Thunderbolt hotspot policies?

[Sal]

The new press release says "Mobile Hotspot allows users to connect up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the nation's fastes wireless network via an application available on the ThunderBolt by HTC. Mobile Hotspot will be included through May 15 for no additional charge. After May 15, customers may choose to activate Mobile Hotspot for $20 for 2 GB of data per month. Customers can track their data usa by downloading the My Verizon app available in Android Market or by logging on to their My Verizon accounts online at www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon."

Does that mean everyone wiil be charged after 2 gbs? Do those who purchase after May pay $20 per month? I find this a little confusing...

 

[phoenixone]

Mmmmm, hotdpot. *drool*.

 

[RodneyHamp]

mobile hotspot is free from March 17th - May 15th. On May 15th, they will begin charging us $20 a month for 2GBs of data on the mobile hotspot. I don't know if its $20 PER 2 GB, or a 2 GB limit.

 

[bubba0077]

mobile hotspot is free from March 17th - May 15th. On May 15th, they will begin charging us $20 a month for 2GBs of data on the mobile hotspot. I don't know if its $20 PER 2 GB, or a 2 GB limit.

I assume it will be the same as the LTE data card, which is $10/GB.

 

[Sal]

I wonder ifwe free hotspot people will have to pay after 2 gb though.

 

[project.in.process]

i bet it's just like the Evo on Sprint--

pay $x amount to unlock the hotspot feature

so, in Vzw case,

pay $20 to unlock the HotSpot feature & use up to 2GB of data via the hotspot connection

 

[SUB-dawg]

Free Hotspot until May!

Mobile Hotspot will be included through May 15 for no additional charge. After May 15, customers may choose to activate Mobile Hotspot for $20 for 2 GB of data per month.

Free 4G hotspot! How great is this?!

 

[HawaiiD]

If I read the fine print right? After the 2GB used up? There might be. Charge of 1.5 cents per KB?

 

[TBolt2011]

That should be more than enough time for this to be included in a custom ROM for ALWAYS free! haha

 

[fatboy97]

I will definitely try it out and see how well it works.

 

[Mapex]

That should be more than enough time for this to be included in a custom ROM for ALWAYS free! haha

This.

But no, seriously, mobile hotspot needs to be free always. It's just an extension of how you use your "unlimited" bandwidth, not anything different. If Verizon's goal is to offer competitive home broadband with 4G, they'll need to get rid of mobile hotspot pricing anyway.

 

[thedeceiver]

This.

But no, seriously, mobile hotspot needs to be free always. It's just an extension of how you use your "unlimited" bandwidth, not anything different. If Verizon's goal is to offer competitive home broadband with 4G, they'll need to get rid of mobile hotspot pricing anyway.

It's not one of their priorities. And Comcast (and soon AT&T) have data caps on their plans now. "Unlimited" is leaving us.

 

[jayheartxo]

It's not one of their priorities. And Comcast (and soon AT&T) have data caps on their plans now. "Unlimited" is leaving us.

I hate the comcast data cap.

 

[Mapex]

It's not one of their priorities. And Comcast (and soon AT&T) have data caps on their plans now. "Unlimited" is leaving us.

Hotspot has nothing to do with unlimited. My point is that if a carrier is giving us bandwidth, we should be able to use it however we want.

I can understand why they put data caps - if you are going to be using insane amounts of bandwidth you should be doing so with a premium connection - but I don't understand that they can then tell us how we are allowed to access the data.

Hotspot really is no different than smartphone usage except maybe you chew through data quicker. If you want to put a data cap on hotspot data, fine by me, but don't make me have to pay for that bonus; I'm just going to run Wireless Tether otherwise.

 

[djcyph]

if we try for the 2 free months, will they automatically sign you up for it ends? or do you have to sign up for it?

 

[Puterguru]

So... just so that I am clear, and don't get a surprise bill that I cant afford to pay.
I can turn on mobile hotspot with this phone, let my wife us the connection to watch Netflix movies on her iPad, as much as she wants, and my bill from Verizon isn't going to change?

 

[htowngator]

So... just so that I am clear, and don't get a surprise bill that I cant afford to pay.
I can turn on mobile hotspot with this phone, let my wife us the connection to watch Netflix movies on her iPad, as much as she wants, and my bill from Verizon isn't going to change?

Yes, until May 15th.

Just be warned that if you use a very high amount of data (like Netflix constantly) then you might get throttled down.

Verizon can now throttle top five percent of bandwidth hogs, downres multimedia transfers -- Engadget

 

[terrain]

If you are concerned about possible charge you may want to check. What if its only free for the two gb per month and then you pay per beyond.

 

[tomskag]

after the 15th then what? if i dont want to pay for it am i stuck with it?

 

[canesfan44]

I'm a fool when it comes to these phones and technology, but I know there will probably be apps, and whatnot, that can enable us to tether for free. I'm just thinking that if we download that app, it might put some sort of tracker on our phone so that it will know if we are tethering for free with a different app. Like I said, I really am a complete moron when it comes to technology, so I don't know if this is possible, but the fact that we are able to get (a Thunderbolt commercial just started on ESPN as I'm typing this) 2 months free kind of scares me. Nothing in life is free... usually