Wrong Number: Why Phone Companies Overcharge For Data

MrSeb writes "A recent study (PDF) conducted by UCLA professor Chunyi Peng shows that carriers generally count data usage correctly, but those customers who commonly use their device in areas with weak signal strength or to stream audio or video are often overcharged. Peng and three other researchers used data gleaned from an app installed on Android smartphones on two different carriers. The issue appears to be in how the system is set up to count data usage. Under the current scenario, data is charged as it is sent from the carrier's network to the end user. What does not exist is a system to confirm whether the packets are received, and thus preventing charges for unreceived data. Peng demonstrated this in two extreme circumstances. In one case, 450 megabytes of data was charged to an account where not a single bit of it had been received. On the flipside, Peng's group was able to construct an app which disguised data transfers as DNS requests, which are not counted by the carriers as data usage. Here they were able to transfer 200 megabytes of data without being charged. Overall, the average overcharge is about 5-7% for most users. While that does not seem like much, with unlimited plans gone and data caps in style that could pose potential problems for some heavy data users. Could you be going over your data allotment based on data you never received? It's quite possible."

Comments

If only it worked both ways

[Anonymous Coward]

Well I sent a check for my monthly bill... not my fault you didn't receive it.

Re:If only it worked both ways

[Anonymous Coward]

Reminds me of a joke. Telephone lineman is recruited into the army. Gets to the rifle range for practice. Everyone is shooting, targets are being hit by all but the lineman. Sarge comes up and asks why his target got no hits on it. Lineman ties a rag over the end of his rifle and fires off a round, shows the sarge the rag with a hole in it and says, "No problem at this end."

they could charge more...

[joostje]

I guess that means the operators will shortly release an update for the phone OS's to also charge for the data the phone sent but wasn't received by the operator.

Step 1

[Spy Handler]

1. write an app that disguises streaming porn as a DNS request
2. ???
3. Profit!

Re:DNS not counted?

[joostje]

http://code.kryo.se/iodine/

Re:Wow, your mobile networks SUCK.

[game kid]

Thank you for your suggestion. at&t(R) is committed(tm) to rebuilding the nation's largest 4G network this year with your input. To pay for the buildout* you will notice a 10% 2012 Nation's Largest 4G Network Improvements Fee along with a 200% SMS price increase. Thank you again for choosing at&t(R), with the nation's largest 4G network.

*Buildout subject to cancellation without notice. Just kidding about that last part, we cancelled it while you were reading that sentence. The fee stands to pay for the costs of typing the prior two and commissioning a forthcoming Gartner study to validate their market impact.