Verizon Charging $20 Extra for iPhone 4 Hotspot

[exfileme]

Was there any doubt that Verizon would charge iPhone 4 consumers to use the hotspot feature?

Verizon Charging $20 Extra for iPhone 4 Hotspot : Read more

 

[Guest]

thats why jailbreaking is awesome , don't have to worry about this $20 crap

 

[BulkZerker]

Of course they won't incluspde teathering or hotspot with unlimited data. Too many people abuse their teathering / hotspot as it is (using it constantly, ringing up 20 or more gb a month) verizions infastructure couldn't handle 500 people doing that. It'd kill their network.

 

[mikem_90]

Dammit phone company, I just want you to be DUMB PIPES!

I'll worry about how I use the device, you worry about phone and data connections. CAPICHE??

 

[mikem_90]

[citation][nom]BulkZerker[/nom]Of course they won't incluspde teathering or hotspot with unlimited data. Too many people abuse their teathering / hotspot as it is (using it constantly, ringing up 20 or more gb a month) verizions infastructure couldn't handle 500 people doing that. It'd kill their network.[/citation]

Because the US government invested 200 billion a long while back for them to upgrade their networks, and They just pocketed it. We were hoping to get fiber optic, and were only given the bill.

The US is waaaay behind on network infrastructure. It always has in many ways. The ATT's and other oligopolies only upgrade when they have to, and typically use taxpayer money to do so.

 

[Guest]

This is not different from how Verizon charges extra for the hotspot capabilities for Android devices... why the stink?

 

[Guest]

Rooted android froyo, the way to be, been tethering freely, since '93.

Well, maybe not that long, but as long as I can remember XD

 

[rededed1976]

Wow,
Must suck to own a smart phone in the US.
I pay £5 extra a month for free wifi and unlimited data.
Sorry guys

 

[Guest]

Does anyone know if the tethering is something that can be added for one month when I'm going to need it and then canceled? Or do I have to include the cost in a two-year contract?

 

[gogogadgetliver]

Those moving to Verizon: This isn't that bad really but you better get used to it. Your bill is just going to suck no matter what. I've probably had to call customer service 10 times in ~4 years to get some crap on my bill fixed. Watch especially if you have to travel outside of the U.S. You'll either need a GSM phone or a loaner..either way they are going to screw up your bill when you get back.

Just switched to AT&T here for a WP7... Not really getting what all the griping about their network is about. The only weak spot in their 3G/Voice coverage I've found is someplace that has wifi anyway.

Looking at Sprint next I think.

 

[JD13]

The Droid 2 Gobal will work anywhere as it also has the GSM radio onbaord.....


[citation][nom]gogogadgetliver[/nom]Those moving to Verizon: This isn't that bad really but you better get used to it. Your bill is just going to suck no matter what. I've probably had to call customer service 10 times in ~4 years to get some crap on my bill fixed. Watch especially if you have to travel outside of the U.S. You'll either need a GSM phone or a loaner..either way they are going to screw up your bill when you get back.Just switched to AT&T here for a WP7... Not really getting what all the griping about their network is about. The only weak spot in their 3G/Voice coverage I've found is someplace that has wifi anyway.Looking at Sprint next I think.[/citation]

 

[JOSHSKORN]

Ha! Good thing I'm not an iPhone fanboi

 

[mdillenbeck]

Verizon Charging $20 Extra for iPhone 4 Hotspot

Um, actually, more accurate to report Verizon charges $20 for 2GB hotspot add-on for any phone device capable of tethering or acting as a hotspot (+$20/GB over 2GB). Its not just for an iPhone... this is not uniquely Apple news and applies to all android and windows mobile phones. (This is one of the first "Negative" checks I've given to an article, because the title makes it seems like they do this only to iPhone users....)

What should be news is 'Verizon charges twice as much for data through a phone than a broadband router'.

3 GB is $35, 5 GB is $55, and 10GB is $80 for a mifi/usb device but only +$10/GB after. Wha- um, it is tethered data, so why does it matter what device is used to send info to my laptop..

 

[robochump]

[citation][nom]rededed1976[/nom]Wow,Must suck to own a smart phone in the US.I pay £5 extra a month for free wifi and unlimited data.Sorry guys[/citation]

Well the Cell providers state the cost of maintaining and upgrading the cell infrastructure is expensive thus the cost passed onto the consumers. Since the US is much large than UK or most Euro countries we end up paying more. But if you want to go with a major carrier you gotta pay to play!

 

[mikem_90]

[citation][nom]robochump[/nom]Well the Cell providers state the cost of maintaining and upgrading the cell infrastructure is expensive thus the cost passed onto the consumers. Since the US is much large than UK or most Euro countries we end up paying more. But if you want to go with a major carrier you gotta pay to play![/citation]

They also said that Text messages were Soooo expensive that they had to charge for them... and then we found out that they include the text messages in status updates which transmit the same amount of data anyway, so they were basically free.

I would not not say that its free to maintain, but their credibility is not rock solid.

 

[mikem_90]

[citation][nom]otacon72[/nom]Actually if you live in the UK you're the one getting ripped off. The UK has 245,000 sq kilo of land mass compared to 9,600,000 sq kilo of land mass in the US. $20US a month for 9.6M sq kilo of coverage compared to $7.95US for 240,00 sq kilo. The US has 39x the land mass of the UK so you'd be paying $310 a month for that same coverage. Before you guys jump all over me I know it doesn't work out like that..still funny though...lol[/citation]

I don't think his full data plan ~$10/month is exactly the same as an extra $20 just for the right to use something you already get in a different way. Even then land mass vs price for data would also be a false comparison.

Even if it wasn't, the land actually covered by data service in the US is far less than total land area, its mostly in cities and urban areas with some rural centers, but not in the boonies. Seen an AT&T map lately?

As far as I read and hear, UK and EU users pay a lot less per month for service.

 

[tayb]

[citation][nom]mikem_90[/nom]Because the US government invested 200 billion a long while back for them to upgrade their networks, and They just pocketed it. We were hoping to get fiber optic, and were only given the bill.The US is waaaay behind on network infrastructure. It always has in many ways. The ATT's and other oligopolies only upgrade when they have to, and typically use taxpayer money to do so.[/citation]

The continental United States is roughly 26 times the size of Japan. Europe is only about 10% large. Europe. You know, the continent. People harp on the US for being "waaaay behind" but no other country has anywhere near as much land to cover as the United States.

 

[digitalvampire]

This seems about right since several software developers for smartphones offer their programs for free on Android, but charge for the same software on iPhone. Their sole reason for this? "iPhone users aren't smart with their money" ... That's right, software developers take advantage of people too. haha

 

[mayankleoboy1]

so after buying an apple, they are still costly

 

[mikem_90]

[citation][nom]tayb[/nom]The continental United States is roughly 26 times the size of Japan. Europe is only about 10% large. Europe. You know, the continent. People harp on the US for being "waaaay behind" but no other country has anywhere near as much land to cover as the United States.[/citation]

And how does that change the fact that the American taxpayers paid for a major Fiber to the home upgrade for nearly a 5th of America in the 1990s, de-regulated them so they could make a lot more money (previous regs limited their profit and kept them separate), and they just used it to buy each other up into big carriers and delivered nothing? How can anyone defend giving billions of taxpayer dollars to these companies and getting nothing in return?

You know, they split up AT&T in the 1980s for a reason.