Verizon LTE: The Fine Line Between Truth and Deception

[jacobdrj]

Yeah, it is looking like Sprint, and all the pre-paid stuff, like Boost Mobile (Sprint's old Nextel rebranded) and MetroPCS (running on Sprint's network), are the only viable options for new subscribers.

If only they can get their WiMax network deployed (true 4g) to more places than just Baltimore, then they will be in a real position of strength...

 

[kentlowt]

[citation][nom]Khushrenada529[/nom]I'm very glad that Tom's hardware wrote this up. I'm on the old unlimited plan and as soon as they drop it, I'll seriously consider other options. I think they're charging that much right now because they can. As soon as people start switching and they start losing profit (AKA, are affected in a way they care about), they'll change their tune.That's how business works, it's NOT ethical, it's just business. As a consumer, we have the power to switch networks, which is what I'll do if/when I can get a better deal somewhere else.Right now I'm paying $30 for unlimited data with great coverage and reliability; you've got to admit that's hard to beat. But when it makes sense for me to switch, I'll do it immediately; now if all consumers did this, how much do you think we could shape the market?[/citation] Who are we gonna switch to that does not limit data. Eventually all the carriers will limit their data plans or charge these higher rates for unlimited data. You might save $3 or $4 a month from one company to the other. Which to me means my phone becomes a phone again and not an entertainment source.

 

[dstigue]

Yeah K-zon.. I tried.. I really did but it's hard to follow you.. Are you using a translator? I have sprint and was thinking about switching to Verizon because 4g just opened up in my market(Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) on their network.. Come on sprint where's my 4g? But after looking at the data prices it's insane.. They just allow tethering and not charge on top of those prices.. Hell you'll get it back in overages anyway you greedy bastards.. It's the iphone effect.. Once you have the iphone you grow big balls and strut like your untouchable... Well eat Verizon Sprint has better plans and nicer Androids.. Trying getting a 4g gingerbread phone from VZ... What they don't exist? I may just grab and EVO 3D and move someplace I get better coverage..

 

[Guest]

Carriers understand that people are drawn to numbers, not capability. Their style of competition will be to simply state "We can do X mbps" or "oh yea? Well now we can so x^2 mbps!"

These are the groundrules they want to lay. They wont be able to keep hiking up the numbers digit by digit if they actually allow people to use these speeds, because they already know their infrastructure is incapable of handling it. So how best to give the illusion that you are actually upgrading your network? By gradually opening the gates at a trickle pace, but capping everyone's usage so they dont actually exploit it. This will give Verizon/ATT plenty of leverage to have network battles against each other for the next 10 or so years without having to do a thing.

 

[Guest]

Holy crap, I haven't been looking at the data plans for a while since I still have a year left on my contract with T-Mobile. Yeah, yeah, "t-mobile sucks" but they are excellent in the areas where I frequent. But $80 for just 10GB? Damn.... I just looked at my usage and it says I have used 11GB on this billing. All I did was stream music for a few hours a day while commuting. This makes me happy that I only pay $20 for unlimited data despite it being throttled at 5GB (which for some reason it hasn't happened to me yet)

 

[ronindaosohei]

I think the higher data prices are fair. True, they should maybe cost a little less/have higher caps, and I am always a fan of being able to pay for an unlimited option, but the reality is phone usage is changing. It used to be data was just an extra fee to tag on like texting, today data is practically the main purpose of the phone and it is what puts the load on the networks so charging accordingly makes sense. What they should do to compensate is drop the cost of talk plans and texting plans.

 

[Guest]

Yeah blazing fast and lightening speeds to faster slam your wallet into the wall with....

 

[Guest]

for me, the real creep here is Netflix. i spend a lot of time in coffee houses and regularly see people bringing the wifi service to its knees as they watch tasteful, mature, self-improvement works like Booty Call. Fortunately, there are remedies for this in most router setups, and i have made more than a few dollars providing them.

 

[K-zon]

[citation][nom]dstigue[/nom]Yeah K-zon.. I tried.. I really did but it's hard to follow you.. Are you using a translator? I have sprint and was thinking about switching to Verizon because 4g just opened up in my market(Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) on their network.. Come on sprint where's my 4g? But after looking at the data prices it's insane.. They just allow tethering and not charge on top of those prices.. Hell you'll get it back in overages anyway you greedy bastards.. It's the iphone effect.. Once you have the iphone you grow big balls and strut like your untouchable... Well eat Verizon Sprint has better plans and nicer Androids.. Trying getting a 4g gingerbread phone from VZ... What they don't exist? I may just grab and EVO 3D and move someplace I get better coverage..[/citation]

Sounds like to me, even with what is of interest you are still in lack, despite that even on additional interest is split between one interest and then another, but dont have to worry about getting charged for some interest, but even if you wanted to pay more, you couldn't. And with might be "open" for use is not somewhere else. So left to seeing going somewhere else, for any "open" uses for any of them. Yes, maybe some give or take? I got lost on tethering and data prices. Unless you are getting stuck with just an say Interent service for a phone, Idk.

 

[Guest]

Isn't it so very nice that technology is in place where we can stream our whole reduced monthly bandwidth limit in a matter of a couple of hours?! I can't wait until it can be done in minutes!!! But you can increase the limit! Woohoo! Now I get to use it 4 hours before reaching the cap! The people having trouble understanding the point of this article are approaching it in a 'If the peasants have no bread to eat- well then let them eat cake' attitude... If you have the unlimited funds to afford unlimited streaming on a cell plan, good for you! Well, not good for you, you are causing the rest of us grief as the bandwidth caps come down in size, and up in price to cover the extra! The cell companies get to say, well we need to put all this new equipment in place to cover the extra useage, so we need to charge more...The people with the 'because it can be done, I'm doing it, nobody can take away my right to unlimited everything by any means possible screw you guys' attitude is doing just that, taking a very convenient 'mobile' service, and forcing up the price for every user. The carriers have always been just this side of evil in laying traps for the everyday fellow to fall into, just think of someone who sets up a wifi hotspot in a home with a couple of teenage kids on computers in thier own rooms, what kind of bill they might work up with this service/pricing strategy. Good luck all!