How usable are throttled speeds? (Safety Mode)

[Mooncatt]

EDIT: This post is in reference to the tiered data plans that are still under the mandated 3G speed throttling, not the unlimited plans that simply de-prioritizes you without necessarily throttling.

Now that the overage protection has been out a while, anyone have any feedback on the general usability of data when throttled? I'm currently on the 16GB plan, but it's 22GB after promotional credits (not counting rollover). I'm thinking about cutting back to save some cash, but I do actually use quite a bit of data. Without restricting myself, I averaged 17.5GB/mo over the last three months.

I can cut back some on my usage, but even cutting back to the next lowest plan may have me going over into safety mode. Depending on how slow that is, I may bite the bullet anyway.

So that's my dilemma. Could I still browse things like here and Facebook, listen to Pandora, and play occasional games that require an active net connection (I.e. Dead Trigger 2 and Need for Speed: No Limits)?

 

[SpookDroid]

Re: How usable are throttled speeds?

It all depends on the time of day and area you are doing the activities. You will be de-prioritized, so if it's an area/time with a lot of people using the network at the same time (think rush hour slug traffic downtown), you're probably gonna be fine to browse and maybe listen to audio streaming (not HQ), but playing videos will be stuttery and if the games require a lot of bandwidth, you'll definitely see lags and disconnections.

 

[Mooncatt]

Re: How usable are throttled speeds?

It all depends on the time of day and area you are doing the activities. You will be de-prioritized, so if it's an area/time with a lot of people using the network at the same time (think rush hour slug traffic downtown), you're probably gonna be fine to browse and maybe listen to audio streaming (not HQ), but playing videos will be stuttery and if the games require a lot of bandwidth, you'll definitely see lags and disconnections.

I think you are confusing this with the unlimited plans. Those do de-prioritize and is dependant on congestion. Heck, you may not see throttling at all.

The tiered plans are different, unless something changed. With those, it doesn't matter if it's congested or not. When you go over your limit and safety mode kicks in, you're throttled to 3G speeds for the remainder of the billing cycle.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: How usable are throttled speeds?

Depends on the area. When I'm over 22 GB and at work around 5 PM I go to really bad speeds.. I'm talking 0.2 Mbps.

Around 6 to 630 pm after rush hour is gone (my work is by the highway) I'm back to normal. It really just depends how bad the congestion is to determine how bad the speeds will drop.

 

[Mooncatt]

Re: How usable are throttled speeds?

Depends on the area. When I'm over 22 GB and at work around 5 PM I go to really bad speeds.. I'm talking 0.2 Mbps.

Around 6 to 630 pm after rush hour is gone (my work is by the highway) I'm back to normal. It really just depends how bad the congestion is to determine how bad the speeds will drop.

Similar to SpookDroid, are you on unlimited? I'm not and not looking to do so because it'll be more expensive for me.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: How usable are throttled speeds?

Similar to SpookDroid, are you on unlimited? I'm not and not looking to do so because it'll be more expensive for me.

Yeah I am on the new VZW Unlimited plan.

 

[Mooncatt]

Re: How usable are throttled speeds?

Yeah I am on the new VZW Unlimited plan.

Then my reply to him applies to you as well.

I have edited my original post to hopefully clarify that I am NOT asking about being de-prioritized on an unlimited plan. I kind of thought that would be understood by my only making references to the tiered plans.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: How usable are throttled speeds?

Then my reply to him applies to you as well.

I have edited my original post to hopefully clarify that I am NOT asking about being de-prioritized on an unlimited plan. I kind of thought that would be understood by my only making references to the tiered plans.

You mean safety mode? That's the only throttle you'd see on a tiered plan is going over and that kicking in.

 

[Mooncatt]

Re: How usable are throttled speeds?

Yes.

..may have me going over into safety mode.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: How usable are throttled speeds?

Yes.

They aren't usable at all. You will be able to load web pages but really really slowly -- Streaming music or anything like that is out of the question.

 

[SpookDroid]

Re: How usable are throttled speeds?

They aren't usable at all. You will be able to load web pages but really really slowly -- Streaming music or anything like that is out of the question.

So it's not 3G? It drops to Edge?

 

[cell adviser]

Hahaha maybe you should look into it like another carrier like a cricket or boost or something. Anyway I think it's 128 kilobytes per second which should stream music just fine but everything else I think should be slow I've never really experienced it though cuz I don't use that much data. I too think unlimited data is a stupid rip off

 

[Mooncatt]

Hahaha maybe you should look into it like another carrier like a cricket or boost or something.

As I and others have pointed out to you in other threads, Verizon is about the only name in town when it comes to coverage. I travel for a living and sometimes get pretty far out into the sticks where Verizon is the only one with any coverage.

 

[Almeuit]

Hahaha maybe you should look into it like another carrier like a cricket or boost or something. Anyway I think it's 128 kilobytes per second which should stream music just fine but everything else I think should be slow I've never really experienced it though cuz I don't use that much data. I too think unlimited data is a stupid rip off

You think 128 kbps can stream music?... Sorry no.

 

[cell adviser]

Probably not on YouTube but no reason it can't do Pandora or something. Think I did that before with Cricket and it worked just fine. Also Verizon friend of mine he sells Verizon Wireless and he said that streaming Pandora was so probably work on safe mode because even though this fetus love you still get the highest ping times which makes it slightly better than two G would be. So I'm saying you get a constant 128k GB per second and lots of music stream is at like 64. However I do down at myself that's why I said maybe. But hey if it saves you money what could be the problem.

 

[Almeuit]

Probably not on YouTube but no reason it can't do Pandora or something. Think I did that before with Cricket and it worked just fine. Also Verizon friend of mine he sells Verizon Wireless and he said that streaming Pandora was so probably work on safe mode because even though this fetus love you still get the highest ping times which makes it slightly better than two G would be. So I'm saying you get a constant 128k GB per second and lots of music stream is at like 64. However I do down at myself that's why I said maybe. But hey if it saves you money what could be the problem.

Again -- that won't stream music from Pandora. It would skip and buffer. Music streams take way more then 128 kbps.

Are you confusing 128 kbps with 128 KB/sec? They aren't the same.

 

[SpookDroid]

Hahaha maybe you should look into it like another carrier like a cricket or boost or something. Anyway I think it's 128 kilobytes per second which should stream music just fine but everything else I think should be slow I've never really experienced it though cuz I don't use that much data. I too think unlimited data is a stupid rip off

Not necessarily... a lot of us here average 30 or 40 GB a month on a 'normal' month. I've seen snapshots from our Ambassador Team with nearly 100GB in one month. It's only a rip-off if you don't need/use it, but if you do, unlimited is the only way to go.