Yes, America, we are really paying too much for our data plans.

[MathijsDelva]

In Belgium on my provider:

- Prepaid €15, €25 or €40 per month (you can choose per month)
- Always 2GB with tethering, free (data doesn't come off the 15/25/40)
- Always free texting (2000 sms per month, doesn't come off 15/25/40)
- 1 hour per day free calls to people of the same provider (doesn't come off 15/25/40)
- You only use money of your 15/25/40 by calling other networks @ 24 cents/minute (for €15 a month), 20 cents/minute (for €25 a month) or 14 cents/minute (for €40 a month).

But i bought an unlocked phone of course.

 

[dchao]

That's kind of a bad example. Each carrier roams when it leaves a country. Your not going to get cheap rates if you get a plan to use across Europe.

This would be a better comparison:
Continental US 3.79M sq mi
France 260K sq mi
Spain 195K sq mi
UK 94K sq mi

Yep, give me one plan that will do all EU in one low flat rate. You can't, so stop comparing a rate plan that will only work in a small European country to one that will work across the whole US (50 states).

In the US, there are regional carriers that are much more competitive than the big three.

----------

Finland's population density is roughly half the US, yet they still manage to have reasonable plans.

That's not a fair comparison either, the US carriers have to install cell towers in Alaska too (1.264 inhabitants per square mile), which is far less dense than Finland.

 

[apierrec]

They charge what they charge in America, not because of the size of the country nor population density, but because people will pay it. They know so many people think being able to check FaceBook on their cell phone is a necessity in life, even if it's alongside the fact that they're getting food stamps and other government assistance. I read somewhere that a college student did a poll, and 85% of college students claiming to be "broke college students eating ramen" had a smartphone. The report went further to say that two thirds of those receiving some sort of government assistance have a smartphone. Excuse me for giving the perception of being a snob, but that's fu#%d up.

In a country where people feel entitled to everything, carriers know that people will pay, and when you have a product that people will pay for, you can sacrifice quality and raise prices. Look at the iPhone 5. People were willing to buy it when they didn't even know what the features of the new model were, lol. It's consumerism at its finest, ehh?

Totally agree.

 

[ThatsMeRight]

Over here, I pay $34.09 a month (that's without taxes) for:

Vodafone (telecom provider)
- 200 minutes calling
- Unlimited calling with all other Vodafone subscribers (that's about 30% of the total population over here)
- Unlimited texting
- 10 GB of data
- After this 10 GB unlimited at 32 Kbps

I got this plan with an iPhone 5 32 GB which cost me $313.36 without taxes.

The thing that makes it really expensive here, though, are the taxes. The 'real' costs are $54.12 a month plus $379.17 for a 32 GB iPhone.

 

[Wicked1]

 

[gentlefury]

Over here, I pay $34.09 a month (that's without taxes) for:

Vodafone (telecom provider)
- 200 minutes calling
- Unlimited calling with all other Vodafone subscribers (that's about 30% of the total population over here)
- Unlimited texting
- 10 GB of data
- After this 10 GB unlimited at 32 Kbps

I got this plan with an iPhone 5 32 GB which cost me $313.36 without taxes.

The thing that makes it really expensive here, though, are the taxes. The 'real' costs are $54.12 a month plus $379.17 for a 32 GB iPhone.

$54 is a lot of money??? I have 3 lines, 2 are iPhones and one dumb phone, and its over $200 a month for unlimited talk/text and 10GB data.

 

[MathijsDelva]

$54 is a lot of money??? I have 3 lines, 2 are iPhones and one dumb phone, and its over $200 a month for unlimited talk/text and 10GB data.

Americans relatively earn more per month than Europeans.

 

[dchao]

When two companies price fix and collude (which effectively AT&T and Verizon have done, as a duopoly, see above), it's often WORSE than a monopoly to consumers. Economics 101.

I agree there, I think the FCC would take any complaints very seriously.

 

[Leonard1818]

The Gov already did step in:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_System

In 1984 AT&T was broken up for being a monopoly and preventing competition and growth in this country.

It needs to happen again.

indeed.

 

[Daveoc64]

Yep, give me one plan that will do all EU in one low flat rate. You can't, so stop comparing a rate plan that will only work in a small European country to one that will work across the whole US (50 states).

That's (realistically) all that's on offer though. If you spend 99% of your time in one state, you don't need a plan that covers everywhere.

I spend 2-4 weeks abroad each year. I don't want to be paying for that throughout the year, when I do, the roaming rates here are far cheaper than those charged by US carriers.

AT&T charges $20 per megabyte if you roam in the UK (I realise they have plans that are cheaper, but the standard rate is $20).

If I go to the US, I can roam on AT&T or T-Mobile for £3 ($4.85) a megabyte.

Why is THAT more expensive?

International Roaming rates are charged on a sliding scale. Places that are closer to the UK cost less, those that are further away cost more. US carriers make an exception for Canada, but everywhere else is extortionate.

It seems to me that absolutely every possible charge a carrier could levy is more expensive in the US.

In the US, there are regional carriers that are much more competitive than the big three.

Not competitive enough! The amount of money you save is:

a) Minimal
b) Not comparable to a country of a similar size.

 

[ThatsMeRight]

$54 is a lot of money??? I have 3 lines, 2 are iPhones and one dumb phone, and its over $200 a month for unlimited talk/text and 10GB data.

As you say, three lines. Unlimited text and calling + 10 GB data. You pay like $66 a month for one single line. That's only $10 more (and you get true unlimited calling).

Also, we don't get European wide coverage.

 

[netdog]

United Kingdom

£10
($15 USD)

250 minutes
unlimited texts
unlimited data

30 day contract

 

[gentlefury]

As you say, three lines. Unlimited text and calling + 10 GB data. You pay like $66 a month for one single line. That's only $10 more (and you get true unlimited calling).

Also, we don't get European wide coverage.

but thats because I have 3 lines and a 25% corporate discount. A single line would be $140!!! New Verizon plans really screw you for single lines....you're better off getting multiple lines and giving them to friends!

 

[KandyKane]

The most popular plan here (Australia) on our premium provider is
$60pm
$600 calls/mms (99c/min + 39c call connection, mms 50c)
Unlimited text
1gb data

Excess data is 10c per mb... Which is $100 for a gb?!? Pre-purchased data packs are $15 for 1gb, $30/3gb, $60/8gb
all prices include tax

The next plan up gives $800 calls, unlimited night time calls, visual voicemail and 1.5gb though

 

[alent1234]

That's (realistically) all that's on offer though. If you spend 99% of your time in one state, you don't need a plan that covers everywhere.

I spend 2-4 weeks abroad each year. I don't want to be paying for that throughout the year, when I do, the roaming rates here are far cheaper than those charged by US carriers.

AT&T charges $20 per megabyte if you roam in the UK (I realise they have plans that are cheaper, but the standard rate is $20).

If I go to the US, I can roam on AT&T or T-Mobile for £3 ($4.85) a megabyte.

Why is THAT more expensive?

International Roaming rates are charged on a sliding scale. Places that are closer to the UK cost less, those that are further away cost more. US carriers make an exception for Canada, but everywhere else is extortionate.

It seems to me that absolutely every possible charge a carrier could levy is more expensive in the US.



Not competitive enough! The amount of money you save is:

a) Minimal
b) Not comparable to a country of a similar size.

a lot of us in the USA have families that live hundreds and thousands of miles away. my mom is 1600 miles away. i know people who live on the east coast and have family on the west coast.

10 years ago people bought cell phones in the US because they included long distance calling when the land lines had extra and expensive long distance charges

 

[dchao]

a lot of us in the USA have families that live hundreds and thousands of miles away. my mom is 1600 miles away. i know people who live on the east coast and have family on the west coast.

10 years ago people bought cell phones in the US because they included long distance calling when the land lines had extra and expensive long distance charges

Exactly, the unlimited voice part of the LTE plan is not that expensive. This plan can totally replace your landline bill (For the Europeans - our landline bill consists of two parts, the local and the long distance) I paid $50 just for my landline every month, $50 for my cellphone, $80 for unlimited voice is a real good bargain.

The data rate is about the same as what they're charing for iPad, and I don't see anyone complaining there. FWIW, you are paying for the world's fastest 4G network, what's there to complain?

 

[iAi]

They charge what they charge in America, not because of the size of the country nor population density, but because people will pay it. They know so many people think being able to check FaceBook on their cell phone is a necessity in life, even if it's alongside the fact that they're getting food stamps and other government assistance. I read somewhere that a college student did a poll, and 85% of college students claiming to be "broke college students eating ramen" had a smartphone. The report went further to say that two thirds of those receiving some sort of government assistance have a smartphone. Excuse me for giving the perception of being a snob, but that's fu#%d up.

In a country where people feel entitled to everything, carriers know that people will pay, and when you have a product that people will pay for, you can sacrifice quality and raise prices. Look at the iPhone 5. People were willing to buy it when they didn't even know what the features of the new model were, lol. It's consumerism at its finest, ehh?

This.