I wonder how this will affect our Nexus experience...

[sushiglobster]

Verizon to offer data 'Turbo' API to developers, fees to users | The Verge

Worth reading considering we are all going to moving to the LTE Nexus Galaxy soon.

This isn't a big deal yet as it hasn't be implemented. I wish companies would stop...oh I don't know, being greedy? Then again...how else are they to sustain themselves as a company.

 

[ManBearPig618]

God I hate VZW.

 

[edoublediz]

wtf? this is insane! so i have to pay $30 for 2gb and then additional money to make my apps work the best they can?? wtf verizon why oh why must you keep this kind of ish up

 

[Mannysaurus]

>be Verizon
>be giving 4G LTE experience, 12+MB/s at the least
>be saying internet speeds are slow
>solution is to save spots(?) of internet speeds
>want to charge for what they're already charging
>wat

Verizon better hope AT&T's LTE network is as unreliable as their 3G one is or else I will seriously consider switching.. in two years. No 4G in California yet? Come on, AT&T.

 

[kca2000]

I saw the "Tweet Verizon" thread earlier on the GNex.

If Verizons twitter should be blown up, THIS should be the reason. Absolute BS.

 

[SpaceHippie]

I don't think this will be a big deal. This will probably be for rare users who go over the top in what they do on there phones. Power Users like myself should be ok.

 

[hyperdude]

Know what I do when my network connection gets slow? Connect to Wi-Fi. If there's no Wi-Fi around? I live with it.

From the looks of it this API is intended for the people who are willing to spend extra money when they use the phone to get higher bandwidth on a congested network. Which from my experience Verizon is not. Not yet at least.

 

[SpaceHippie]

It's a booster. Meaning if your not satisfied with your rates now. Im very satisfied. Verizon covers nearly the entire country.

 

[Yadao]

All you really need to do is resent the apps that implement it. Give it bad feedback or contact the developer. It's like ads. If you don't like them there, let them know it by ditching the app.

 

[humpagardengnome]

Why is that lately when I click on a article link, as soon as I do. I wish I got "rickrolled", instead of po'd @ Big Red. I'm wondering if this has anything to w/ thw fact, VzW sponsored apps. ate racking up losses in revenue from the ever expanding bloat revolt. IMO, it just reeks of retaliation. Either that or our US carriers are racing each other to see who can conjure up the most cockeyed changes to their, at one time, contracted phone, text & data plans.

 

[Adrynalyne]

All you really need to do is resent the apps that implement it. Give it bad feedback or contact the developer. It's like ads. If you don't like them there, let them know it by ditching the app.

This. Also, if Verizon can be shown to be limiting apps from using their network properly wihtout paying for a premium api, I could see some legal issues brewing.

 

[TerryMasters]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this what that whole "Net Neutrality" thing was about? I mean granted they're not restricting access to certain information but making specific data faster than others sounds like a nice loophole to get around it.

 

[brandonx1000]

i don't see this as being an issue if you don't click the turbo button on an app...?

 

[Adrynalyne]

You should.

Because whether you click that or not (assuming thats the delivery method), the developer is passing the costs to you. Meanwhile, other apps suffer performance issues.

 

[alee]

Well this presumes one big thing: whether developers care to leverage any of this.

I could be wrong, but I think what VZW is really after though is trying to find a way to monetize real-time apps (e.g. VoIP/telephony/video conferencing) and high bandwidth streaming events (e.g. Slingbox). Right now you just pay for the bandwidth, which only curbs frequent heavy bandwidth behavior. I'd guess they're really after those burst events where you may only use a little bit of your overall bandwidth allowance, but you'll demand a lot from the tower during that session.

So, imagine you want to make an HD skype call on 4G. The app might limit that stream to 2mbps and 15fps, the call might offer that you that "turbo" option to get 5mbps, 30fps.

It'd be an easy way to keep selling those $50/mo data plans and make some icing on top of that.

Don't agree with it, but I'm guessing this is where it's headed. All carriers have basically already tossed out "unlimited", and now we have tiered usage. So the next frontier is managing demand.

 

[anon(525422)]

Perhaps I'm way too cynical, but this smells like a potential precursor to some sneaky behind-the-scenes throttling on regular usage speeds. Of course, that would eventually end VZW in class action lawsuit hell... but that hasn't stopped companies pulling shady stuff before.


Either way, this sounds to me like VZW is simply trying to find a way -- any way -- to get a micropayment model going.

Not saying that's not smart: micropayments have been proven to be hugely lucrative over the last few years, particularly in mobile technologies. People may not want to add another $10/mo lump payment on a subscription or contract, but they'll happily drop ten $1 "throwaway" purchases over the course of that month.

However, when you're already in a business based on screwing serving customers via long-term contracts, termination fees, usage caps, and overage fees, asking for extra money for priority service -- rather than concentrating on increasing value-added benefits of existing services -- could be seen as being, I don't know... moneygrubbing. I'm sure they'll still make good money off it, regardless of pushback, but it's definitely not a hot PR move.


(Not even a VZW customer yet, so no bias for/against.)

 

[ShiZero]

So, let me get this straight.

Verizon wants to charge consumers for data and, instead of upgrading their network and equipment to keep up with the demands of their customer base (whom are already paying for the service, mind you, not getting it for free), they are going to CHARGE extra for priority, while slowing everybody else down who refuses to pay the premium?

This is just another example of buying a medicine, then be charged for another drug to treat the side-effects of the first one.

Verizon reminds me of Syndrome from The Incredibles - you create a giant problem, then heroically show up with a solution to that problem... at a price.

 

[Adrynalyne]

The charge isn't to end users. It is to application developers. They in turn will probably pass on the cost though.

 

[alnilla]

So, let me get this straight.

Verizon wants to charge consumers for data and, instead of upgrading their network and equipment to keep up with the demands of their customer base (whom are already paying for the service, mind you, not getting it for free), they are going to CHARGE extra for priority, while slowing everybody else down who refuses to pay the premium?

This is just another example of buying a medicine, then be charged for another drug to treat the side-effects of the first one.

Verizon reminds me of Syndrome from The Incredibles - you create a giant problem, then heroically show up with a solution to that problem... at a price.

Everyone wants everything for free.

 

[Adrynalyne]

Everyone wants everything for free.

So you see this as an ok practice?