[Breaking]Verizon Plans to Slow Downloads of High Data Users Because of iPhone Launch

[czerdrill]

their goal is to make money, and they are going to make plenty of money selling their service couple with the iphone.

I don't disagree that they need good phones, but they have no reason to push an IPhone over an Android phone. They simply don't care. And clearly the optimal approach is a diverse line-up, and that's the position they're taking. Sure, they were losing potential IPhone sales, but they were never going to spin around and risk losing potential Android sales.

i won't get into an argument about why an iphone is a better selling point (and hence a better way to sell service) than an android phone. it'll just be a back and forth where you try to convince me that just as many people that want an android phone want an iphone haha....it's like saying a salesman won't push a corolla over a vw scirocco if the salesman's goal is to sell an extended warranty. i dont find that to be true, so we can leave it at that.

 

[Stelv]

Speedtest anyone? Let me know what you get. My 3g has been cut in more than half all day. Idk if it is just coincidence or throttle. I will run more tests tonight.

 

[czerdrill]

the people who do notice it will be the ones who (a) tether or (b) legitimately somehow use over 5GB a month. like i said before, those are two groups that VZW simply doesn't care about.

True, but the whining is priceless entertainment!

LOL, if you want to go old school it reminds me of those people who would steal HBO with those descramblers, and then they'd get spiked....

haha exactly, it's good reading material to see everyone get worked up, but it amounts to nothing. and someone just posted that it only affects new plans, so in other words NO ONE here will be affected by this haha

 

[overtwo]

Speedtest anyone? Let me know what you get. My 3g has been cut in more than half all day. Idk if it is just coincidence or throttle. I will run more tests tonight.

Same here buddy, it will hit 120kbp/s then INSTANTLY drop to ~40kbp/s

 

[huskerkate]

Class action lawsuit. The newest call to arms. Ugh.

count me "opted out"! not happy with what they're doing, but this would not be the answer, imo.

 

[jkhonea]

Don't know what to tell y'all. I am actually running a bit faster today here.

1022 kbps down, 892 kbps up

 

[czerdrill]

[
you didn't read the article sir. it doesn't say 5 percent of smartphone users will be throttled. what it does say is "If you use an extraordinary amount of data and fall within the top 5% of Verizon Wireless data users"
how are you only seeing the 5% part and not seeing what comes before that? "if you use an extraordinary amount of data". now, tell me, is there some book somewhere that defines what "extraordinary amount of data" means? no there's not. So that means VZW will decide what that means. the article also includes the word "and" meaning both conditions have to be met. if you use an extraordinary amount of data and fall within the top 5% of VZW data users, you will be throttled.

since we're doing math, let's make it simple. let's say there are 100 verizon users. and verizon decides that "extraordinary" means over 5GB. studies have shown that 90+% use less than that, but let's keep it at 90% use less. That means 10 users use an "extraordinary amount of data". Now, we look at the second part of the requirement: "and fall within the top 5% of VZW data users". That means it's 5% of those 10, which amounts to 1/2 a person. in other words, very very very few people will be affected by this.

They are not saying "of all the smartphone users, 5% will be throttled"...you're reading the article wrong, just like you read your contract wrong haha...

and yes...iphone users who fall in that 5% will be throttled.

that doesn't sound like correct math to me. if 10% of the users use an "extraordinary" amount of data, then this necessarily means that all of the "top 5% of VZW data users" fall within that 10%. someone who falls within the top 5% of data users can't be excluded from the "extraordinary" category.

by your example, all 10 of the users use more than 5 gb of data. at least 5 of them will fall within the top 5% of data users. and, there may even be a 6-way tie for 5th place, such that they could all be subject to throttling - i.e., 10 gb, 9 gb, 8 gb, 6 gb, and 6 people who use 5 gb.

haha now i'm just confused and i think you're right. i interpreted it as 5% of the 10% because of the and. meaning if you use this extraordinary amount and you are in the top 5% of those using that amount you will get throttled. meaning out of 10 people, only 5% of those people could get throttled which is 0.5 people. but yes, it could end up with the whole 10% being throttled if there is a 10 way tie, but that's stretching it isn't it?

 

[jkhonea]

Class action lawsuit. The newest call to arms. Ugh.

count me "opted out"! not happy with what they're doing, but this would not be the answer, imo.

Completely agreed.

 

[bazar6]

I didn't read thru all 13 pages, but:
They've got a "My Verison" app, and you can see how much you have downloaded in the current cycle. I thought getting near a gig was cool, then seeing this started to question where I would be (relative to the 5% rule), but I never thought about people who tether. But I agree wit ha lot of members, they had better include iPhone users in the throttling if they're in the 5%. We've all seen the polls and heard from people who switched to AT&T for the iPhone, and also said they'd switch back to Verizon if they got it.

 

[Stelv]

Ok well maybe my speed problems are with the towers in Western NY then. I am going to call VZW tonight.

 

[Hugh Jass]

The billion dollar question: What figures constitute being in this 5%.

 

[wingdo]

to me, this is just indefensible on VZW's part. regardless of which number of users calculation you accept (whether czerdrill or UNC's), the analysis is the same: Did you pay $200/$300/more to VZW for a phone? Yes. Did you sign a contract with VZW? Yes. Did that contract provide for unlimited data? Yes. Have you paid $200 a month for the past X years (like i have)? Yes.

but now, VZW can choose to unilaterally alter the terms of the agreement, solely to accomodate potential VZW customers who are not under contract, and who have not yet paid VZW a single penny?! is VZW going to correspondingly "throttle" back the bills it sends to its affected customers?! under no reasonable definition do i find this to be "acceptable" or "understandable".

if i told my existing clients, who i am under contract to serve and who regularly pay me, that i will be providing them less service than i originally agreed (and for what i've been paid) because i have a really big potential client that i am trying to bring on board, would anyone find that appropriate??

They are not doing away with unlimited data. No where does it say that. NO WHERE. Yes they are going to throttle some users, but over on endgadget people are complaining about this and also stating that they use 20GB, 30GB, 50GB a month. They also freely admit to using illegal tethering applications. Would it be spiffy to have true unlimited data no matter how many GB I sue? You bet. Would it be better if it was free too? You betcha. Would it be super spiffy if I could get unthrottled, unlimited data for $0 and get unlimited calling and text for free too?

There are a few users taking advantage of the network. VZW (all carriers) have one of two options. Raise costs to allow enough money to keep putting up more towers and install ever faster backhaul, or start throttling at some point.

 

[jkhonea]

Definitely give them a call. They are usually pretty responsive about that.

 

[jkhonea]

Some need to take off the tinfoil hats. The data will be throttled across the board. IT WON'T MATTER WHAT DEVICE YOU ARE ON IF YOU ARE IN THE HEAVY USAGE GROUP.

And I would be willing to bet Android users suck down much more data than iPhone users on the whole. In fact, I would almost guarantee it.

 

[huskerkate]

all [/B]of the "top 5% of VZW data users" fall within that 10%. someone who falls within the top 5% of data users can't be excluded from the "extraordinary" category.

by your example, all 10 of the users use more than 5 gb of data. at least 5 of them will fall within the top 5% of data users. and, there may even be a 6-way tie for 5th place, such that they could all be subject to throttling - i.e., 10 gb, 9 gb, 8 gb, 6 gb, and 6 people who use 5 gb.

haha now i'm just confused and i think you're right. i interpreted it as 5% of the 10% because of the and. meaning if you use this extraordinary amount and you are in the top 5% of those using that amount you will get throttled. meaning out of 10 people, only 5% of those people could get throttled which is 0.5 people. but yes, it could end up with the whole 10% being throttled if there is a 10 way tie, but that's stretching it isn't it?

yeah, it's a huge stretch. i did it just for effect, to demonstrate the math...