No more unlimited data?

[jobzombi]

I agree with some people here and there. I currently don't even have a data plan, I didn't care for it as I have WiFi almost everywhere I go. My gf has the data plan. I mainly cared to stay with verizon for the past 7 years because of their phone service. I remember my best friend asking to use my verizon phone over his iphone, because his did not get any reception in our dorms. I know some people will be concerned about the caps, but honestly you should see what your data usage is on a monthly basis and you might actually end up paying less than you are now for data. I know my girl pays $29.99 a month extra for the unlimited. If the tiered plans are reasonable, say 2 gigs for $10, it may even get me to go for it. Like one guy here said, his max ever was 1.8 gigs, essentially he would be paying for what he uses, nothing more, nothing less. Obviously this is all dependent on the prices being reasonable. I know this will greatly affect those tethering though, so if there is a finger to point it needs to pointed at them, as I can see carriers using the tiered method to keep people from doing this. 2gigs will be used up in no time for people like this, then they need to pay per Mb.

What I would like to see is for them to offer no data plan, or pay-per-Mb. I have the Fascinate with no data plan and am trying to get MMS to work. If they had no data plan or PPM I'd just do it through them instead of rooting and trying to make a service that I am paying for work for me. Like I stated above, no data-plan for me as I have Wifi almost everywhere, minus the car when I'm driving, but shouldn't be using my phone then anyways.

 

[nugiene]

here is another point to make that i havent seen anyone else speak of. the carriers are our isp correct? they pay for internet access themselves and rent what they pay for to each of their customers. what is it they are actually paying for; per terabyte/megabyte/kilobyte? or is it bandwidth? if it is bandwidth, because i just cant see how they could survive paying for per data bit. why are they trying to get us to pay pet bit?

 

[adjangs]

what is it they are actually paying for; per terabyte/megabyte/kilobyte? or is it bandwidth?

I would imagine they pay for bandwidth; paying per Xbyte is for small fish and they're not small.

 

[cfox10]

here is another point to make that i havent seen anyone else speak of. the carriers are our isp correct? they pay for internet access themselves and rent what they pay for to each of their customers. what is it they are actually paying for; per terabyte/megabyte/kilobyte? or is it bandwidth? if it is bandwidth, because i just cant see how they could survive paying for per data bit. why are they trying to get us to pay pet bit?

VZW sure as hell isn't my internet service provider, they are however, my cell phone provider. 3G data is different than what most ISP's can offer. Anyhow, they pay to maintain their servers and build more. So, they have a bandwidth demand (us, using data) and they need to build new servers and towers to keep up with this. The tiered plan essentially slows down the amount of time/money they have to spend on creating servers and cell towers, while also enabling them to potentially make more money (people who use high data are going to pay for it.) In the end, it's not terrible for us, but at the same time it's not great. We could easily have decent rates for data, but at the same time, we could have terrible rates, we just don't know yet. I for one am not a fan of tiered data because it limits competition, network growth, and my peace of mind. I don't want to check my data every day to make sure I don't go over. I don't tether because most of the time I don't need to, but I do use my phone all day every day. I know I go over 2gb's in a month, easy. For those who don't, it could be good for them. Again though, we don't know what the prices may or may not be.

 

[Brettdacosta]

Could this work?

If I buy a 4g phone on ebay / craig's list (tb - since it'll probably be the cheapest right now), and sign a new contract with 4g to get locked into the unlimited 4g plans, and then re-activate my fascinate and turn around and sell the tb for at worst 50 bucks cheaper. Does anyone see an issue with that, and it puts me paying only 50 bucks max to be locked in? Is that correct?

And last question - what would that do to my eligible update. Currently I signed a new contract back in November of 2010, so I should be eligible for discount pricing around August 2012 and full discount around November 2012. Would the plan above extend that out any? Thanks in advance.

 

[cordoni]

Not necessarily. The contract for 3G and 4G is different based on phone capabilities, as I understand it.

 

[atomD21]

Could this work?

If I buy a 4g phone on ebay / craig's list (tb - since it'll probably be the cheapest right now), and sign a new contract with 4g to get locked into the unlimited 4g plans, and then re-activate my fascinate and turn around and sell the tb for at worst 50 bucks cheaper. Does anyone see an issue with that, and it puts me paying only 50 bucks max to be locked in? Is that correct?

And last question - what would that do to my eligible update. Currently I signed a new contract back in November of 2010, so I should be eligible for discount pricing around August 2012 and full discount around November 2012. Would the plan above extend that out any? Thanks in advance.

Short answer, no. Once you switch back to a 3g phone, you are cancelling your 4g service, as you no longer can use it. If you want to lock unlimited 4g in now, you have to stick with the 4g phone too.

 

[cordoni]

Short answer, no. Once you switch back to a 3g phone, you are cancelling your 4g service, as you no longer can use it. If you want to lock unlimited 4g in now, you have to stick with the 4g phone too.

Assuming the grandfathering clause is still in new contracts. Has anyone verified that?

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

 

[dacp283]

Assuming the grandfathering clause is still in new contracts. Has anyone verified that?

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

I spoke with a verizon employee recent asking if I still had one new every two upgrade left since the change and he advised I could. I also asked about this topic to make sure and was advised just what I thought. As long as you stay month to month, don't upgrade or change your plan and are paying full retail for your phone you will keep your current package. He was indecisive though about the elimination of unlimited data.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[nugiene]

i also stopped in at my local verizon store to take a gander at the lovely charge. i mentioned the elimination of the unlimited data packages and the rep turned to the wall behind him and eyed an internal email and said yes they were definitely getting rid of those data packages, we discussed why they would do something so stupid and long story short he told me that i should get into a 4g phone before the program was implemented. i asked if he had any idea when this would occur and his reply was no, they just know that it would happen this summer..."make sure you come back and by one, ask for "insert name here". i jnow some of that was sales talk buy there was a paper on the wall. could be manipulatoin, could be actual. just goimg to keep my eyes and ears open for any opportunity.

 

[dacp283]

i also stopped in at my local verizon store to take a gander at the lovely charge. i mentioned the elimination of the unlimited data packages and the rep turned to the wall behind him and eyed an internal email and said yes they were definitely getting rid of those data packages, we discussed why they would do something so stupid and long story short he told me that i should get into a 4g phone before the program was implemented. i asked if he had any idea when this would occur and his reply was no, they just know that it would happen this summer..."make sure you come back and by one, ask for "insert name here". i jnow some of that was sales talk buy there was a paper on the wall. could be manipulatoin, could be actual. just goimg to keep my eyes and ears open for any opportunity.

About all we can do at this point

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[Brettdacosta]

Short answer, no. Once you switch back to a 3g phone, you are cancelling your 4g service, as you no longer can use it. If you want to lock unlimited 4g in now, you have to stick with the 4g phone too.

This doesn't make sense. I mean I get they are 2 separate contracts, but if you're on a 4g plan, and you don't even have 4g in the area, it kicks down to 3g, it just seems like switching to the 3g phone would be the same thing (just not utilizing the 4g capabilities). Thoughts? Thanks for the help. I may get a second opinion for a different verizon representative to make sure, but I'd like you guys added thoughts before I did. *Can never be too prepared*. Thanks.

 

[dacp283]

This doesn't make sense. I mean I get they are 2 separate contracts, but if you're on a 4g plan, and you don't even have 4g in the area, it kicks down to 3g, it just seems like switching to the 3g phone would be the same thing (just not utilizing the 4g capabilities). Thoughts? Thanks for the help. I may get a second opinion for a different verizon representative to make sure, but I'd like you guys added thoughts before I did. *Can never be too prepared*. Thanks.

Youre theory is sound and honestly I don't know what they would say if you just activated a 3g phone on a 4g plan. Hell as long as they are getting paid more for less why complain. Someone with a current 4g plan go attempt to activate a 3g phone on it and tell us how it goes!

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[Brettdacosta]

Youre theory is sound and honestly I don't know what they would say if you just activated a 3g phone on a 4g plan. Hell as long as they are getting paid more for less why complain. Someone with a current 4g plan go attempt to activate a 3g phone on it and tell us how it goes!

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

+1 - anxious to know. Only one true way to find out. Could someone please test this? Thanks.

 

[Brettdacosta]

Ok - thought I'd update my feelings toward the subject. The more I'm talking and reading about everything, the more I feel like data is just a feature (and not part of an actual plan/contract). If this is truth, and there's a difference in features for strictly 3g phones and 3g/4g phones then for starters any change to the feature (such as going back down to a 3g only phone) would be enough of a change to cause them to put you in one of their tiers if you tried going back to 4g.

One way this would be answered is if someone could answer this question. If the above thinking is correct, then ... when you do a new contract to receive the discount on a phone going to a smartphone for the first time, you'd be able cancel the data "feature", go back to your old feature phone and sell (or do whatever you want to) your new smartphone. This would also make no difference in the 2 break contract prices 175 or 350 - and would only be determined by what type of phone you used the upgrade on.

Thoughts - seem like sound logic?

 

[cordoni]

Ok - thought I'd update my feelings toward the subject. The more I'm talking and reading about everything, the more I feel like data is just a feature (and not part of an actual plan/contract). If this is truth, and there's a difference in features for strictly 3g phones and 3g/4g phones then for starters any change to the feature (such as going back down to a 3g only phone) would be enough of a change to cause them to put you in one of their tiers if you tried going back to 4g.

One way this would be answered is if someone could answer this question. If the above thinking is correct, then ... when you do a new contract to receive the discount on a phone going to a smartphone for the first time, you'd be able cancel the data "feature", go back to your old feature phone and sell (or do whatever you want to) your new smartphone. This would also make no difference in the 2 break contract prices 175 or 350 - and would only be determined by what type of phone you used the upgrade on.

Thoughts - seem like sound logic?

Simply out, we can speculate all we want. However, without anyone reading a contract word fof word, that is all it is, speculation.

 

[eric815]

Fyi, On or about June 15th is when Verizon will implement the new Plans. I was informed this by a VZ rep this past Wed at NY Best Buy where I bought my Galaxy Tab 10.1. She put both hands in the air and gave me the "official/i'm not supposed to say" quote mark gesture with her two fingers. Our discussion went further, but from it I could tell she was in the know and seemed genuine. While I do take what she says with a grain of salt, I do recall my situation in Jan 2010, when Verizon changed their FIOS rates to charge more for the 25/25mbps plan than their 25/15 plan (being phasef out) and lock you in for 2 rather than 1yr with higher early termination fees, I rushed to get in on the legacy plan. The new plan rates were leaked on internet Fri night, and they went into effect sunday. I had to jump on it. But my window was tiny. So now finding this out with VZW plans this week, im trying to determine if I should jump on an lte phone, even though I really want bionic or S2. But what I need to determine is the $500 for a phone retail vs the extra possible $10/$20 a month the new plans might cost me with a subsidized $250 phone.
Is it worth it? And will I end up using more date than I use on droid x tethering to laptops and galaxy tab.

 

[Linkchomp]

Aaand another reason why the wireless industry is becoming more of a joke each day. Verizon is going to end up in the same fate as other failed companies. Big doesn't mean immune and karma will catch up.

/mini rant

 

[spectre1006]

Why is it so hard to get unlimited data + lte and dual core!