Uh oh: Verizon Dropping Unlimited Data Plans Too?

[bison88]

Understandably, Wireless networks don't have the same capacity as physical networks, but this goes hand in hand. The solution is simple. Quit overselling your network if capacity really is an issue and not just some made up excuse to suck money out of your "consumers" pockets, which for DSL/Cable most certainly is. Or stop creating/hosting products that are sure to put a heavy load on your network.

It's not like they didn't see this coming, maybe not when the iPhone first came out but ever since to play blind, deaf, and dumb is just a childish excuse from an executive standpoint. Long gone are the times when the only need to go online on your phone was for ring tones and wallpapers. You guys advertised the experience, now either deliver it or shut the fuck up about it. Consumers don't want to hear lame duck excuses when you are the ones that brought it all up with this HTML browsers, Youtube on your phone, streaming radio and all that hoo-hah.

Don't blame us.

 

[matbaso]

I've got Sprint and haven't had any problems with the bandwidth police. Some months on the 3G network I use 10GB and no problems. I'm planning on upgrading to a 4G soon. Forget AT&T and Verizon, the Iphone isn't worth it right now. The main reason for getting a smartphone is to use more data. They say only a small number of users use more than 2Gb but most of the users right now haven't upgraded to smartphones.

 

[rmmil978]

[citation][nom]hellwig[/nom]You sir, are an idiot. You ever hear the old poem about how first they came for the jews, but I wasn't a jew so I didnt' speak up. Then they came for the gypsies, but I wasn't a gypsie so I didn't speak up. Finally they came for me, and no one was left to speak up?What if Verizon was planning on having only a 25MB and 100MB data plan? You wouldn't save $15, you'd pay an extra $35 when you had to buy a second 100MB chunk. Seriously, is anyone capable of thinking farther than 5-seconds ahead. Next month, this guy will use 201MB and bitch that Verizon charged him extra.[/citation]

Please don't quote something about the Holocaust and make a reference to cell phone data plans. Seriously.

 

[Kira1188]

Perhaps this will only apply to 4G data plans and phones? That's kinda what it sounds like the guy was saying (and what I am hoping for). I would prefer paying a $10/month premium for 4G like Sprint is doing right now. Is $40/month really not enough for them?

 

[joe gamer]

***Post deleted by moderator.***

Cool it on the language.

 

[squiggs77]

The tower density for 4G is much greater than 3G, and is therefore much more expensive to deploy, as Sprint has found out. Which is why carriers need to find a way to fund their 4G expansion. While I don't like it, it's the price of advancing technology.

 

[blurr91]

I think those of you who are unhappy should boycott AT&T. Either don't use its services at all or cancel your data plan. Show this evil corporation how tough you are. Make it see the error of its ways. And most important of all, that will keep the network usage down for serious users.

 

[joe gamer]

Yes, sorry about that. Stupid of me to lose my temper when businesses act like businesses.

 

[posteris]

I don't understand whats wrong in USA. Here in Europe you can use uncapped hi-speed internet almost everywhere. At home 100mbps or 1gbps fiber optics (of course there is places forgotten by god, but they're disappearing fast), every bigger mall or bar has free wi-fi zones. Even outside you can find tons of unprotected wireless networks with good connection speeds.
If you want to be on the move, there is wimax. You get up to 1-2mbps connection even 10-15km outside of town, and sometimes 5+ mbps if you're near a tower. Costs 15-30euro and it's uncapped of course. Just have any device (phone, laptop or pc) that has wi-fi connection.

 

[jrabbitb]

I had a much longer comment but figured this was a little more to the point:

Verizon Power DSL (3 Mbit/sec) = $30
Verizon 3G (I get at least 768Kbit/sec and up to 2.5 Mbit/sec) = $30

You're pricing is perfect, don't change it.

Reference:
http/www22.verizon.com/Residential/Internet/

 

[blurr91]

[citation][nom]posteris[/nom]I don't understand whats wrong in USA. Here in Europe you can use uncapped hi-speed internet almost everywhere. At home 100mbps or 1gbps fiber optics (of course there is places forgotten by god, but they're disappearing fast), every bigger mall or bar has free wi-fi zones. Even outside you can find tons of unprotected wireless networks with good connection speeds. If you want to be on the move, there is wimax. You get up to 1-2mbps connection even 10-15km outside of town, and sometimes 5+ mbps if you're near a tower. Costs 15-30euro and it's uncapped of course. Just have any device (phone, laptop or pc) that has wi-fi connection.[/citation]

The US is a much larger region. We also have 2 competing phone standards (GSM and CDMA) thanks to government interference. Everything contributes to added cost.

 

[teaguejb]

I just re-upped my contract with VW for 2 years. So...they'll have to honor the unlimited data plan for me for 2 years. After that, I'll switch to the network that offers the best value.

I probably don't need a 4G network, so why should I pay for "advancing technology?" As far as I'm concerned, wireless companies should be investing in technologies that make data usage more efficient, therefore more cost effective, therefore more accessible. Instead, they are investing in technologies that--while technologically are very hip--are only being implemented because of one very important benefit they offer the wireless companies...a higher profit margin. Wireless companies will always find more expensive products to sell in the name of "advancing technology." The result of this trend will be an increase the "entrance fee" of the technology to the point that it is no longer accessible on a broad scale. Do we want to live in a world where some people can afford wireless data access while many others can't? We should be demanding greater access for everyone. The way we demand this is by refusing to purchase things we don't really need.

Do VW or ATTW want to cater mostly to people who feel they must be able to walk around and watch television all the time? If so, that's fine. Those are the people that should be paying $300/month or so for the outrageous amounts of bandwidth they consume. However, there must be affordable data access for people who are using wireless bandwith to communicate with each other. I have no problem with VW or ATT eliminating the unlimited data plans as long as the price of entry for basic (realistically basic) data access is reduced rather than increasing or staying the same.

 

[andrewcutter]

probably he did not mean holocast. He was just pointing out that if some decision is made , you should not keep quite if it does not affect you now. You should think in terms of everyone because sooner or later they will release a plan which affects you too and at that time there will be no one. He just use jews and gypsis as he might be percieving them as the most r...... oppresed pl or sommething....

 

[batkerson]

QUESTION: Hey, Tom's, what do other providers in other countries (e.g., Japan, Korea, Germany, France, England, etc. charge for internet access?

 

[Simple11]

Oh great another company ready to let lose their 4G which is really just 3.3G I guess. 4G is no where near what the standards are for 4G.

"An IMT advanced cellular system must have target peak data rates of up to approximately 100 Mbit/s for high mobility such as mobile access and up to approximately 1 Gbit/s for low mobility such as nomadic/local wireless access, according to the ITU requirements. Scalable bandwidths up to at least 40 MHz should be provided.[1][2]"

 

[Doommaker]

[citation][nom]rmmil978[/nom]Please don't quote something about the Holocaust and make a reference to cell phone data plans. Seriously.[/citation]

Please come up with a valid argument yourself. Seriously.

 

[geminireaper]

[citation][nom]airborne11b[/nom]I have sprint with the new EVO 4G, and between youtube, Sprint TV, downloading apps, facebook, emails, ect ect, I burn many many gigs a month in data. I also use PDA NET to connect my laptop to the internet like an air-card. Not only is it free, but man on 4G it's amazingly fast.I don't see why everyone who has 4G in their area hasn't switched to sprint. Unlimited mobile to mobile talking from sprint works for both incoming, and out going calls, to any carrier. Only time you use minutes is when you call a lan line (for me, and most people, that's just about never) and with unlimited data I pay about 70 bucks a month, and thats basically for unlimited talk, text, and data on 4G. Verizon sucks in comparison, and now they going to cut off their unlimited data? lololol.[/citation]

Because sprint has crap coverage.

 

[gmarsack]

My data usage each month on my DROID through Verizon is right around 250-350MB's and I don't go crazy doing anything on it, like using YouTube or Facebook or anything.. just checking my mail and downloading file-attachments. I prey they don't offer something similar to AT&T as that would suuuuuuck... If they wanted to lower their rip-off data rates, I'd be okay with that.

 

[mikeyp]

YES, this is directed straight at VERIZON (which used to be an ok company)

PERHAPS IF YOU WERE TO OFFER MORE THAN 5 MODELS THAT AREN'T DATA PHONES YOU WOULD HAVE MORE POPULARITY IN NON-DATA PHONES!

*apologize for the caps, but I'm a phone consumer, and would prefer if I didn't have to have a mobile laptop in order to have a quality voice transmission device, some of their simple phones are poor quality compared to the data devices.

*yes I've sent this feedback to Verizon too!

 

[FrozenGpu]

[citation][nom]MxM[/nom]This is "slippery slope argument" - the worst kind of argument there is, IMO.There are reasons to criticize this decision, the main is probably slowing down the rate of developing the use of internet on the phones, another is inconvenience to the costumers (monitoring their data volume) but your argument is not a very good one.[/citation]

When you are dealing w/ most companies, always think of them wanting insane profits at any costs. If they could get away w/ charging us an arm and a leg any company would jump on such a proposition. Don't be so naive young one, hold them all hostile, always make it about what can they do for us, not how can we line their pockets w/ more money. It's the only thing that keeps them in check.