Verizon about to start jacking people

[MannyIsGod]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaamn

Verizon to deploy tiered data plans July 7
by Scott Webster
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(Credit: Verizon)
Sign up for those data plans now, Verizon Wireless customers, as the carrier will replace its unlimited options with tiered services as early as next month.
According to information passed to Droid Life today, Big Red will begin providing three options to customers on July 7: a 2GB plan at $30 per month, a 5GB plan at $50 per month, and a 10GB at plan $80 per month.
Users hoping to tether their device will pay an additional $20 per month, but also receive an extra 2GB of data. Should a customer go over his or her allotted plan, overages are billed at a rate of $10 for each extra gigabyte of data. The tablet plan of 1GB for $20 per month will go away as well, replaced by the new 3GB for $20 per month.
Existing customers will be grandfathered into their current plan and should be unaffected by the new rate plans. Droid-Life reports that current subscribers should have the option to upgrade to a new handset without being forced to give up their unlimited plans.
When reached for a comment, Verizon representative Brenda Raney advised AllThingsD that Verizon "will move to a more usage-based model in July," adding that the company will "share more later."
While the move will certainly upset heavier data users, a recent Nielsen study suggests many users are pulling down less than 1GB per month.
The move should see leave as the last major carrier to offer a real unlimited data plan (AT&T moved to tiered plans with the introduction of the iPhone 4 last year). Though T-Mobile also promotes an unlimited data plan, speeds are throttled once users reach a cap.


Read more: http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-200...#ixzz1PriBHBuO

[Nathan Explosion]

Sprint is going to hang on as long as it can with the unlimited plan, but the CEO (I believe) hinted that Sprint may go that way by saying that Sprint didn't have plans to cap data usage in the near future, although he never said they wouldn't do it ever.

If people get into the habit of hooking onto wireless networks whenever possible, these data caps won't be a problem. I made that a habit long ago and I never threaten going over, and I stream videos and music A LOT (Netflix, Hulu, ESPN and Youtube).

[ElNono]

It's bull though. It's not like they weren't making loads of money with the unlimited plans or they didn't kick out abusive users. It's ing bottomless greed.
I really wish somebody would come up with some sort of mesh-like networking and we can give these greedy assholes the middle finger.

[resistanze]

Parasites bloodsucking like they're supposed to bloodsuck. Nothing to see here. In Canada we call this 2008.

[Drachen]

It's bull though. It's not like they weren't making loads of money with the unlimited plans or they didn't kick out abusive users. It's ing bottomless greed.
I really wish somebody would come up with some sort of mesh-like networking and we can give these greedy assholes the middle finger.

Too bad there isn't someone on this site who does cell phone development for a living, it would be great if we could tell that hypothetical person this great idea and see if he or she could leverage their expertise to make this happen.


Oh if only.....

[ElNono]

Too bad there isn't someone on this site who does cell phone development for a living, it would be great if we could tell that hypothetical person this great idea and see if he or she could leverage their expertise to make this happen.

Oh if only.....

The tech exists and has been deployed (see OLPC Mesh networking)... funnily enough is for poor countries that have limited internet connection.

[Drachen]

The tech exists and has been deployed (see OLPC Mesh networking)... funnily enough is for poor countries that have limited internet connection.

Actually, I am aware of the tech, however I just couldn't pass up that slow pitch lob you sent down the plate. It would be cool. You could join a coop that springs for a very high bandwidth internet connection. Each member pays a certain amount towards that, and with their payment they get the access code (or whatever) for access to the mesh network. You could then have limited sharing between coops (if you visit another city for example).

[MannyIsGod]

It's bull though. It's not like they weren't making loads of money with the unlimited plans or they didn't kick out abusive users. It's ing bottomless greed.
I really wish somebody would come up with some sort of mesh-like networking and we can give these greedy assholes the middle finger.

Especially when you consider this comes at the time they are rolling out 4g and people will start using more bandwidth. This just reinforces that I should stay with Sprint for a much longer time. I don't pass a few gigs over the course of a month now, but when I get a 4g phone once they have it here in NM you can bet your ass with Netflix and MLS/NBA streaming I likely will.

Also, this is really bad considering I was seriously considering getting a Verizon mifi when they got fourg here later this year. You can forget that at those rates and caps.

[ElNono]

Actually, I am aware of the tech, however I just couldn't pass up that slow pitch lob you sent down the plate. It would be cool. You could join a coop that springs for a very high bandwidth internet connection. Each member pays a certain amount towards that, and with their payment they get the access code (or whatever) for access to the mesh network. You could then have limited sharing between coops (if you visit another city for example).

I would even go a step further and propose a unified mesh network, much like the wired internet. You could even be at a distance and as long as there's mesh hardware around (even if it's not part of your own coop), they could still route for the area. If you're a bit farther, you can use a directional antenna, much like wifi at longer distances these days. Heck, the coops would be just access services within the unified mesh network. Infrastructure cost would be minimal since the cost is really shared by every point in the mesh, and it's basically the current cost of a wifi router in almost every home these days.

There would be some routing overhead and obviously some heavy users, but on a mesh those are actually easier to identify and potentially isolate and route around. It's basically all the pluses of a open wifi hotspot, but without the security minuses. I can't wait until the 802.11s draft is completed and I really think that's the future of mass wifi access.

[ElNono]

Especially when you consider this comes at the time they are rolling out 4g and people will start using more bandwidth. This just reinforces that I should stay with Sprint for a much longer time. I don't pass a few gigs over the course of a month now, but when I get a 4g phone once they have it here in NM you can bet your ass with Netflix and MLS/NBA streaming I likely will.

I use my Slingbox to watch the Spurs when I'm visiting the valley (TX) where there's no wifi anywhere near where I stay at, and it's about 1GB per game on high quality, 400MB for low (decent) quality.
I still have an AT&T unlimited plan (grandfathered).

Also, this is really bad considering I was seriously considering getting a Verizon mifi when they got fourg here later this year. You can forget that at those rates and caps.

Having been a former Verizon customer, I have to say they probably have the best coverage and signal quality by far, but goddamn they find a way to nickel and dime you to death, including shenanigans like double billing which you need to spend a day on the phone fixing. I would say they're as bad as Comcast with stuff like that.

Stick to Sprint if you're happy with them.

[Tinystarz]

Rule the air,rule the air indeed.

[Drachen]

I would even go a step further and propose a unified mesh network, much like the wired internet. You could even be at a distance and as long as there's mesh hardware around (even if it's not part of your own coop), they could still route for the area. If you're a bit farther, you can use a directional antenna, much like wifi at longer distances these days. Heck, the coops would be just access services within the unified mesh network. Infrastructure cost would be minimal since the cost is really shared by every point in the mesh, and it's basically the current cost of a wifi router in almost every home these days.

There would be some routing overhead and obviously some heavy users, but on a mesh those are actually easier to identify and potentially isolate and route around. It's basically all the pluses of a open wifi hotspot, but without the security minuses. I can't wait until the 802.11s draft is completed and I really think that's the future of mass wifi access.

I guess this makes sense. I was thinking on a scale that is far too small. I guess it would probably start out as a coop type situation, but as it grows it would just end up being nation(world)wide. Perhaps each "member" could set aside a certain amount of throughput on their router for the purpose of the shared network, keeping the rest for themselves, or maybe the routers could intelligently switch between network traffic and local traffic (though I would think that this would increase latency). I don't know, it would be an interesting business concept.

[ElNono]

I guess this makes sense. I was thinking on a scale that is far too small. I guess it would probably start out as a coop type situation, but as it grows it would just end up being nation(world)wide. Perhaps each "member" could set aside a certain amount of throughput on their router for the purpose of the shared network, keeping the rest for themselves, or maybe the routers could intelligently switch between network traffic and local traffic (though I would think that this would increase latency). I don't know, it would be an interesting business concept.

Yeah, you could start with smaller local networks, but I think the concept could scale. Anyways, pipe dream...

[Drachen]

Yeah, you could start with smaller local networks, but I think the concept could scale. Anyways, pipe dream...

I don't see why it has to be. If you are saying this new version of 802.xxx will be well suited for such a thing, there is no reason that this couldn't be put into a business model. You wouldn't even need a wired connection point with lightsquared getting into the wholesale game.

[ElNono]

I don't see why it has to be. If you are saying this new version of 802.xxx will be well suited for such a thing, there is no reason that this couldn't be put into a business model. You wouldn't even need a wired connection point with lightsquared getting into the wholesale game.

My concern is the big telcos undermining the tech to protect what's stated in the topic. You have to think that with such a network topology, where the infrastructure is basically provided by the users and it's low-cost and low-maintenance, a company such as Google could conceivably offer 'free' service (in exchange for, say, watching an ad upon logging in).
Big telcos aren't going to just sit back and watch their gigantic money pie disappear overnight without a fight.

[in2deep]

interesting but very very tough.

Municipal Mesh networks have failed for the most part due to:
1. lack of infrastructure
2. bad design
3. giant internet companies

the giants have already gotten back their billions of investment on their infrastructure. So now their prices cannot be beat by startups. And they control Washington. How can you really compete with that?

people want free internet. But without infrastructure, that is not possible. And without $$, infrastructure is not possible. In other countries that is not the case because the giants infrastructure and control is not as huge as in the USA.

In other words, a mesh network could work in other countries. The hardest would be in the USA.

look up the Clear wireless service. Sounds great. But in reality their prices and quality cannot compete with the giants.

[MannyIsGod]

Just waiting for google to get in on the telecom game. They're getting in everything else.

[MannyIsGod]

Also I thought clear wireless was just piggybacking on Sprints network?

[Drachen]

Just waiting for google to get in on the telecom game. They're getting in everything else.

question here... in the 90's Microsoft got in trouble by using their ridiculously dominant product (windows) to promote the use of their new product (explorer). Could google get in trouble if they set up a free internet (with purchase of a router or something) and set it up so that you could only use google search, or that the default search was google or something like that (i.e. use the new product to promote the dominant).

[leemajors]

Just waiting for google to get in on the telecom game. They're getting in everything else.

They are offering low cost high speed fiber service in Kansas City directly to customers soon.

[ElNono]

interesting but very very tough.

Municipal Mesh networks have failed for the most part due to:
1. lack of infrastructure
2. bad design
3. giant internet companies

the giants have already gotten back their billions of investment on their infrastructure. So now their prices cannot be beat by startups. And they control Washington. How can you really compete with that?

people want free internet. But without infrastructure, that is not possible. And without $$, infrastructure is not possible. In other countries that is not the case because the giants infrastructure and control is not as huge as in the USA.

In other words, a mesh network could work in other countries. The hardest would be in the USA.

look up the Clear wireless service. Sounds great. But in reality their prices and quality cannot compete with the giants.

We're not talking about using a 3G/4G mesh network. We're talking about meshing the wifi routers almost everybody that has internet access has at their houses. Obviously, you couldn't use the same routers you have now, but an upgraded version that implements 802.11s on top of 11g/11n. That's why we're saying the infrastructure would be cheap. It's a different concept, but one that has been deployed before and geared towards not requiring an actual custom infrastructure buildup.

[Drachen]

We're not talking about using a 3G/4G mesh network. We're talking about meshing the wifi routers almost everybody that has internet access has at their houses. Obviously, you couldn't use the same routers you have now, but an upgraded version that implements 802.11s on top of 11g/11n. That's why we're saying the infrastructure would be cheap. It's a different concept, but one that has been deployed before and geared towards not requiring an actual custom infrastructure buildup.

The coop could even purchase the routers and "loan" them to the members (bulk buy = lower price). Anyway, I read somewhere that "s" is supposed to be finished in "June 2011" so I would think that it should be finished by the end of the year and in products possibly by the middle to end of next year.

[ElNono]

The coop could even purchase the routers and "loan" them to the members (bulk buy = lower price). Anyway, I read somewhere that "s" is supposed to be finished in "June 2011" so I would think that it should be finished by the end of the year and in products possibly by the middle to end of next year.

Then I expect accusations of the tech being used for kiddie pron/mass piracy by about september...

[Nathan Explosion]

They are offering low cost high speed fiber service in Kansas City directly to customers soon.

I remember a mid-sized Ohio town doing this with tax dollars, and it costing a ridiculously low amount per month to grant the entire town internet access. Never got a chance to follow up on it.

It would be a great revenue source (not getting boatloads of money, but making a profit easily) while closing the technological gap among the poorest in this country.

To be fair, there are places in San Antonio that grant free wi-fi access. It may not be city wide, but it happens more often than you think. I remember driving on the I-10E/410 interchange near Callaghan and glancing at my phone for something (I think a missed call or something and I wasn't driving) and noticing that my phone picked up a wireless network that SA Public on the bridge. A while later when I was in the same area on a side street, I stopped off and tried to log on and connected just fine.

If you go in Main Plaza, these networks are everywhere. And I've picked up on a few around the city, whether they be provided by the city or private businesses for public use.

[leemajors]

Verizon to end grandfathered unlimited plans with new upgrades:

http://phys.org/news/2012-05-verizon-unlimited.html

They have relented a bit, sort of due to public outcry. You can keep unlimited, but lose the subsidy. This is just ing stupid, no one would buy a top of the line or close to a top of the line phone without a ing subsidy and contract extension. I really, really hope this goes awfully and Sprint and AT&T learn from this stupid, stupid policy (which they likely will not):

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-574...ice-subsidies/