Verizon Nailed with a $1.25 Million Fine by FCC; Must Stop Blocking Tethering Apps

[Johnnyb]

It has to do with the bandwidth or frequency Verizon is using for data. Apparently they bought it at auction and there were some conditions of the sale that Big Red agreed to...and blocking tethering is in violation of that agreement somehow.

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[jaybogg]

+1

I did read a few weeks ago in VZW's terms of service something to the effect that unlimited plans weren't covered. I wondered at the time why the distinction...Now I know.

I see this clause I read as...Either there is a clause in the ruling/fine (probably volumes of paper) not covered in the FCC press release...Or Verizon's attempt to strong arm the last of the people who have unlimited plans in light of their impending fine/ruling they knew was coming. The way the press release reads, it seems they would be setting themselves up for another fine unless it is in fact covered in the fine print of the ruling.

Of course, VZW could change their throttling policy to start at say 2GB:biggrin:, and make the throttling so restrictive it it would virtually put us on a limited plan although they still call it unlimited...just a thought

Here's the VZW clause I was referring to under "Terms and Conditions", "Customer Agreement and Important Information":

You may use Mobile Hotspot or any other Wi-Fi hotspot or tethering service to use your smartphone or basic phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot or to tether it to your computer or tablet. If you subscribe to a data plan or package with an unlimited data allowance, there is an additional $20/month fee to do so.

I am currently paying:
$65 for my plan (450 land line minutes/unlimited mobile to mobile/unl texts)
$30 for unlimited data
$95total before discounts, fees and taxes.
Add $20 for tethering if I choose to tether:biggrin: and that becomes:
$115.

Under shared plans, this is what I would get:

$40 for one device(unlimited calling and texts)
$50 = 1GB data
$60 = 2GB
$70 = 4GB
$80 = 6GB
$90 = 8GB

So, under shared plans, for $5 dollars more I would be limited to 2GB($95 current vs $100). If I were to pay tethering, 5 dollars more would limit me to 6GB($115 vs $120)
I have never used over 2GB of data as I don't watch TV, stream music, etc...to my phone. It seems my break-even point is if I were to be using over 6GB a month, then it would be prudent to pay the $20 tethering fee and legally use all the data I want(until I'm throttled).

The decision is for each to make, just presenting the facts as they currently stand.

 

[lloydstrans]

When Verizon bought at auction, yes AT&T could have bought it, the spectrum (block-c), was sold under the conditions that it promoted free development, the thing the FCC says fuels growth and competition.

 

[skennelly]

Seems as though Vzw will not be selling many tablets anymore. Anyone on a shared data plan has to pay $20/month to have a vzw tablet on the account. If you can tether for free now, would anyone be stupid enough to pay $240/year to have a tablet on their shared data account?



*Sent from my Galaxy to yours through tapatalk

 

[Bullitt6996]

Hahahahahaha thats karma verizon, enjoy your public flogging and fine. lol

 

[LoudRam]

Does anyone know of any wife tether apps for non-rooted HTC phones? Specificially Dinc2?

The only one is Foxfi. But you have to tether using Bluetooth. Wifi doesn't work with HTC unless you have a newer HTC running ICS like the One X and maybe the Incredible 4g. I can't tether with my Rezound even though I am running ICS.

Sent from my HTC Rezound infused with ice cream goodness using Droid Forums.

 

[olona]

On my maxx with foxfi..I can give my two itouch internet and there isn't a dam thing Verizon can do about...Its an app..Sorry but there isint nothing they can do ..And im unlimited...

 

[jackiescivic]

Seems as though Vzw will not be selling many tablets anymore. Anyone on a shared data plan has to pay $20/month to have a vzw tablet on the account. If you can tether for free now, would anyone be stupid enough to pay $240/year to have a tablet on their shared data account?



*Sent from my Galaxy to yours through tapatalk

It's $10/month for tablets, but I get your point, and I have to make this point every day at work when trying to explain the plans to people. What I generally tell people, is that the advantage of signing up your tablet for the connection is you don't HAVE to keep your cell phone nearby, unlike with wifi tethering. For someone like me, who does photography, my phone is not constantly with me if I am on a photo shoot. It definitely makes more sense to just wifi tether for "free" (aka, it's built into the data pricing), but not for everyone. Plus, I still see people with basic phones that will have a tablet. That basic phone isn't going to wifi tether

 

[smith1104]

Why isn't AT&T getting hit with this too? I tried to install FoxFi on my Dad's Note and it was blocked from the market. I got it on my AT&T S3 because I had it on my account from my DroidX so I saw it in my past installed Apps, but trying to search it gave nothing. It was easily side loaded but still, why isn't AT&T fined too?

The only way I found Foxfi was by downloading PDAnet. Then it had a place where I could get Foxfi.

 

[Tonik]

Why isn't AT&T getting hit with this too?

VZ got tagged because they bought some special spectrum from the FCC that they use for their 4G. The open network rule was attached to that purchase. Since AT&T didn't buy any of it those rules don't apply to them.

 

[droidbionicmaster]

Us celluar try telling my fiancee that she can't teather or they will turn he data off. I said you guys can't the FCC prohibits phone companies from doing that

 

[kodiak799]

Am I missing something? VZW got whacked for blocking apps, not for charging for tethering or offering as a separate service. This is not a license to tether for free, but rather forces VZW to utilize other means of enforcing their TOS.

 

[cs3]

Last paragraph... " In addition, the company recently revised its service offerings such that consumers on usage-based pricing plans may tether, using any application, without paying an additional fee."

Unlimited plan is not a "usage based pricing plan."

Sent from my DROID RAZR Maxx using Droid Forums

any mathematics major would argue that if user A on Plan X uses any amount of data > or = 0, and is charged any price > 0, then that plan's price is in fact based on usage.

the only problem is I have a feeling that Verizon's corporate decision makers and lawyers arent very good at math

 

[TisMyDroid]

Oh I agree Cs3... and even though Verizon doesn't want to use mathematical logic, darn that is exactly the legal argument I will use if they want to charge me to tether.

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[skennelly]

Am I missing something? VZW got whacked for blocking apps, not for charging for tethering or offering as a separate service. This is not a license to tether for free, but rather forces VZW to utilize other means of enforcing their TOS.

If you are on a tiered or shared data plan, they will let you tether for free. It is to their advantage. IMO, this is the first step in the direction of eliminating the grandfathered unlimited data plans. This is what they will use to force you into a tiered data plan.