The End of Unlimited Data Plans?

[ljprevo]

This may sound nuts, but if you are using your own internet (i.e. wifi) then you should not have to worry about the overages correct?

Only reason I am asking is on other forums I had read that even though you were using your own wifi that Verzion tracks that and adds that to your total usage, not sure of the truth in that, but if anyone could shed some life that would be great.

Only reason I bring that up is in case this article becomes reality we would have to be creative with our mobile internet access.

 

[hookbill]

This is one article on a subject that's been going on for long before the Droid ever came out. It's not the first to raise the possibility of end of unlimited data. I don't believe it will happen.

As far as Verizon charging you for using your own data, that simply can't be possible. How doe I know this? People have cancelled their plans and are able to use their droid via wireless still. At this point Verizon doesn't have a clue.

 

[modette]

This may sound nuts, but if you are using your own internet (i.e. wifi) then you should not have to worry about the overages correct?

Only reason I am asking is on other forums I had read that even though you were using your own wifi that Verzion tracks that and adds that to your total usage, not sure of the truth in that, but if anyone could shed some life that would be great.

Only reason I bring that up is in case this article becomes reality we would have to be creative with our mobile internet access.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but Wifi takes nothing out of Verizon's pocket as I am for example connected through my home wifi...in fact it is taking out of only my pocket to maintain my wifi. So common sense tells me they do not care about wifi as that is not going through their network...and probably prefer you to go that route over using 3G. Probably why the phone even has wifi. To me it would seem like legal trouble if they monitored your wifi, and then charged for that when it doe snot use their network.

 

[jsh1120]

This may sound nuts, but if you are using your own internet (i.e. wifi) then you should not have to worry about the overages correct?

Only reason I am asking is on other forums I had read that even though you were using your own wifi that Verzion tracks that and adds that to your total usage, not sure of the truth in that, but if anyone could shed some life that would be great.

Only reason I bring that up is in case this article becomes reality we would have to be creative with our mobile internet access.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but Wifi takes nothing out of Verizon's pocket as I am for example connected through my home wifi...in fact it is taking out of only my pocket to maintain my wifi. So common sense tells me they do not care about wifi as that is not going through their network...and probably prefer you to go that route over using 3G. Probably why the phone even has wifi. To me it would seem like legal trouble if they monitored your wifi, and then charged for that when it doe snot use their network.

All true. In addition to my phone I have a broadband access contract via a laptop for $60 a month. That contract comes with a five gigabyte per month limit and I've never ever come close to exceeding that limit simply because about 90% of my laptop use is when I'm linked to a wifi hotspot either in my home, a hotel, my office, or a customer site.

No, I don't steam movies to my laptop while I'm driving. (And yes, I could tether my laptop with my droid and avoid the $60 per month broadband contract but that's another topic.) But frankly, I see no reason that I should pay more or suffer bandwidth contention when I really HAVE to have 3G connectivity because others prefer to stream movies or play games over the VZW network.

 

[Matth3w]

What is the limit going to be though? If it's like 5GB or even 1GB really I couldn't care less. I surf the internet, download apps from the market etc.

But if it's like 100MB I'll be a little pissed. I understand grandfathering but I doubt I'll even have this phone more than a year before I get something else. If it changes when you get your phone that's ****ing stupid. If it only changes if you change your plan it won't matter. I never change my plan.

 

[modette]

What is the limit going to be though? If it's like 5GB or even 1GB really I couldn't care less. I surf the internet, download apps from the market etc.

But if it's like 100MB I'll be a little pissed. I understand grandfathering but I doubt I'll even have this phone more than a year before I get something else. If it changes when you get your phone that's ****ing stupid. If it only changes if you change your plan it won't matter. I never change my plan.

Hell I have barely used the Droid...LOL I do not seeing even using 1GB, makes me wonder if people have Broadband at home or using this whole tethering thing I hear about. I could not see me streaming music or movies...all of which I can do at home through Broadband. I already said my wife and I are probably the oddball ones here that really don't use the phone to its potential.

I could see from a business standpoint where VZW will make a ton of money switching even current contracts to a limited amount of data usage...even if some people jump ship and use the ability to then get out of the contract you will still have most people stay with them. Thus the $$$$ from those that stay might outweigh the $$ lost from people jumping ship. Only VZW has all the numbers and can make a good prediction of its customer base in what we do.

The people that abuse the system is why these things get tossed around. If you have a ton of people streaming movies you need to make your network faster which means more equipment which cost money all for the sake of normal users do not get a serious slow down and bad mouth the carrier. In all honesty as a business move restricting heavy users is probably a good idea. From a consumer standpoint it sounds like they want more money, but what they want is for people to act like adults and not abuse the system.

Just because there are free food samples does not mean you HAVE to take one...LOL My Costco analogy and a pet peeve of mine.

 

[Shadez]

Wow I thought with future technologies, things progress, not revert back to the days when AOL charged by time.

lol I remember compuserve charged by the hour and by how fast you connected .. 2400bps was like $14.00 an hour...

 

[slinky]

1. There has never been an unlimited data plan. It's practically a fraud. With all the limitations in the fine print they can shut you down for many items like streaming, etc. and will find a way if you use more data than they want you to use.

2. The real fraud is that all these companies have only 2 plans - the "pound me in the ash" plan and the unlimited plan.

I rarely ever get close to using more than 2-3GB of data per month, if that... if you're streaming music, well... that's what they are concerned about.