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Carrier Verizon will start throttling unlimited LTE plans Oct 1st
- Thread starter MattMJB0188
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They say that but who knows if that is what they will really do. Nobody will actually known that except internal management.
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I have the grandfathered unlimited plan and the $30 tethering. I am also out of contract and use >20gb a month. I am def going to be throttled and so are you sir.
I have used 2-300 gigs a month before. Right now I'm not using hardly any but Verizon works well. I hate to see it go. As long as people are dumb enough to think internet is a real commodity this problem will continue. Now home connections are being limited to gigs per month...
Thankfully my ISP does not throttle and does not have caps. My internet connection is 120/40. So I can burn through a lot of data real fast.
Data traffic on the internet should be a commodity. No different than the interstate highway system across America; you just pay for the petrol. The government does want to tax you by the mile, but it's our (the voters) own fault that this conversation was not stopped hard and fast.
Correct, when the telcos realized data is the new "black gold" they threw in calling to get you to buy data.
Do any networks in the world offer true unlimited lte data?
T-Mobile USA offers true unlimited lte. But like Sprint. We know it's only time before T-Mobile starts cracking down when they become more popular. Heck. T-Mobile USA already jacked up unlimited data prices by 50% within a year of them launching their New plans. Its went from $20 to $30 less than 8 months after they launched.
T-Mobile USA offers true unlimited lte. But like Sprint. We know it's only time before T-Mobile starts cracking down when they become more popular. Heck. T-Mobile USA already jacked up unlimited data prices by 50% within a year of them launching their New plans. Its went from $20 to $30 less than 8 months after they launched.
I hate that I'm sticking up for a carrier, but I have agreed with everything maflynn has said.
The way to get the best data speeds now is the get a family share plan with three other people who don't use data (like your mother-in-law). That's the cheapest way to get the most data.
These unlimited plans are a thing of the past unless you go month to month on a go phone.
Maybe not. T-mobile offers several tiers of "unlimited data" but the cheaper tiers cap you at varying amounts after which you get throttled. The top tier however has no cap and you can theoretically use as much as you want. A lot of people don't need unlimited data and actually resented being forced to buy *any* data plan when iPhones were introduced.
All T-mobile has to do is keep people from using their phones as home internet connections. It's the people using 300-500GBs a month uploading photos that are causing strain--not the person blowing maybe 20GBs per month watching Netflix on their phone.
I agree. Even when AT&T discontinued unlimited data, at least they allowed people who were grandfathered in to keep their unlimited data and upgrade. With Verizon, if you have unlimited you're forced to either spend hundreds of dollars to keep unlimited (if you want to upgrade your phone), buy a phone off eBay or lose your unlimited data all together. Sucks.
Are people in the States really paying $20-30 for unlimited data?
Through Telus here in Nova Scotia I pay $80/month for my phone bill and only have 1GB of data. We get dragged over the coals up here for mobile plans as it is.
Through Telus here in Nova Scotia I pay $80/month for my phone bill and only have 1GB of data. We get dragged over the coals up here for mobile plans as it is.
Smartphones are for suckers. Most customers have no money, that's obvious since they advertise zero down for your phone after you sign the dotted line. Purely a scam, I won't have a phone if I get throttled at all, I refuse to get ripped off.
What good is this phone if it does not have unlimited access to apps like YouTube etc?
What good is this phone if it does not have unlimited access to apps like YouTube etc?
It's already been "demyth" that heavy data users strain the network. Just a lame excuse by the carriers to justify ending unlimited data.
Most heavy data users use data at off peak times. Especially for torrents.
As for T-mobile. Only time will tell. They only offer "true unlimited" data at one tier. You cannot stream netflix movies at edge speeds unless you want to put up with crap video quality.
Sprint "promised" to keep unlimited data "forever". Yet they changed their mind by tweaking it and saying they will throttle unlimited data. Sure they still offer unlimited data but it's going to be throttled.
Just a huge money maker for carriers these days since text and talk isn't gaining more profit margin anymore.
I considered heading to my nearby Best Buy last night as the 16GB Slate Gray 5S was on sale for $99, but then I actually read VZW's "Network Optimization Practices for Customers with Unlimited Data Plans":
http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/information/data_disclosure.html
I hate to break it to those reading this thread, but Droid-Life's third point appears to be bogus. Either the Practices has been either misinterpreted by D-L or partially rewritten since this came to light. There is no language in the "Frequently Asked Questions" that indicates only monthly or out-of-contract users will be subject to "Network Optimization", er, "Throttling" - all UL data users will be subject to throttling:
From VZW's web page:
Am I affected by Network Optimization?
Only a small percent of customers will be affected. To be affected, you must be a data customer on an unlimited data plan who is among the top 5% of data users. Network Optimization of 4G LTE devices does not apply to government customers or business customers who have signed a major account agreement."
Read: all UL data users other than gov and certain business customers will be subject to a moving soft cap (see below) and location-based throttling. Read VZW's terms yourself...
And, really, the first "requirement" point in Droid-Life's post is also bogus IMHO - that quantity of data was the amount cited for March 2014, so that "magic" number is actually going to go down because it's quite likely that the subs that are using 50GB-500GB are going to their wings clipped big time starting mid-October...
I've got multiple VZW accounts with UL data, and it's time for me to look elsewhere for some of my lines. I've never abused my data, but I don't want to have to spend time monitoring every single line - it's been cheaper to pay a few more bucks for UL data than have to spend overhead and accounting fees for every little thing. And, the two towers near my home office are next to a busy stretch of Interstate 5, with 100k commuters driving by every day. Sigh.
No you're wrong, Sprint still has unlimited data. The only thing that changed is the top 5% of users who use over x amount of data a month will be throttled at peak times or when a tower is at or near max capacity. Nothing wrong with this, you will still get acceptable speeds. It's not permanent either, if you get throttled one minute the next you could be un-throttled. I am definitely one of the top 5% of users as I use on average 10-12gb a month and I have yet to get throttled.
The other issue with trying to jump from $29.99 unlimited data is the way discounts are processed.
Most of us people know that corporate discount apply to the $29.99 unlimited data but do not apply to the 2gb/$30 data plan.
It's a subtle distinction but very important.
And att has same polocy. also does this.
Say you have 20% discount on Verizon. That $29.99 unlimited data plan only cost you $24/month.
Vs zero discount with the 2gb/$30 data plan.
That $6/month in discount you would be losing if you switched. Multiply this by 3-4 unlimited data lines. You are losing $18-24 in monthly discount. That's huge.
If you switch to share everything. Only the data portion gets the discount. So $100/10gb means a $20 discount.
But with the voice/data plans. You get a bigger discount. Say $89.99 for 1400 minutes plus $30 unlimited text plus $29.99 unlimited data plan/per line. You get 20% off the $89.99 voice minutes plus 20% off the $29.99/line with unlimited data.
Bottom line. You are going to be paying a lot more with verizon if you switch from unlimited data to share everything.
Most of us people know that corporate discount apply to the $29.99 unlimited data but do not apply to the 2gb/$30 data plan.
It's a subtle distinction but very important.
And att has same polocy. also does this.
Say you have 20% discount on Verizon. That $29.99 unlimited data plan only cost you $24/month.
Vs zero discount with the 2gb/$30 data plan.
That $6/month in discount you would be losing if you switched. Multiply this by 3-4 unlimited data lines. You are losing $18-24 in monthly discount. That's huge.
If you switch to share everything. Only the data portion gets the discount. So $100/10gb means a $20 discount.
But with the voice/data plans. You get a bigger discount. Say $89.99 for 1400 minutes plus $30 unlimited text plus $29.99 unlimited data plan/per line. You get 20% off the $89.99 voice minutes plus 20% off the $29.99/line with unlimited data.
Bottom line. You are going to be paying a lot more with verizon if you switch from unlimited data to share everything.
Depends on the data amount you select, the number of lines you have, and/or what lines are not in contract. You can pay even less.
One reason I'm happy about Verizon throttling is to end those idiotic posts of "I've used 94,532gb of data this month via tethering!" Like it's something to be proud of
This ^^
Perhaps these "over achievers" will eventually stumble upon Wifi someday.
Throttling is a joke. Their network is not congested. Funny, you pay $100 for 10 GB and the speed is just fine. You have unlimited, and at 5GB it becomes a problem? It's only a problem for their bottom line. $10 for 1 GB of data is a ripoff. Offer a better deal and people might not get so upset. 5GB for $25 is more reasonable. It's just like paying for HD channels. What a scam. Well we all know what cable and the networks will do in a few years when 4K becomes widespread. You currently want HD, well that's an extra $20 a month. You want 4K, well that's and extra $40 a month. Pure profit.
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I just read Verizon's page, and no where it says anything about the contact status. When AT&T started their throttling it was for all UL users in or out of contract. Probably going to be the same situation.
I just read Verizon's page, and no where it says anything about the contact status. When AT&T started their throttling it was for all UL users in or out of contract. Probably going to be the same situation.
Att doesn't have a set data limit in their terms and services.
I believe at least with verizon documents. They say between 5-12mpbs as normal lte data speeds. So when they can't deliver this normal data. It gives you an out excuse to break your contract since verizon can't deliver on it's speeds consistently.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/business/4glte/4glte-faqs.html
But since verizon has added throttling into their terms and services. That adds another later of legal matters to protect themselves.
Did any of that exist with that type of wording the last time unlimited data plans were actually offered?