Expect VZW to take this stance with new plans later this year.
" Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam said last week that it would "make sense" to have such pricing later this year when his company introduces a speedy 4G service."
I hardly use more than 1gig per month, and I don't tether. I think it'd be much better if the unlimited plan stayed, so that everyone's happy while people like me can save $5 every month.
You didn't read the article did you?
AT&T will 'grandfather' those that want to keep the '5gb unlimited' plan HOWEVER they can not tether (legitimately).
For a lot of people they will save $ with this new plan, They had no choice it was $30 period. Now they can get a 200mb plan for $15 and with what AT&T reports this is fine in 65% of the cases. Of course if you go over they automatically 'give' you another 200mb for $15 making your monthly data $30 for 400mb of data which you used to pay for '5gb unlimited' . What a deal!
Now the 'power users' are getting eff'd, They lost 3gb of data usage for $5 less a month. Then they are getting 1gb of data back for $10? WTF AT&T?
You know AT&T ran simulations on this and will be making bank on it.
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If they (Verizon) follow the same model that AT&T is using it wouldn't matter for us anyway. If you already have unlimited you are grandfathered in regardless. Even if you upgrade your phone.
If they (Verizon) follow the same model that AT&T is using it wouldn't matter for us anyway. If you already have unlimited you are grandfathered in regardless. Even if you upgrade your phone.
That's not absolutely the case....
If you upgrade your phone they can require you to change your plan. Specifically they can make certain phone require a specific plan at a minimum... they simply would make the specific plan be the non unlimited.'
However they can't make you change your plan while you're under contract if you keep the same phone and want to keep the same plan ... otherwise you'd be able to get out of your contract free.
I normally only use between 500mb to 1gb a month, including all of my work and personal email being pushed, reading news daily and a little bit of youtube.
However last month it suddenly went to 6GB, It turns out, I was rooted, and on a custom ROM, the phone kept trying to download the official 2.1 ROM every couple of hours, thus racking up the 6GB useage in 1 month. So after fixing that problem, this month, so far 1/2 way through the billing cycle and it's already showing 2gb of use. The phone is not trying to download a rom, but I don't know where all that usage comes from. Looking at the details from myverizon. it shows most days as just 10 MB or so of use, but 1 day this billing cycle it had 1.5GB, and the following day was just under 500MB. Not sure what it was trying to download those days.
It would be helpful if there was a tool within the android phone/OS itself that shows you how much data it is using or has been using. So you can gauge.
If they go to a pricing plan with limits, many people will get surprise bills.
6 months ago I got a $400 data bill (not as big as some of the other people) because for some reason, verizon put all my data usage on my wife's line that doesn't have a data plan. while mine had an unlimited plan. Took several calls and many hours to get it straightened out.
I dont know why, but for 3 or 4 months in a row I used 4 GB, this month I only used 800 MB and it ends the 7th....and I haven't changed the way I use the device so like you said ^^ expect surprise bills.
If you upgrade your phone they can require you to change your plan. Specifically they can make certain phone require a specific plan at a minimum... they simply would make the specific plan be the non unlimited.'
However they can't make you change your plan while you're under contract if you keep the same phone and want to keep the same plan ... otherwise you'd be able to get out of your contract free.
AFAIK, Verizon currently does not require customers to change their plan when upgrading to a new phone...if they started doing that it would be a new approach...and I think violate their standing practice of allowing customers to retain their current plan even when it is replaced by new ones. Maybe I'm missing something here...
While we will be grandfathered in for any pricing structure tier, my thoughts is they will just make a new data package that is required for 4G, so if you want to keep that 3G unlimited, you'll be free to.
It would be helpful if there was a tool within the android phone/OS itself that shows you how much data it is using or has been using. So you can gauge.
I use the app Personal Assistant Free for this--it will track your texts, minutes, AND data usage! It's awesome.
Yes, it's only a matter of time. I pretty much stay under 2GB each month, so that system wouldn't be too bad for me. However, when 4G starts rolling out, those bandwidth caps will CERTAINLY need to be raised quite a bit.
I use the app Personal Assistant Free for this--it will track your texts, minutes, AND data usage! It's awesome.
or just use the free VZW app called My Verizon - get text, minutes, data usage that is correct as I have tried to use so many of the outside apps that try to track minutes, data, text and they have never ever been correct. they often cannot account for night/weekend or you billing day or miss texts in/out or whatever. nothing is as accurate as My Verizon as it is just a portal to the site but reports all the key usage details on 1 cool screen with a green bar graph.
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AFAIK, Verizon currently does not require customers to change their plan when upgrading to a new phone...if they started doing that it would be a new approach...and I think violate their standing practice of allowing customers to retain their current plan even when it is replaced by new ones. Maybe I'm missing something here...
I am sure when we switch to 4g we will be forced to change our plans. They arent going to grandfather our 3g plans into 4g plans.
I am sure when we switch to 4g we will be forced to change our plans. They arent going to grandfather our 3g plans into 4g plans.
If we don't get unlimited data with Verizon's 4G, I'm going to grandfather the unlimited 3G data plan I have right now by switching to Sprint's unlimited 4G data plan.
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Originally Posted by UBRocked
Just put your phone in airplane mode and tell him you loaded an iPhone 4 simulator on your Droid.
Data plans will all be changing as 4g arrives and phone capabilities increase which uses data... hopefully existing customers will keep their UNLIMITED plan with renewals. All carriers will make adjustments sooner or later with video calls and other data programs becoming available.
I truly glad i am not with att or plan to ever go to att because with no tethering, just browsing the web with pandora and you tube I consistantly go over 2gb per month(only on occasion over 5gb). The only good thing is I have great network coverage in central and western kansas with sprint if verizon ever tries a bs move like this or requires a change from my old alltel plan on an upgrade.
I love that ATT and Apple keep hammering nails in the coffin lid! Their network sucks and they know it? they can't keep up with the data the people are using and don't have the money to upgrade the network, so how do they get it? by BONING everyone for it.
Apple and Flash was the first BIG mistake, now this? I hope moto can make enough Droids because theres going to be a lot of new accounts opening
If you upgrade your phone they can require you to change your plan. Specifically they can make certain phone require a specific plan at a minimum... they simply would make the specific plan be the non unlimited.'
However they can't make you change your plan while you're under contract if you keep the same phone and want to keep the same plan ... otherwise you'd be able to get out of your contract free.
This.
It's gonna be epic fail when I decide to get a new phone :/
AT&T to End Unlimited Data Plans, Verizon to Follow?
NYT article on AT&T's plan to start charging for heavy data users and to end unlimited data plans. Here's to hoping Verizon does not follow them. If they do, I'm toast.
So if this 1gb and 2 is normal can anyone explain that I use at least 10gb!! A month!!! I am not rooted and have NEVER tethered AND have turned emaail update to never to conserve! I also use only wifi at home. This plan will screw me. Any help on what the heck uses so much?
So if this 1gb and 2 is normal can anyone explain that I use at least 10gb!! A month!!! I am not rooted and have NEVER tethered AND have turned emaail update to never to conserve! I also use only wifi at home. This plan will screw me. Any help on what the heck uses so much?
If your wondering how you used so much data look at your acct. online then look at the detailed data usage. Some people reported that they got hammered by the 2.1 update...
So if this 1gb and 2 is normal can anyone explain that I use at least 10gb!! A month!!! I am not rooted and have NEVER tethered AND have turned emaail update to never to conserve! I also use only wifi at home. This plan will screw me. Any help on what the heck uses so much?
Damn dude. You sure you're reading your bill correctly?
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You can find out your data usage by dialing #3282 (#DATA). Verizon will send you a text with the info.
Once upon a time I had a standard phone with some data (the phone had a non HTML browser). When I got an LG Env Touch I had to change my plan. Meanwhile my roommate went from a normal phone (albeit with some data as well) to a Blackberry, and had to change his plan to something else.
With the Env Touch I had 450 minutes, unlimited SMS/MMS and unlimited data. Now with the Droid I have 450 minutes, unlimited SMS/MMS and unlimited data. I had to change my plan when I got the Droid. The only difference is that the minutes, text, and data was all one package before and now they're separate. That and it costs more now.
I'd guess that if you went from say a Droid to an Incredible you could keep your current plan, but if you went to a phone with a fundamental difference (like 4G) you would have to change at minimum your data plan. I've had to change mine too many times to think otherwise.
I'm only hitting 177mb, but I suppose I've only had my Droid for two weeks. Still, I can't imagine that's going to skyrocket into the gigs, even if I keep up the same level of usage each day (which seems like a lot to me since I just got the phone and can't put it down).
Considering this, a 2GB cap seems alright to me, but I'd rather have Unlimited. The best part about it is not having to worry if I'm going over any limits, so a 2GB cap would just make me paranoid, even if I never come anywhere near that much data usage.
Say this plan goes into effect (I'm on Verzion). Would I get charged astronomical fees for going over my 2GB cap, or would it simply cut my internet capabilities for the rest of the month? I'd prefer the latter, but I'm sure it won't work that way. D:
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See why in heaven's name are there people like me and him getting exorbitant amounts of data usage but someone after two weeks has only 177mb!!. Could our phones be messed up I mean what is up with this?
I have well over a GB myself, but I listen to Pandora High Quality everywhere I drive to, so that is understandable, even with my continuous WiFi access at home.
all i hear is that verizon is the only carrier that is going to follow in ATT's footsteps with eliminating the unlimited data makes me sad since sprint and t-mobile say they are staying away from this. if this happens then how will it effect tethering -- does anyone know what an 'average' person uses in data from web browsing when tethering? (just curious)
Re: So glad verizon isnt doing this with the droid
Quote:
all i hear is that verizon is the only carrier that is going to follow in ATT's footsteps with eliminating the unlimited data makes me sad since sprint and t-mobile say they are staying away from this. if this happens then how will it effect tethering -- does anyone know what an 'average' person uses in data from web browsing when tethering? (just curious)
meh, basically the only two carriers w good smartphones and now this bs :/ eventually, people will opt for other carriers that provide unlimited data, and they will be forced to remove the limit or lose all of their customers. just hope some of the other carriers get some legitimate smartphones if i have to end up switching when my vz contract ends.
The average person will be fine. One thing is for sure though, carriers like Sprint and T-Mobile will probably get a flood of customers if they don't get rid of unlimited data.
i use my web browser on my droid a lot, and i download a lot of apps but im only at 200 megs and my cycle is up on the 18th. so i think im safe. i just wanted to make sure i could tether and if the average person will be safe on 2gigs then i guess im fine with that. but getting rid of unlimited data seems such a shame especially when only 2 carriers are planning on doing so and not the others.
Well I can understand paying more for new technology such as LTE or 4G, but changing unlimited data plans on 3G that we have been using for years, is a little ridiculous!
This is scary. If verizon is smart, they could keep their unlimited plans and use this as a tatic to gain AT&T customers. This is scary for me--If this was the case I may switch to sprint if they continued to offer unlimited. 9.8GB last month and 3.7 so far this month (billing cycle on the 22nd). Rooted--have wifi tether but dont use it. I do stream security cameras from where I work to my phone, internet radio, update roms (download directly via 3G), youtube, pandora, and just general web browsing, but thats about it...
Well I can understand paying more for new technology such as LTE or 4G, but changing unlimited data plans on 3G that we have been using for years, is a little ridiculous!
I agree with this completely. Leave 3G alone, but do this cap on 4G.
So glad verizon isnt doing this with the droid
makes me sad since sprint and t-mobile say they are staying away from this. if this happens then how will it effect tethering -- does anyone know what an 'average' person uses in data from web browsing when tethering? (just curious)
