than 1 GB? If bytes are the commodity you're making them out to be, that sounds fair to me. Alternatively, give us 'roll-over' data.
Uhhh, why stop there? Why doesn't everyone just pay for what they use? My electricity company is totally cool with charging me at the end of the month for a very specific usage figure ... and you know what? I've never complained about or felt like I was getting the raw end of a deal. There could be a set of people that would actually pay more in this scenario but at least the charges would feel justified (I don't even know if I would be in that set).
... what of my preconception that I will have unlimited data? I'm sure somewhere in the depths of the weighty tome that I signed for you has some fine print about how not only can you alter our agreement but you can also rape me with a pineapple in front of my wife and children. Could you at least grandfather us in though? I did make an agreement and purchase on that assumption.
And also, now that I've just recently signed myself up for your standard two year have-me-by-the-balls-via-smartphone-subsidy "plan"
My work here is dung.
2GB is plenty for me. The most mobile data I've ever used in a month is a gig, which included heavy 3rd party tethering use. I usually use 500-700MB. Maybe 4G LTE speeds will change my usage, but I doubt it will more than *double* my usage.
I understand that won't be enough for some people, but with apps like Llama https://market.android.com/details?id=com.kebab.Llama it's really easy to set up location profiles that turn wi-fi on and off at places you trust. If that still doesn't sate your usage needs, get your workplace to pay for it or *gasp* put your damn phone away and interact with the real world.
I dont really mind tiered pricing, but I do mind having my data plan change without options. So guess I'll be moving on to another carrier.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
That's OK, I'll just switch to one of those other carriers providing unlimited wireless data.
I went to eat some animal crackers and the box said, "Do not eat if seal is broken." I opened the box and sure enough..
Switch from Verison to Sprint several years ago. I get unthrottled, uncapped, unlimited data access for $15 extra, and I can tether my laptop when I'm traveling.
That's the new protocol. HTTP over SMS. It's going to be a hard winter this year.
Belief? Hope? Preference?The Existential Vortex
This is a battle that I have no idea who will win. The lines are drawn.
On one side, we have companies like Comcast and Verizon that are developing faster and faster technologies, but cap the amount of data that their users can consume. They are also companies that that have dreams of vertical integration of products, where they control the content creation, distribution, and consumption, and the profits that come with each.
On the other side, we have companies that are located in the "info space", who are innovating new ways to deliver stuff (entertainment, business services, communication, whatever) to the people. They are the ones advertising "the cloud". Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, etc. They want access to consumers over an open communications network. However, they can't have users afraid to use their bandwidth allotment in order to use the cloud.
So, here we have competing goals, and only one can dominate. Who will it be? I, personally, hope that the Netflix/Google crowd somehow wins. "Give the people what they want." That is a quote that Comcast and Verizon have never understood. They are anti-competitive by nature. This battle will spill out into mass-media debates and government regulation. It will be ugly.
-d
"Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit"
And in Poland, I pay 33pln (less than $10) per month and I use that for calls/sms AND get FREE 6GB of data.
Just in time for the netflix app. Coincidence? I think not. Honestly, as a member with 5 lines, they'll feel the sting as more people like me switch. I'll go through the hassle of switching before I take it up the ass with a plan change like this.
Belief? Hope? Preference?The Existential Vortex
This is utterly ridiculous. The 2GB plan is what their current Unlimited plan is set at price-wise. I do about 2.5GB per month on my phone and I literally use the data solely for email, VERY sparse Facebook/Twitter/Web usage (about 90 minutes of active usage per month tops), and podcast downloads (the bulk of my data usage).
I barely use the data plan and I'm still over that mark. If these numbers are true, and there is no grandfathering, then I will NOT be sticking with Verizon.
"People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
This is good news. You see I have an unlimited data plan with Verizon and my bill is about $60 a month. With this new 2 GB cap plan, they must surely be offering it at a much lower price than the unlimited plan, and so I should be able to switch and save money.
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
This is just part of what will be a contentious battle between the bandwidth owners and the content / service providers. Both sides want to extract as much of the consumer dollar as possible for themselves. Bandwidth owners see content / service providers using their lines to make money and as usage increases they see an opportunity to extract some of that money through tiered rate plans. content / service providers, OTOH, want the pipe to be as big and cheap as possible so they can sell more things to the consumer.
As bandwidth gets more expensive, consumers will use less and be willing to pay less for content since it carries an added cost for bandwidth. By introducing tiers early in the bandwidth demand growth phase carriers can start getting their customers used to limiting uptake of new services (and pay more to boot). Why is this important - it gives carriers some leverage to extract money form content/services providers to unthrottle the pipes since the providers want to keep growing and grab as many customers as quickly as possible.
I expect this battle will play out in the commercial and political arena as well - with lamentations about jobs, infrastructure costs, "staying competitive withe (insert country of choice)" being heard as each side tries to gain and maintain the upper hand. In some cases, a company is both - my cable provider is more than happy to sell me a subscription to HBO which I can access on the go via my phone as well (which is provided by another company). My phone company no doubt looks at that and says "Why are we helping our competitor for free?"
Make no mistake, it's an important battle since, if rate caps become the norm, this cool vision of getting everything anywhere over the internet will be a long time coming. I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of tyins between content /service providers and carriers that allows you to get premium services w/o being charged for data and the company's splitting the revenue. In fact, I think that may be the end game some have in mind.
I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
I ended up using the phone a lot more than I had expected but my 3G usage has remained low. I generally only use the 3G network on my Android phone for email and looking up random things while shopping. Any time I download something I switch to WiFi. Since I'm usually only compelled to do that when I'm at home or at the office it's not an issue.
No you're not. Not if you're smart anyway. The contract you signed gives them the right to modify the terms (limit your unlimited) but at the cost of giving you 30 days to void said contract, including ETF. When they change, call and cancel. They'll try to ETF you, then remind them they changed terms and you are exercising your right to terminate the contract without obligation including ETF.
I've seen several do this, and suspiciously close to 100% of the time the rep you talk with will claim "you can't do that". You usually need to get transferred to someone that either knows the law or has been allowed to admit to it. (I wonder if the level 1's really know what you're asking for is legal, but have been told to attempt to BS you out of exercising your right by claiming you don't have it? That's probably not illegal but it sure should be)
Contract law doesn't allow a contract to stipulate one party can make arbitrary changes without also allowing the other party to say "hell no" and walk away. Remember, all contracts work both ways. You're required to do X, and they're required to do Y. If the contract allows them to change Y, you can't be forced to accept it or be penalized if you refuse. In those cases you can't prevent them from changing Y, and if they do, they can't penalize you for terminating the contract.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
It needs to be stopped by a real FCC that doesn't have a crotch that looks like a Ken doll.
And another thought. By going to these metered plans, they are quite clearly violating the 'rates' they are selling you. You can't say "4G speeds!" without diving the 'cap' by one month. That's your 'actual' rate and far far below what they are claiming they provide you.
Why not!? You most certainly can quote the maxmimum burst speed and the total transfer as two separate quantities (total data cap and maximum data rate). They are two completely unrelated quantities with different units! Every other tiered data provider on the planet does it. (e.g. comcast has a 250GB cap while allowing a maximum rate that would exceed that cap if used continuously.... AT&T has had very similar wireless tiered data pricing for the past year. You can colocate a server on a GigE port with only 1TB of transfer, etc. etc. etc. )
It isn't ambiguous, misleading, or dishonest as long as both quantities are available to the purchaser (i.e. up to 4G LTE speeds when network and wireless conditions allow for it, 2GB maximum transfer per month). Furthermore, a burstable solution serves end users better in most applications. In this case, I'd rather be able to burst to 30mbits when I NEED to load that youtube cat video rather than being rate limited to 6 kilobits per second 24/7 (2 GB / 30 days -> kilobits per second).