AT&T Announces Massive 30-50GB Mobile Shared Data Plans

[jont-fu]

Originally Posted by TC25

Something people across the pond almost always ignore when they piously comment on US carriers. Most European countries are the size of US states.

I still don't get why providing a cellular service in a larger scale would be more expensive, as long as the population density is the same.

Most European countries have more population per square mile than the US. So it's cheaper to provide a service, as they have less land area to cover with towers, for the same number of subscribers.

But not all European countries are densely populated; my example was Finland, which is the opposite. Our land area is two average US states, but with the population of only one. Still we have great cellular service with a low price.

I'm not bragging about this, just wondering why it would be so expensive to run a service in the US. Some people here said that it's due to regulation, but we have heavy regulation in Finland also.

[Michael Goff]

Originally Posted by marco114

Over-regulation. It drives the cost up, and reduces competition so it's impossible for new people to enter the market.

...

Over-regulation drives costs up and reduces competition?

Wha?

I... I don't even think I can wrap my head around that horrible lack of logic.

[TC25]

Originally Posted by jont-fu

But not all European countries are densely populated; my example was Finland, which is the opposite. Our land area is two average US states, but with the population of only one. Still we have great cellular service with a low price.

Absent govt subsidization, I am hard pressed to understand how this is possible.

Low population density = fewer customers = lower revenue = higher price/customer to cover infrastructure installation and maintenance costs.

[APlotdevice]

Originally Posted by viperGTS

I don't understand carriers. Why not just competitively price unlimited data?

Their ultimate goal is to sell you premium services that won't count towards your cap.

[Squilly]

Originally Posted by irDigital0l

Hey AT&T....

LOL

I couldn't stop laughing after this (literally 5 minutes of non-stop laughing). Dunno why.

[KeepCalmPeople]

Originally Posted by nick_elt

Bigger country = more customers (should)= cheaper rates


Deals in Europe are unbelievably cheap compared to the US

The population density of the US is nowhere near that of European countries..

... and I state that matter-of-factly without being bothered to Google it...

[TC25]

Originally Posted by zin

Are you going to allow these corporations to rip you off and just take it? You should band together and boycott AT&T and others. Surely you could file a class-action suit through the Department of Justice because this is blatantly profiteering in a cartel with other major networks through the use of monopoly power.

Americans vote with their wallets instead of running to the government for help like the Brits do.

Originally Posted by Zaren

AT&T just doesn't get it.

Then they wont sell any of these plans. Get it? That's how the free market works.

[APlotdevice]

Originally Posted by TC25

Americans vote with their wallets instead of running to the government for help like the Brits do.

And we get screwed over as a result. With carriers like AT&T and Verizon collaborating to avoid real competition with each other.

[TC25]

Originally Posted by APlotdevice

With carriers like AT&T and Verizon collaborating to avoid real competition with each other.

Of course you have proof of this illegal activity?

[zin]

Originally Posted by TC25

Americans vote with their wallets instead of running to the government for help like the Brits do.

Doesn't appear that way. AT&T is hated by millions of its customers, most people on this forum hate them from what I can gather. Through your logic AT&T would've lowered prices/invested in service quality by now. Instead they continue to hit their customers with price rises and simply put a bad deal.

What appears to be the case is that Americans merely sit back and take it, and your "running to the government for help" doesn't hold true for Britain as, as far as I'm aware, there is no need for us to do so. I'm also pretty sure AT&T's monopoly position wouldn't be allowed at all in the UK.

----------

Originally Posted by TC25

Of course you have proof of this illegal activity?

If you seriously can't put 2 and 2 together and conclude that AT&T and Verizon are profiteering together then perhaps this is what's wrong with the American cellular market. Those two carriers practically control the entire market.

[TC25]

Originally Posted by zin

What appears to be the case is that Americans merely sit back and take it, and your "running to the government for help" doesn't hold true for Britain as, as far as I'm aware, there is no need for us to do so. I'm also pretty sure AT&T's monopoly position wouldn't be allowed at all in the UK.

We have not sat back and taken it since we got our independence and bailed you out in WWII. We also have not abdicated all our freedom to a nanny state....yet. All monopolies are bad except when it's a govt monopoly, eh?

Originally Posted by zin

If you seriously can't put 2 and 2 together and conclude that AT&T and Verizon are profiteering together then perhaps this is what's wrong with the American cellular market. Those two carriers practically control the entire market.

Who needs proof when we have someone from the UK with all the proof. Convict 'em now just based on your wisdom.

[zin]

Originally Posted by TC25

We have not sat back and taken it since we got our independence and bailed you out in WWII. We also have not abdicated all our freedom to a nanny state....yet. All monopolies are bad except when it's a govt monopoly, eh?

Historically inaccurate and irrelevant to our discussion. It's a shame you have to bring in your distaste for my country into our discussion on the US cellular market. Have a nice day.

[TC25]

Originally Posted by zin

Historically inaccurate...

No, historically accurate. No US in WWII, you'd be speaking German today.

Originally Posted by zin

It's a shame you have to bring in your distaste for my country into our discussion on the US cellular market.

But you can slam the US with your snarky comments about Americans and that's supposed to be OK? Not.

[WhiteIphone5]

AT&T can suck it. Ain't nobody got time for that!

[TC25]

Originally Posted by WhiteIphone5

AT&T can suck it. Ain't nobody got time for that!

Wow, you tell 'em! I am sure they will be totally cowed by an anonymous poster on MR and completely redesign their plans designed for business.

[WhiteIphone5]

Originally Posted by TC25

Wow, you tell 'em! I am sure they will be totally cowed by an anonymous poster on MR and completely redesign their plans designed for business.

um its pretty obvious that they're not going to read this comment. I'm just expressing what I have to say about the subject of the thread. So hop off my nuts

[tekboi]

Originally Posted by jake0112

I'm sure by "Massive" you mean the price?

lol... exactly. AT&T is just horrible. I'm going to switch to verizon one of these days.

[dasmb]

Originally Posted by nick_elt

Bigger country = more customers (should)= cheaper rates

Deals in Europe are unbelievably cheap compared to the US

It's not the people, it's the cost to get to them. We've got about 6 times the population of the UK in an area that's 50 times larger. To build a network that "covers" this entire space (and none of them cover all of it -- if you're in the midwest you'll basically have coverage near a major highway and that's it) means lots of hardware, higher wattage antennas, more fiber point to point, etc.

Lower population density = more hardware per consumer to provide a given level of service = higher rates.

Also, since it costs more to build a network, we have much less competition between national network providers.

There are some very cheap regional carriers, and some deals if you don't mind taking a second tier network like T-Mobile.

The same is true but to the next degree in Canada. And as a result, they pay a LOT.

[llarson]

I have 3 iPhones and 2 iPads on a 15 gig account and for kicks I let my 7 year old son use his iPad on the school bus. His ride is an hour each way so he has about ten hours of usage while on the bus. At home he is on WiFi.

In two weeks he had used 10 gigs of data downloading and watching YouTube videos on the games he likes to play.

I have looked but other than TURNING OFF a device on the shared plan there doesn't seem to be a way of regulating the data a device can use on a daily or weekly basis.

Anyone know of a theif party app?!