Effect on potential devices if FCC mandate split billing (1 part for device, 1 part for service)

[BookReader2]

Hypothetical: The FCC mandate that phone carriers to split their billings into two parts.

Part 1: The price of the device
Part 2: The price of the contract

Example #1:

Part 1: $30 a month for phone on a 2 yr contract ($720 total)
Part 2: $70 a month for wireless service on a 2 yr contract

Total bill: $100 a month

Example #2

Part 1: $15 a month for phone on a 2 yr contract ($360 total)
Part 2: $70 a month for wireless service on a 2 yr contract

Total bill: $85 a month

Example #3

Part 1: $0 a month (because you bring your own phone or still using your 2 years old phone)
Part 2: $70 a month for wireless service on a 2 yr contract

What will happen to the smartphone device market?
Will it become more like the tablet market?

Will this "FCC mandate" be beneficial to consumers?

 

[Ry]

Hypothetical: The FCC mandate that phone carriers to split their billings into two parts.

Part 1: The price of the device
Part 2: The price of the contract



What will happen to the smartphone device market?
Will it become more like the tablet market?

Will this "FCC mandate" be beneficial to consumers?

I welcome a move like this. It will make it clear to consumers what the actual cost of the handset is.

I've always believed that the cost of your monthly plan should be decrease when they've recouped the cost of subsidizing the handset.

With this set up, I'd like to see them bring back one-year contracts too.

 

[ragnarokx]

It would be going from a non-itemized bill to an itemized bill. Nothing would really change, except that you get to see how much of your bill is paying for your phone and how much is paying for actual service.

 

[Ry]

It would be going from a non-itemized bill to an itemized bill. Nothing would really change, except that you get to see how much of your bill is paying for your phone and how much is paying for actual service.

But then you're total bill would decrease once the phone is paid off.

 

[ragnarokx]

But then you're total bill would decrease once the phone is paid off.

It would be awesome to bring your own phone, have a cheaper plan, and pay contract free on the major carriers. But somehow I don't see them letting that happen.

 

[chevyman29]

well the best thing i have ever done is to try and sell my barely used device for around say 350 or so and then take the 30 dollars a week i put into my new phone stash and put with it and just go to bestbuy and buy it out right . im a total new phone whore and really like the latest and greatest . plus im locked into my unlimited data with verizon .