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Verizon Says 5G Network Will Cost Extra $10 a Month (go.com)
Verizon said on Tuesday that it will charge an additional $10 a month per smartphone for subscribers who want to add 5G speeds to their devices, the first major U.S. carrier to disclose pricing for the faster cellular service. From a report: Verizon says it'll flip the switch next month on a much-hyped, next-generation "5G" phone network. Service will start in parts of Chicago and Minneapolis. Verizon expects to have 5G in 30 cities this year. For now, few people will sign on. The offer is available only on unlimited plans, which currently start at $75 for one person or $160 for a family of four without 5G. On family plans, each 5G line would cost $10 extra. And network access will initially work with just one phone, Motorola's Moto Z3, with a special 5G attachment. Verizon will offer some promotions at first, including discounts on the phone and attachment and the first three months of 5G service free.
Is that for fake 5G or real 5G?
man, I feel like mold.
Given that their current "unlimited" plans seem to cap out at 20GB of 4G LTE data before throttling you to 600 Kb/s for the remainder of the billing cycle, I don't think this is the disruption you were hoping for. At best, something like that plan may compete with rural WISPs or satellite, assuming the location even has 4G LTE coverage in the first place.
Since ATT found a way to upgrade their system to 5G without spending money, they won't have to jack rates up. Hope all you guys who were baggin' on ATT a few weeks ago about it will shut up now!
No matter where you go, there you are.
5G benefits primarily the carrier, not the subscriber. The chance that you'll see any faster speeds than 4G/LTE is very slim. The carrier however gets to reap benefits from lower traffic congestion meaning that they'll be able to cram more connections on the same hardware. And make the customers pay for it.
Adding to that irony is that $10/mo is the price of an entire monthly LTE plan in many countries, including tethering, unlimited voice and text, unmetered messaging apps, etc. (albeit not unlimited data). The price of telecom service in the US and the rampant nickel-and-diming is outrageous from a consumer-centric perspective, although obviously it's outstanding from an investor perspective.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere