I'm NEVER EVER giving up my UNL data

[wordoflife]

In regards to overages it's a matter of discipline and buying the service level that meets your needs.

Agreed.

You have to be a little responsible. Some people will have legitimate needs for a lot of data, but a lot of us could reduce data usage by not updating apps via cellular data and so on. If you have children, teaching them to be a little responsible could save a bunch of money by not overpaying for data they don't need. And a lot of the overages aren't that bad. For example, AT&T does $15 per GB for each GB you go over. If you go over once or twice over a span of a couple of months, it would probably still be cheaper than overpaying for data you didn't use.

 

[budmonster]

I was able up upgrade to iPhones in December and keep unl data. When I'm not on wifi and I'm using pandora or google music, I'm thankful I have unlimited.

 

[Steve686]

I, for one, would not mind if people get off the ATT network to go have UNL data on another carrier. Frees up BW for my service....

UNL data with bottlenecking galore is really great.

 

[nostresshere]

I just gave up two lines with unlimited data. Gone - pfftt...

The only mistake I made was to keep it as long as I did. Instead of $30 a month over the past few years, I could have been on $15 or whatever.

One phone rarely went over 200mb. The other one probably never hit 1gb.

A third phone we have with fair amount of business usage, and lots of Mommy photo stuff did hit 2-3gb a few months. And most of that was because her work changed the wifi login and she was using cellular, when she thought she was on wifi.

Many people do NOT need all that data.

 

[co.ag.2005]

Agreed.

You have to be a little responsible. Some people will have legitimate needs for a lot of data, but a lot of us could reduce data usage by not updating apps via cellular data and so on. If you have children, teaching them to be a little responsible could save a bunch of money by not overpaying for data they don't need. And a lot of the overages aren't that bad. For example, AT&T does $15 per GB for each GB you go over. If you go over once or twice over a span of a couple of months, it would probably still be cheaper than overpaying for data you didn't use.

this is the first thing I thought of when I started reading this thread. Have a little discipline, teach your kids to know their limits and that there are consequences when you've used up all your data before the end of the month -> no more phone use! GASP... responsibility! you don't need to run out and keep upping your data plan each month, just learn to balance cell data with wifi and what works with your budget. such a novel concept

sorry for OT, back to topic: I did have the UNL for a while after it was nixed but decided to go mobile share back when it was first offered because it offered tethering. The mobile share was cheaper than adding a tethering package to my UNL plan. Yes, I cheated the system quite a bit before making the switch to get free tethering... mainly through the use of rooted Android phones... but that became too much of a hassle.

to each their own. OP glad the UNL is working out for you! I'm quite happy on the new mobile share value plan (my wife and I use ~10GB per month anyways)

 

[AlphaHumanus]

Humorous to me. I've been trying to dump my "UNL" ATT \ plan for a while now. My bill would break down pretty much the same to share data with the wife, AND I would get local hot spotting. Or whatever its called. Just gotta find someone to take the contract off my hands. Just doesn't seem logical to terminate an exclusive deal, when I could pass it off to someone "in need."

 

[I7guy]

I like my unlimited data. I'm a liberal data user as needed and glad I don't have to count bits.

 

[Chocolatemilty]

Humorous to me. I've been trying to dump my "UNL" ATT \ plan for a while now. My bill would break down pretty much the same to share data with the wife, AND I would get local hot spotting. Or whatever its called. Just gotta find someone to take the contract off my hands. Just doesn't seem logical to terminate an exclusive deal, when I could pass it off to someone "in need."

This is the same boat we're in. Myself and my mother's plan has unlimited data, and she's barely touching a gig with wifi at home, her university, and her work, and I'm nary touching 3GB even with music streaming, push email, background refresh, auto app updates, and the like. My sister's line has the old 2GB indiv. plan that's barely touching 400MB and my pop somehow has been using my bro-in-law' sold 3GS with no data plan for six months (still dunno how and why AT&T hasn't forced a data plan on his line). Now with the 10GB plan and our 20% FAN discount, we can pay $153/month with taxes, save $48/month and my pops can actually use his phone with data outside the house and his university.

The only thing that's stopped us is two things: 1) my mother's fear she'd "start using her phone more in the field" w/ her promotion at work and her work wifi-only iPad air that's coming at the end of the month that she'd want to tether to her phone and use without monitoring data, which I can understand a bit (we're all jailbroken); and 2) these plans could really be nice for others if we find we can move away from them, but I haven't found an easier way to give it or sell it to someone without them taking the whole line, number and all (which isn't feasible at all with our careers).

What I plan on doing is continuing for a few months after she gets her iPad and monitor how much data is being used. If I find we're still not touching 10GB, it just doesn't make sense to keep it and keep paying extra for less features for everyone.

 

[Small White Car]

These threads made sense when unlimited was actually unlimited. But now that they're throttled I just don't understand you guys at all.

"Yay, I have an unlimited amount of a service that doesn't work!"

I gave up unlimited when they started killing it over a certain data-threshold and haven't looked back.

 

[barkomatic]

These threads made sense when unlimited was actually unlimited. But now that they're throttled I just don't understand you guys at all.

"Yay, I have an unlimited amount of a service that doesn't work!"

I gave up unlimited when they started killing it over a certain data-threshold and haven't looked back.

It's because AT&T doesn't actually enforce the 5GB throttle except in certain markets.

I'd like to personally thank all the data users on this thread who are responsible and disciplined with regard to their data use. Without your sacrifice, I wouldn't have the bandwidth to be able to catch up on episodes of Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones. Right now I'm starting "Vikings" on the History Channel and I'm not sure I like it. However, since I'm not really paying extra for the data why not?

 

[Namji]

Uhmmmm…yeah. I guess this is cause for some concern if you're not on Sprint.

That statement is invalid since Sprint's service is crap...

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These threads made sense when unlimited was actually unlimited. But now that they're throttled I just don't understand you guys at all.

"Yay, I have an unlimited amount of a service that doesn't work!"

I gave up unlimited when they started killing it over a certain data-threshold and haven't looked back.

Which provider are you referring too? AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, or Sprint? or all?

 

[eyoungren]

That statement is invalid since Sprint's service is crap...

That's golden crap to you! (Sprint, yellow, get it?)

No cracks about my unlimited dialup please!

 

[CEmajr]

It's because AT&T doesn't actually enforce the 5GB throttle except in certain markets.

I'd like to personally thank all the data users on this thread who are responsible and disciplined with regard to their data use. Without your sacrifice, I wouldn't have the bandwidth to be able to catch up on episodes of Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones. Right now I'm starting "Vikings" on the History Channel and I'm not sure I like it. However, since I'm not really paying extra for the data why not?

Haha I agree. AT&T and VZW have conditioned (disciplined) their users well with regards to data usage. I remember the initial uproar when they took away the option of unlimited data plans a few years ago. They've even made users feel like they're doing something wrong if they want to actually use some of the useful features of their phones that require data.

They advertise these blazing fast LTE network speeds and apps are becoming more and more data hungry. I'll enjoy my iPhone like I want without data monitoring or being afraid to use it without WiFi in fear of bill shock every month. If it were about the "network overloaded" excuse that they have trained some customers to believe, then why do they charge overages instead of throttling? I'm sure Verizon and AT&T are loving their mobile share users. Don't worry they will continue to make the download speeds faster and faster so that users can hit their caps with greater ease. It's genius from a business standpoint. I wish I was a shareholder.

 

[aa521490]

Haha I agree. AT&T and VZW have conditioned (disciplined) their users well with regards to data usage. I remember the initial uproar when they took away the option of unlimited data plans a few years ago. They've even made users feel like they're doing something wrong if they want to actually use some of the useful features of their phones that require data.

They advertise these blazing fast LTE network speeds and apps are becoming more and more data hungry. I'll enjoy my iPhone like I want without data monitoring or being afraid to use it without WiFi in fear of bill shock every month. If it were about the "network overloaded" excuse that they have trained some customers to believe, then why do they charge overages instead of throttling? I'm sure Verizon and AT&T are loving their mobile share users. Don't worry they will continue to make the download speeds faster and faster so that users can hit their caps with greater ease. It's genius from a business standpoint. I wish I was a shareholder.

Well said. Phone screens and resolutions are getting larger.

 

[phr0ze]

http://bgr.com/2014/02/05/smartphone-data-overage-fees/

1. Smartphone plans will add more data for the same price as time goes on. Just proven as I can get double the data now on ATT for the same price I was paying.

2. Data usage average may increase 8x but power users won't increase 8x. The average data usage is based on a mass of people, most of which use 300-500MB per month. 8x 500MB = 4GB. 2 phones at 4GB still fit comfortably in 10GB plans.

3. Holding the plan now, if it costs more, is a waste of money.

 

[barkomatic]

Haha I agree. AT&T and VZW have conditioned (disciplined) their users well with regards to data usage. I remember the initial uproar when they took away the option of unlimited data plans a few years ago. They've even made users feel like they're doing something wrong if they want to actually use some of the useful features of their phones that require data.

They advertise these blazing fast LTE network speeds and apps are becoming more and more data hungry. I'll enjoy my iPhone like I want without data monitoring or being afraid to use it without WiFi in fear of bill shock every month. If it were about the "network overloaded" excuse that they have trained some customers to believe, then why do they charge overages instead of throttling? I'm sure Verizon and AT&T are loving their mobile share users. Don't worry they will continue to make the download speeds faster and faster so that users can hit their caps with greater ease. It's genius from a business standpoint. I wish I was a shareholder.

It was a remarkable about face wasn't it? When the iPhone came out, they were very encouraging about the fact that you didn't need to worry about data usage or manage it at all. The *only* data plan available for awhile was unlimited--you had no choice.

Then, when they realized where the money was they started to shame the very people they forced unto unlimited data and who they previously encouraged to use it without worry.

 

[easy-peasy]

It was a remarkable about face wasn't it? When the iPhone came out, they were very encouraging about the fact that you didn't need to worry about data usage or manage it at all. The *only* data plan available for awhile was unlimited--you had no choice.

Then, when they realized where the money was they started to shame the very people they forced unto unlimited data and who they previously encouraged to use it without worry.

Just playing devils advocate for fun but early on in the life of iPhone there wasn't a Netflix/Hulu/Crackle/Spotify/Pandora app sucking down data constantly. Not to mention the fact that jailbreaking to tether and have your iPhone act as your home internet service for your computer, as many users did, wasn't properly anticipated.

 

[LaurieAnn]

I paid full price for my iPhone 5s just so that I could stay in my grandfathered unlimited data plan with Verizon.

 

[I7guy]

I paid full price for my iPhone 5s just so that I could stay in my grandfathered unlimited data plan with Verizon.

Yep me as well.

 

[KeepCalmPeople]

Yep me as well.

Then you are paying dearly for that unlimited data...

 

[alent1234]

Just playing devils advocate for fun but early on in the life of iPhone there wasn't a Netflix/Hulu/Crackle/Spotify/Pandora app sucking down data constantly. Not to mention the fact that jailbreaking to tether and have your iPhone act as your home internet service for your computer, as many users did, wasn't properly anticipated.

this and a few years ago there was always whining when some app like slingbox that sucked up data only worked on wifi

 

[barkomatic]

Just playing devils advocate for fun but early on in the life of iPhone there wasn't a Netflix/Hulu/Crackle/Spotify/Pandora app sucking down data constantly. Not to mention the fact that jailbreaking to tether and have your iPhone act as your home internet service for your computer, as many users did, wasn't properly anticipated.

True, but the carriers failure to anticipate these changes is not the fault of the customers they sold unlimited plans to. I never blamed them for not offering unlimited anymore, I was only peeved when they started labeling customers as "abusers" who streamed movies all the time.

In any case, the point is mute since both Verizon and AT&T can discontinue the grandfathered plans at any time if they wished. If data prices continue to go down, I may even dump my old plan someday.

 

[I7guy]

Then you are paying dearly for that unlimited data...

No I'm not...due to discounts paying much, much less than you think. I already posted my yearly totals.

 

[LaurieAnn]

No I'm not...due to discounts paying much, much less than you think. I already posted my yearly totals.

We have 4 lines on our plan. All 4 have unlimited data. After taxes, our monthly bill is $198.51.

 

[Small White Car]

That statement is invalid since Sprint's service is crap...

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Which provider are you referring too? AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, or Sprint? or all?

AT&T in Washington DC.

Throttling made the phone unusable. Like, literally 60 seconds to load an article on a newspaper. 25 seconds to load a simple e-mail, and minutes if it had an attachment.

And you can forget about anything even close to video.

There's no point. I might as well have a cap and just put it in airplane mode right before I hit the cap. It would be pretty much the same experience.