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Verizon Unlimited Throttling Begins This Wed

cwosigns said:
It' not really a "loophole." It's not like I figured out how to get unlimited data in some marginally legal way. It's the plan I originally signed up for and have kept for several years.

No one forced you to give up an unlimited data plan. I've foregone carrier subsidies and paid full price for all of my phones since the iPhone 5 in order to keep my unlimited data plan. No one forced you into a limited data plan, and because you chose to give yours up doesn't make it unfair that I still have mine. You made the choice.
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Yep... I did. Don't regret it either because as said, I never have used more than 3GB a month even when I had unlimited.

Let me clarify though about my "I'm glad they closed the loophole" comment. If you want to pay full price for your phone and keep your unlimited I have no issues with that.

My issues was with those who add lines to their account, pick up the latest and greatest smartphone at a discount, then transfer it to their unlimited line to get a subsidized phone and keep unlimited.

Now I see Verizon is requiring those phones be kept on data plans. As they should... That's what I was talking about.
 
A few things that are really bothering me about Verizon's throttling:

1. They say this will affect the top 5% data users. The B.S. about the current threshold being 4.7GB is that this will fall as they throttle more and more people. So with their own wording, this will mean the threshold will continually drop down over time.

2. Verizon states they will throttle those that "have fulfilled their minimum contractual commitment." This minimum could mean your very original 2-year contract, not the renewed date after any upgrades. I'm not sure that we'll get a completely clear statement on what they mean by "minimum", in this context.

3. We have no expectations on what it means to be "connected to a cell site experiencing high demand." Verizon's definition of this could mean anything.
 
terraphantm said:
From what I'm reading on that page, they're only going to throttle you back when you've exceeded 4.7GB and the tower you're connected to is congested. That's not that bad -- much better than how AT&T does it, which has a hard cutoff of 5GB no matter how many people are on the tower.
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I have several UL data lines. You're not reading that page correctly.

Two examples of simple math, and I'm not being nasty to you. As DesertSilver indicates late in this thread, that "4.7GB" quantity is a veil.
March 2014: (3+2+3+23+2.5+2+3+2+2.5+4)GB/10 subs=4.7GB each
Nov 2014: (3+2+3+4+2.5+2+3+2+2.5+4)GB/10 subs=2.8GB each after being optimized, given the other conditions are enforced.

For my small office, unfortunately for us, we're near an Interstate that carries 100k+ drivers daily and a small mall slammed on weekends with a Target/Home Depot/Best Buy (that sells LOTS of cell phones) and has 3 marinas. The two towers near my office will be saturated, most definitely with commuters and shoppers.

My "math" above shows how "optimizing" just one relatively heavy user can drop that optimization number like a stone after just one month - and VZW can justify it with their "Smoke, Mirrors, and Obfuscation Department of Contract Language". And, as UL data users go elsewhere, that number will drop further, faster, toward 2-3GB...
 
DesertSilver said:
A few things that are really bothering me about Verizon's throttling:

1. They say this will affect the top 5% data users. The B.S. about the current threshold being 4.7GB is that this will fall as they throttle more and more people. So with their own wording, this will mean the threshold will continually drop down over time.

3. We have no expectations on what it means to be "connected to a cell site experiencing high demand." Verizon's definition of this could mean anything.
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I agree with both of these points. Here's my additional input, from reading what VZW has in their language AND from being a former Opera Mini and BBOS user - I believe that VZW is going to visually diminish images and videos by downsampling content by running that content through a proxy server, as Opera used to and RIM still does - degrading the experience of the user as VZW sees fit. VZW is already restricting content - such as the NFL experience, so I wouldn't put downsampling content past them (well, it has to go "past" them, but I think I get my point across here... ;) ).
 
campyguy said:
I agree with both of these points. Here's my additional input, from reading what VZW has in their language AND from being a former Opera Mini and BBOS user - I believe that VZW is going to visually diminish images and videos by downsampling content by running that content through a proxy server, as Opera used to and RIM still does - degrading the experience of the user as VZW sees fit. VZW is already restricting content - such as the NFL experience, so I wouldn't put downsampling content past them (well, it has to go "past" them, but I think I get my point across here... ;) ).
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I don't see that flying very well with the FCC. But an easy fix would be to use a VPN service or setup a VPN at your house (many home routers have this feature today).
 
I just called Verizon and asked if I would be throttled if my UDP's contract was recently renewed and the lady said no. She made it clear that this only affected those that were month-to-month. We can't always trust what just one person was told since reps don't always have a clear understanding of the question and/or answer, so take my comment with a grain of salt.

I'm sure they're told to downplay any throttle inquiries since she did try to play it off saying that I would only be affected in "very very very congested areas" (her words). Her example was if I was at a football game with 100,000 people then I may affected, which doesn't make any sense since everyone would be "throttled" by default if that many people were on very few cell towers.

BTW, no amount of "network optimization" marketing speak takes away that this is "throttling".
 
DesertSilver said:
I just called Verizon and asked if I would be throttled if my UDP's contract was recently renewed and the lady said no. She made it clear that this only affected those that were month-to-month. We can never trust verizon reps since they know less than monkeys, so take my comment with a grain of salt.
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Fixed, see bolded underline portion ;)
 
campyguy said:
I have several UL data lines. You're not reading that page correctly.

Two examples of simple math, and I'm not being nasty to you. As DesertSilver indicates late in this thread, that "4.7GB" quantity is a veil.
March 2014: (3+2+3+23+2.5+2+3+2+2.5+4)GB/10 subs=4.7GB each
Nov 2014: (3+2+3+4+2.5+2+3+2+2.5+4)GB/10 subs=2.8GB each after being optimized, given the other conditions are enforced.

For my small office, unfortunately for us, we're near an Interstate that carries 100k+ drivers daily and a small mall slammed on weekends with a Target/Home Depot/Best Buy (that sells LOTS of cell phones) and has 3 marinas. The two towers near my office will be saturated, most definitely with commuters and shoppers.

My "math" above shows how "optimizing" just one relatively heavy user can drop that optimization number like a stone after just one month - and VZW can justify it with their "Smoke, Mirrors, and Obfuscation Department of Contract Language". And, as UL data users go elsewhere, that number will drop further, faster, toward 2-3GB...
Click to expand...

You are saying that one customer is using 23 gb in a given day? Unlikely. It's a money gimmick.

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TRC-WA said:
My heart bleeds for you guys... really.

I remember getting upset when I lost my unlimited data 2 years ago... till I went back over my history and saw that I had never used over 3GB in any month dating back to my first days as a Verizon customer (Alltel) in 1998.

WiFi is everywhere... and I surf porn at home... not on LTE.
Click to expand...

Who used a lot of data on a 3G network? WiFi is in most places, and even those places LTE is faster.
 
skywalkerr69 said:
You are saying that one customer is using 23 gb in a given day? Unlikely.
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No.

He's saying that Verizon will keep driving the 'top 5%' threshold down.

Right now it's a 4.7gb average because you have users gulping down 23gb (or more) in a month... but once they throttle the abusers then that 'top 5%' threshold will keep getting lower and lower for customers.
 
skywalkerr69 said:
You are saying that one customer is using 23 gb in a given day? Unlikely. It's a money gimmick.
Click to expand...

Per month, it seemed pretty clear to me as I referenced VZW's plan to fsck us over.

But, if you cruise the interwebs you'll braggarts offering usage of 300-500GB per month - I've seen screenshots. That's far more than 5GB per day FWIW.

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legioxi said:
I don't see that flying very well with the FCC. But an easy fix would be to use a VPN service or setup a VPN at your house (many home routers have this feature today).
Click to expand...

I don't either, but with a former Comcast staffer in charge of the FCC now, I see no help coming from the FCC besides blather. November is just around the corner, after that most politicians will disappear for about 11 months, until the next election approaches...
 
ROLLTIDE1 said:
I was with AT&T at the time and never got throttled on my fan account and averaged 25 gigs a month. Now back to Verizon

Internal documents do not say that . They say if you are under a contract you will not get throttled:rolleyes:

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More info on the big slowdown for those who are not under a contract
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You sound like you make the throttling rules at Verizon #
Before you sound 1000% positive wait a few weeks to see actual users experiences.
That wording might or might not mean much and they might do it to all unlimited users.
So let's wait and see how it plays.
To them no one should still be on contract with unlimited data since they removed that option years ago and everyone on contract should not have it still.
 
Hal~9000 said:
No.

He's saying that Verizon will keep driving the 'top 5%' threshold down.

Right now it's a 4.7gb average because you have users gulping down 23gb (or more) in a month... but once they throttle the abusers then that 'top 5%' threshold will keep getting lower and lower for customers.
Click to expand...

If users are willing to pay for their data plan they wont get throttled. See my earlier example. It's a margin money making gimmick. If those users want to pay to "gulp" 23gb a month to Verizon they CAN and WONT be throttled. i.e., there is no true network problem. It's about bringing in more revenue.
 
Verizon Unlimited Throttling Begins This Wed

Applejuiced said:
You sound like you make the throttling rules at Verizon

Before you sound 1000% positive wait a few weeks to see actual users experiences.

That wording might or might not mean much and they might do it to all unlimited users.

So let's wait and see how it plays.

To them no one should still be on contract with unlimited data since they removed that option years ago and everyone on contract should not have it still.
Click to expand...


I feel like if they didn't send out notifications about getting throttled this is a law suit waiting to happen
 
skywalkerr69 said:
If users are willing to pay for their data plan they wont get throttled. See my earlier example. It's a margin money making gimmick. If those users want to pay to "gulp" 23gb a month to Verizon they CAN and WONT be throttled. i.e., there is no true network problem. It's about bringing in more revenue.
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Ok? :confused:

I wasn't arguing a point with you... I was simply correcting your misinterpretation of campyguys prediction. Seems like you might want to quote him instead.
 
Well I upgraded to a 5s on Aug 29 and even signed up for the 4gb plan, but as of today, I'm still on the unlimited plan. Did something happen and not get switched over? I upgraded my primary line and didn't do anything fishy, I even have the confirmation email saying the plan I had chosen. That was over a month ago.
 
Applejuiced said:
They don't need to.

There's nothing to sue about.

You were promised unlimited data and you're still be getting it. There is never any speed prerequisite.
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Exactly. And they never said anything about being entitled to reduce speed in the future. It's too open ended.
 
I'll keep a close eye on this. I only pay about 40 dollars a month for my phone on the month-to-month unlimited, so people who cry about how I need to join their limited, costly data plans are more than a little arrogant and full of it.

If my throttles get absurd, I'll be forced to move out of it, but right now the deal is too good even if you consider it 5GB for 40 dollars a month — throttle or not.
 
Hmm...I have an unlimited data Netgear Home Router. I wonder if that will be throttled. I've been able to upgrade to a new device through Verizon's automated system and keep UDP, so I think this plan may be so rare, it slipped through the cracks of the system.

In case you were wondering, the plan details are attached.
 

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DrakeMcEachern said:
Hmm...I have an unlimited data Netgear Home Router. I wonder if that will be throttled. I've been able to upgrade to a new device through Verizon's automated system and keep UDP, so I think this plan may be so rare, it slipped through the cracks of the system.



In case you were wondering, the plan details are attached.
Click to expand...


Awesome plan. Never knew they sold those or I'd have signed up too. Very jealous :)
 
Well they definitely aren't throttling uncongested towers. I'm getting 80 down and 30 up this morning and I'm over 5GB used for this cycle.

Will try again when I'm at work in the metro area later. Those should be congested.
 
Let them "optimize". I still won't let go of my plan. It's better than them taking it away all together. My concern is if it gets so bad that people either get a tiered plan or jump ship, leaving only a small amount of UD subscribers left to kick and scream when it's gone for good. We will make a lot less noise and they will have an easier time getting us all off the unlimited data tit.
 
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