Database Users

[Verizion] moving grandfather data plan from phone to tab?

So, my father is considering getting a 3g/4g 7" tablet, with google voice (thanks cajunflavoredbob for helping me figure that one out) to make calls/texts.
The entire extended family is on a massive Verizion family plan, something like 20 people. EVERYONE has unlimited calls/texts/data, even the couple dumbphone people we have on the plan. (not my decision, i don't pay the bill, but i fully support it )
Is there any way you could, with the setup we have, transfer the grandfathered data plan from his DX2 to a tablet, keeping it unlimited, but dropping the texts/voice (which you can't use with a tablet anyways?)
he says he won't do it unless he can keep his unlimited data. he uses ~3.5 gigs a month, and getting a 5gb/m data plan is completely out of the question.

mtmerrick said:
So, my father is considering getting a 3g/4g 7" tablet, with google voice (thanks cajunflavoredbob for helping me figure that one out) to make calls/texts.
The entire extended family is on a massive Verizion family plan, something like 20 people. EVERYONE has unlimited calls/texts/data, even the couple dumbphone people we have on the plan. (not my decision, i don't pay the bill, but i fully support it )
Is there any way you could, with the setup we have, transfer the grandfathered data plan from his DX2 to a tablet, keeping it unlimited, but dropping the texts/voice (which you can't use with a tablet anyways?)
he says he won't do it unless he can keep his unlimited data. he uses ~3.5 gigs a month, and getting a 5gb/m data plan is completely out of the question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have Verizon as my service provider, but if they are anything like T-Mobile or any other carrier, then I would say that no, this is not possible. I've had the same plan on T-Mobile for seven years now and have been off contract for five. If I were to change any aspect of my plan, I would loose all of it because none of it exists anymore.
The best I can suggest is to give them a call and find out if you can drop all but data on your plan. The problem would be adding it back if you ever decide you want it again, I would think. Most carriers do not allow data only plans because they make all their money on all the voice charges that no one uses anymore. (Ever notice how the feature you use the least is the most expensive?)

tablets can't have voice or text plans tho. And verizion... well they're over-the-phone customer service has never been good to me thought i'd ask here first.

mtmerrick said:
tablets can't have voice or text plans tho. And verizion... well they're over-the-phone customer service has never been good to me thought i'd ask here first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a couple of 7" tablets that are allowed voice and text plans on T-Mobile. It just depends on the cellular radio packed inside them. I'm not a Verizon customer, so I'm not entirely certain what you guys are offered. It couldn't hurt to ask them. What's the worst they can do? Say no? Honestly, I don't think they would allow it, but I would still ask. You might get lucky.

REALLY? out of curiosity, which tabs w/ voice&txt can you got over there?

mtmerrick said:
REALLY? out of curiosity, which tabs w/ voice&txt can you got over there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the Dell Streak 7 was capable of this. I'll ask azrienoch. He was the one using it who showed me it could be done. It was a while back that his phone broke down and he had to use the tablet as a phone for a while. I think there is one more, but the Flyer is the only other tablet that I recall T-Mobile having, and I don't believe that one has a GSM radio. Either way, I don't think Verizon has any that have a cellular radio for voice service.

VZW worth the extra 12-15 bucks a month?

So I'm at a point where I am striking out on my own and dropping off my parents family plan. What I am looking at is A $100 plan from vzw for 2gb data and a $90 plan from att for 3gb data. (I use no more than 1.5gb in a month) Coverage in my area for verizon is a little bit better than att but no LTE from either side. My company has a discount for both providers at 17% so no advantage there. Verizon has the bad habit of locking up phones so I can't play with them as well.
Another option I've had is since my work doesn't allow cell phones on the premises, I have thought about switching to a dumb phone since I won't be using it 40-50 hours of the week but that is for a later time.
In other words, do you all think VZW "service" is worth a $150 bucks extra a year than att?

From what you've told me about your usage patterns, I'd go with ATT, or even a MNVO like Straight Talk.
I had ATT and the only reason I left was because of their throttling.. I prefer GSM phones to CDMA since they hold value better and since they are worldwide, you have more compatibility and a larger selection.

bukithd said:
So I'm at a point where I am striking out on my own and dropping off my parents family plan. What I am looking at is A $100 plan from vzw for 2gb data and a $90 plan from att for 3gb data. (I use no more than 1.5gb in a month) Coverage in my area for verizon is a little bit better than att but no LTE from either side. My company has a discount for both providers at 17% so no advantage there. Verizon has the bad habit of locking up phones so I can't play with them as well.
Another option I've had is since my work doesn't allow cell phones on the premises, I have thought about switching to a dumb phone since I won't be using it 40-50 hours of the week but that is for a later time.
In other words, do you all think VZW "service" is worth a $150 bucks extra a year than att?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Straight Talk:
$45 a month ($50 after taxes)
Unlimited Talk
Unlimited Text
Unlimited* Data (just don't go nuts with it, but 1.5 GB is more than safe)
It runs on AT&T (also T-Mobile, but it asks you to choose which SIM you want. Choose AT&T). No, there's no LTE, but there's full speed HSPA+ which should be plenty fast. I don't think Verizon is worth it unless you're in an area where they're the only viable option, or if you need insane speed for some strange reason. I switched off my family's Sprint plan to Straight Talk. I don't know how I survived on CDMA; once you go GSM, the freedom of being able to switch phones whenever you want is great. If you're already on a GSM network, it's not worth giving up. That, and the price.
Order a SIM from http://straighttalk.com and choose "AT&T compatible SIM". It works in a locked AT&T phone or unlocked phone. You could even use your Rezound; I know it works on AT&T believe it or not. They found out a while ago. But if you're looking for a new phone, best bang for your buck? Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store.
Oh and when you fill in the APN for data, leave out the "Proxy" fields except for MMS Proxy. It disallows them from throttling you or monitoring what apps you use. They've been known to call people for streaming a lot, but I've gone over 2GB of usage and haven't gotten any calls from them or anything.

I agree. Verizon is just crap compared to what they used to be. In the days of unlimited data it wasn't so bad but now they are just plain greedy. Plus striking out on your own you don't want to get stuck if you lose your job paying a $100/mo bill when you could use that money for food. Trust me, it happened to me and now I owe Verizon and can't afford to pay them. If T-Mobile has good coverage they may be an option as well.

Pageplus is a Verizon MVNO.
For $55 per month (No Taxes!), you get unlimited talk/text and 2Gb of 3g data.
You can use a Verizon phone too!
Plus, if you buy from Pageplusdirect.com, you get a 7% discount!

Product F(RED) said:
Straight Talk:
$45 a month ($50 after taxes)
Unlimited Talk
Unlimited Text
Unlimited* Data (just don't go nuts with it, but 1.5 GB is more than safe)
It runs on AT&T (also T-Mobile, but it asks you to choose which SIM you want. Choose AT&T). No, there's no LTE, but there's full speed HSPA+ which should be plenty fast. I don't think Verizon is worth it unless you're in an area where they're the only viable option, or if you need insane speed for some strange reason. I switched off my family's Sprint plan to Straight Talk. I don't know how I survived on CDMA; once you go GSM, the freedom of being able to switch phones whenever you want is great. If you're already on a GSM network, it's not worth giving up. That, and the price.
Order a SIM from http://straighttalk.com and choose "AT&T compatible SIM". It works in a locked AT&T phone or unlocked phone. You could even use your Rezound; I know it works on AT&T believe it or not. They found out a while ago. But if you're looking for a new phone, best bang for your buck? Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store.
Oh and when you fill in the APN for data, leave out the "Proxy" fields except for MMS Proxy. It disallows them from throttling you or monitoring what apps you use. They've been known to call people for streaming a lot, but I've gone over 2GB of usage and haven't gotten any calls from them or anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's been one of the most complete decent answers I've got on this forum in a while. I will seriously consider it. AT&T gets good enough service for me to get the same stuff for half price. Thanks!

bukithd said:
That's been one of the most complete decent answers I've got on this forum in a while. I will seriously consider it. AT&T gets good enough service for me to get the same stuff for half price. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Product F(RED) said:
Straight Talk:
$45 a month ($50 after taxes)
Unlimited Talk
Unlimited Text
Unlimited* Data (just don't go nuts with it, but 1.5 GB is more than safe)
It runs on AT&T (also T-Mobile, but it asks you to choose which SIM you want. Choose AT&T). No, there's no LTE, but there's full speed HSPA+ which should be plenty fast. I don't think Verizon is worth it unless you're in an area where they're the only viable option, or if you need insane speed for some strange reason. I switched off my family's Sprint plan to Straight Talk. I don't know how I survived on CDMA; once you go GSM, the freedom of being able to switch phones whenever you want is great. If you're already on a GSM network, it's not worth giving up. That, and the price.
Order a SIM from http://straighttalk.com and choose "AT&T compatible SIM". It works in a locked AT&T phone or unlocked phone. You could even use your Rezound; I know it works on AT&T believe it or not. They found out a while ago. But if you're looking for a new phone, best bang for your buck? Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store.
Oh and when you fill in the APN for data, leave out the "Proxy" fields except for MMS Proxy. It disallows them from throttling you or monitoring what apps you use. They've been known to call people for streaming a lot, but I've gone over 2GB of usage and haven't gotten any calls from them or anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally am done with Verizon. The very first phone I had wouldn't charge completely (8 hours on charger, half full, 2 hours battery life) almost from the get go, they started sending me refurbs and I've been stuck in refurb hell ever since. To top it off the data speeds and connection have gotten gradually worse in my area, like they are trying to push you to upgrade to a 4G phone and go to the new shared plans (which I don't doubt a bit). I can't get a good enough connection in the parking lot at work most days make a phone call, and I'm in the 2nd largest city in my state, we have 4G, and the coverage map is blood red with both 3G and 4G coverage. At my desk I'm lucky to get any coverage (thank god we have wifi, guy next to me on his VZW iphone 4 gets full signal). I got an unlocked GNEX a couple weeks ago, got a TMO sim to try out, I have consisten 4-5 bars at my desk and full signal in the parking lot, I only got the 100mb 4G plan but TMO's 2G speeds are about as fast as what I get on average with VZW. I'm on my 12th phone with VZW and had enough even though they keep replacing them. I pay $210 a month for service that doesn't work all the time and slow data speeds.
I'm going to straight talk next, because I learned the hard way TMO doesn't include roaming with their prepaid. Otherwise I'd stick with them because where they have coverage its been great. But for $45 a month, Straight Talk is getting a try it out month from me on AT&T's network which I have great signal with here.
Anyway, point was, stay away from VZW, they're greedy and pushing a bad product IMO.

I think android made verizon that way. When I first hopped on the network I got an incredible that was about 6 months after its release, I loved everything. Since then, there have been overly modded phones, worsening signal quality jack ups in price, and and my phone is just now (in the next couple of weeks maybe) set for an ICS update. I just wish there were more prepaid providers with better service history. Verizon does have good personal customer service, at least in my experience.

bukithd said:
I think android made verizon that way. When I first hopped on the network I got an incredible that was about 6 months after its release, I loved everything. Since then, there have been overly modded phones, worsening signal quality jack ups in price, and and my phone is just now (in the next couple of weeks maybe) set for an ICS update. I just wish there were more prepaid providers with better service history. Verizon does have good personal customer service, at least in my experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I think so, with the success of Android they got greedy. Signal quality, prices, just not worth it anymore. However, their customer service has been fantastic, I have no problems getting replacement phones, just tired of needing them and really the problems have never gone away. Now that I've gone to an unlocked GNEX, I'm never going back, lol.

Verizon has to be the most controlling carrier in my knowledge. I mean they are one of the only ones to put a locked boot loader on the SGS III, and FFS they striped ram out of my old HTC Touch Pro. It's not like they charge any less for the crippled phones they sell, they're just in it for the money.

icomrade said:
Verizon has to be the most controlling carrier in my knowledge. I mean they are one of the only ones to put a locked boot loader on the SGS III, and FFS they striped ram out of my old HTC Touch Pro. It's not like they charge any less for the crippled phones they sell, they're just in it for the money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to work in a third-party Verizon store and a customer we've known for a while had been through 3 BB Storm 2's, all of them crapping out differently, but in ways that made them totally unusable. He was a doctor, so he needed a reliable phone. I called up CS on behalf of him, with him sitting across from me. All he wanted was a BB Bold, even a refurbished replacement (he had insurance), and they told me to tell him to just leave Verizon. How crazy is that?
They're also against Net Neutrality, which means they want to be able to charge you more for certain services. Like how AT&T is planning on charging extra for Facetime over 3G on the iPhone. It's like saying, "Oh, you want to watch YouTube on your phone? You'll need to shell out an extra $10 a month for our YouTube package. You wanna browse Facebook? You need to add $5 a month to your bill to have access to the Facebook app."

Product F(RED) said:
I used to work in a third-party Verizon store and a customer we've known for a while had been through 3 BB Storm 2's, all of them crapping out differently, but in ways that made them totally unusable. He was a doctor, so he needed a reliable phone. I called up CS on behalf of him, with him sitting across from me. All he wanted was a BB Bold, even a refurbished replacement (he had insurance), and they told me to tell him to just leave Verizon. How crazy is that?
They're also against Net Neutrality, which means they want to be able to charge you more for certain services. Like how AT&T is planning on charging extra for Facetime over 3G on the iPhone. It's like saying, "Oh, you want to watch YouTube on your phone? You'll need to shell out an extra $10 a month for our YouTube package. You wanna browse Facebook? You need to add $5 a month to your bill to have access to the Facebook app."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is what scares me about cell service regardless who is providing it. I want what was free to begin with to stay free. I already pay about 1000 bucks a year for you to do what you will with me.
Verizon perk though, they just hooked up 4g in my area today and it actually works.

ATT and Note N7100... I could not convince them I had a smart phone!

I bought the US version of the Note 2 and sold it to buy the International version as I have done before. The wife uses an SGSII i9100. We were on the family talk plan 700 minutes, pay per message UL data on two "feature phones"
I transitioned to the Family share plan when i bought the ATT Note as the price would be the same sharing 1GB of data. now I have the Note 2 and called ATT and called ATT and tried to tell them I have a Note 2 smart phone because I was told we could not be on the shared plan with two dumb phones awhile back and I did not want an email telling me they changed something. I told her I sold the ATT phone for the FM radio on the International version and I was going to switch back to the Family talk plan. But the CSR could not identify my device therefore despite me telling her what it was and her having the IMEI, she could not enter it as a smart phone in the system (poor me? ) lol
We now have two Smart phones both are International and we are still on the family shared data plan.
We have the choice of the 700 minute family talk plan with pay per messaging and UL data or UL Phone and messaging with 1 GB of shared data...both for $100 a month. We don't use all that much data and if we do I will switch back to the family plan as we do not send and receive 80 messages a month either. So here I am trying to convince them I am "cheating the system" and their own system won't allow them to override?
I will probably get a smartphone email from them next week lol like they did with the note N7000
At least we know we can share 2Gb of data for $115 a month if we went over with UL messaging and talk. .
Now I am considering to buy the international Galaxy Tab 2 7 and swap SIMs and see what happens......

You need to get on straight talk. As long as you are being honest about how you and your wife use your phones you would be fine on straight talk.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium

jamesd86 said:
You need to get on straight talk. As long as you are being honest about how you and your wife use your phones you would be fine on straight talk.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Straight talk has specifics in their T &Cs against streaming of audio or video data. I have read of horror stories from some who have been throttled , sent warnings or kicked off and losing their numbers for using "unlimited data" Something I never worried about on ATT, Plus i like the ATT website and the service from the CSRs.
We have told ATT we are using smart phones. They cannot identify them as such and so they are considered feature phones and we have a choice of UL data on MediaNet or the Family Share plan For now we are on the family share with two "dumb phones"
The Straight Talk Unlimited Plans MAY NOT be used for any other purpose. Examples of prohibited uses include, without limitation, the following: (i) continuous mobile to mobile or mobile to landline voice calls; (ii) automated text or picture messaging to another mobile device or e-mail address; (iii) uploading, downloading or streaming of audio or video programming or games;
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That gives them a HUGE out if someone uses "too much data" even in one day,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1729135

Please don't make too many waves, some of us are benefiting from ATT's confusion.:laugh:

Yes. Stop trying to convince AT&T that you have a smartphone. You'll frak everything up!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium HD app

gedster314 said:
Please don't make too many waves, some of us are benefiting from ATT's confusion.:laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As am I... I was tagged three times on my N7000 and had to call to tell them I did not have what they claimed. they could not identify the device but said the last four numbers indicated a Samsung Smartphone. Apparently they don;t have any information on the N7100.
If they are going to find your device they will through a sweep. Nothing anyone does will change that. I think its incredible that I tried to be upfront and abide by the terms I signed up to and they still could not provision a smartphone for the account I had even though they could clearly read the IMEI on.
Should be encouraging to those who are using it on MediaNet. however they DO LOOK AT DATA RATES...... My data is low enough to be a dumb phone. If you are claiming a dumb phone and using 3GB or more or tethering they can and will sweep the data rates, I would worry about that more. Straight talk throttles accounts using data rates. ATT surely can put two and two together,

Somewhat unusual scenario - help me decide which carrier

Hi all, Hope you can help me out here make a decision with carrier choice when I buy my GS4 (I have a GS2 running CM10.1 now).
Facts:
- I live in Atlanta and thats the primary place I'll use (though I would like decent coverage in other parts of US as I travel some).
- My wife has a Nexus 4 I bought her directly from Google. She is on TMobile, has about 10 months left on her contract, is not a heavy user and i pay $85 a month -- she's on the unlimited data plan.
- I am on TMobile through my work. I have a 10GB data plan and don't pay anything for it.
- I can stay on TMobile on my work plan and just pay for the subsidized cost of the phone.
- I can switch to another carrier and charge $75 to my company.
- I am a relatively heavy user of data and want great speeds in most of the places I go as well as good phone service (TMo HSPA+ is very good in some places in Atlanta but not so good in others)
- I have a Clear USB device with unlimited data for $50 a month that I want to replace with either tethering on my new phone or a another USB device (I don't use this often but want it when I need it)
- I am EAGER (in other words, I don't really want to wait for Verizon but will if it makes sense.
Options:
- Stay on TMo and use tethering or a TMo USB to save me the $50 Clear. Downside I see: their network isn't as good at AT&T or Verizon
- Switch to AT&T, sever my wife's contract with TMo, buy an extra GS4 and sell it (pocketing the difference), and put her on a shared plan with me (and charge back $75 to my company each month)
- Switch to Verizon and do basically the same thing
- Sprint -- should I even consider this at this stage with the weakness of their network?
- Something else entirely???
I'd really appreciate any thoughts in helping me make this decision. I feel like I've dropped the ball the past few years in not analyzing my options and making the best decision.
-toast

As long as you are getting decent service from T-Mobile (connection and speed), I would stay with them. AT&T and Verizon have better coverage atm, but T-Mobile's network is growing. I don't see any gain from switching. I have no idea about Sprint.

Sprint is garbage. Don't do it, stay away if you know that's best. I regret ever switching from att
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app

MultiLockOn said:
Sprint is garbage. Don't do it, stay away if you know that's best. I regret ever switching from att
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my girlfriend used to have sprint and it sucked. shes on verizon with me now on a 4gb plan, i still have my unlimited
also i used to have t-mobile and it was terrible too, verizon seems to be the best choice imo. at&t seems to have the upper hand on this release date though, im not happy about it -_-

If Tmo has the coverage you need switching will only mean you spend more money to no particular end because neither AT&T nor Verizon will be cheaper. They are however more restrictive in their policies as an (un)bonus should you decide to go that way. Sprint can be great if they have the coverage you need but you would want to talk to locals that actually have the service and make sure because coverage maps lie as you probably know.

xdatoast said:
Hi all, Hope you can help me out here make a decision with carrier choice when I buy my GS4 (I have a GS2 running CM10.1 now).
Facts:
- I live in Atlanta and thats the primary place I'll use (though I would like decent coverage in other parts of US as I travel some).
- My wife has a Nexus 4 I bought her directly from Google. She is on TMobile, has about 10 months left on her contract, is not a heavy user and i pay $85 a month -- she's on the unlimited data plan.
- I am on TMobile through my work. I have a 10GB data plan and don't pay anything for it.
- I can stay on TMobile on my work plan and just pay for the subsidized cost of the phone.
- I can switch to another carrier and charge $75 to my company.
- I am a relatively heavy user of data and want great speeds in most of the places I go as well as good phone service (TMo HSPA+ is very good in some places in Atlanta but not so good in others)
- I have a Clear USB device with unlimited data for $50 a month that I want to replace with either tethering on my new phone or a another USB device (I don't use this often but want it when I need it)
- I am EAGER (in other words, I don't really want to wait for Verizon but will if it makes sense.
Options:
- Stay on TMo and use tethering or a TMo USB to save me the $50 Clear. Downside I see: their network isn't as good at AT&T or Verizon
- Switch to AT&T, sever my wife's contract with TMo, buy an extra GS4 and sell it (pocketing the difference), and put her on a shared plan with me (and charge back $75 to my company each month)
- Switch to Verizon and do basically the same thing
- Sprint -- should I even consider this at this stage with the weakness of their network?
- Something else entirely???
I'd really appreciate any thoughts in helping me make this decision. I feel like I've dropped the ball the past few years in not analyzing my options and making the best decision.
-toast
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Metro PCS and T-Mobile will merge and in some markets will have 40 MHZ spectrum that is twice what top carrier's can match. .....so in my opinion budget prospective ....stay on what you have. ......
And invest to Wilson amplifier and good antenna and you will have better service .....I use Wilson devices in all my wehicles and also for the house. .....not very cheap ......and going little at the time will make you smile one day .......
Just remember today device's are built for everything else but not for strong reception. ......
Sent from SGH-S959G

Unlimited data, keep it no matter what?

The subject kinda says it all. I'm one of the lucky ones that got grandfathered in on big red's unlimited data plan.
My wife has been on at&t and she's tired of it. Her phone (Atrix 4G) is falling apart and she isn't thrilled with the phone offerings from at&t.
She loves the Razr M so I've been looking to get her added to my account. It would also save us about $30 per month for her not to be on at&t separately.
A few months ago it was still possible to add an individual line to an existing account, without affecting the primary account.
Now they force me to convert my primary line over to a share-all-your-money plan, which will mean I lose my unlimited data.
The thing is, I use, on average, about 2.5G of data. I'm not a heavy user and I know that. My wife isn't either so we could make due with 4GB.
So, I need some thoughts.
1) Keep my unlimited and sign my wife up for her own individual big red plan? (no savings per month, but happy wife)
2) Convert over to a shared data plan, and add line for wife. ($30/mo savings)
So, it comes down to this: is having unlimited data you don't really use worth the $30 in added cost?
One side of my brain says no, the other says yes.

I have been battling that same question. My answer was keep my unlimited data as long as I can. Why? With more and more things going towards the cloud my data usage is sure to go up in the future. So I'm thinking for then and not now. I don't think Verizon is doing this because the masses asked to share data as they would have us believe. Verizon seen data usage dramatically increasing in the future as well and is trying to get us to switch now when our usage is low. Now is when they can convince us we don't use much data.
Sent from my XT926

I was grand-fathered into unlimited data for a while, but then I started tracking my actual data usage and it was only about 1.5-2.0GB per month so I just switched over. The only time now where I would maybe want it back, is if I was using 4G has my home Internet connection and just using my phone as a mobile hotspot. I don't feel that would be reliable enough so I'm fine with it.
I have a feeling sooner or later Verizon will come up with some way to get those who are still on unlimited data and won't sign a new contract.

I would just get her a verizon pay as you go plan. Decent phones. Give your wife your phone and then make twelve monthly payments on yours?
I am almost certain if you keep calling back eventually you'll get someone to transfer you that can help. You can probably find a rep to finagle 29.99 4GB...
Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

THe only reason to a share plan is to get subsidized phone.
I have resigned myself to keep unlimited until they kick me off. I'll buy my phone retail if I have to.
If they kick me off I'll switch to Sprint.
Keep unlimited at all costs.
We use a combined 11-13GB on three lines.

I kind of split the difference. I stayed on the old voice plan but was able to get a subsidized phone upgrade by losing my unlimited data. I instead got a 5GB data plan and dropped unlimited texting and switched completely over the Google Voice (which I had been meaning to do). So I pay the same as a 2GB share everything plan but with 400 minutes of voice (not a problem for me) and 5 GB of data... I only ever use up till 3 GB so I have been considering lowering to 3 or 4GB and just paying the $10/GB overage on months that I go over.

So there is some room for negotiations when you talk to the tele sales folks. That's good to know!
-- Android: It's a UNIX thing. You wouldn't understand.

Keep it no matter what. NO MATTER WHAT. Even if you don't use the unlimited, you could sell it to a friend (someone trustworthy) who has a crappy home internet connection, and turn a hefty profit. Just give them the activated SIM card and they can put it in a mobile hotspot and easily beat ADSL speeds for less money and better reliability.
Seriously, you guys are making a huge mistake by giving up one of the last reasonable cellular data plans in North America; nay, the entire world.
Don't do it. Keep your unlimited. Set up a new account for a new phone if you have to. Pay retail on new phones if you have to. Sell your activated SIM to someone you trust who'll use the data for a huge profit. Do anything EXCEPT willingly give in to The Man and the fascist data plan, oops I mean the shared data plan.
Sent from my Motorola RAZR Maxx HD with Tapatalk 4

I wish I never got rid of mine. I switched to the 2gb plan when they first offered it to save money because I used about a gig a month. Now I have the 15gb plan.. Damnit
Sent from my PACMAN MATRIX HD MAXX

Howard forums has people wanting to do assumption of liabilities. Now I've never heard of someone selling their unlimited plan but that's only because most people that go the aol route are in contract, need out, and find people that really need unlimited.
I would not be advising someone to use the sim solely for home Internet. Yes it's unlimited but some use hundreds of gigs of data. This isn't good for others. You could also get caught.
The only reason I'm keeping my unlimited plan is because we have 2 smartphones and 3 feature phones. Always transfer upgrades to the feature phones and transfer new phone back. Why waste upgrade when feature phones are super cheap retail?
Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

jfriend33 said:
I would not be advising someone to use the sim solely for home Internet. Yes it's unlimited but some use hundreds of gigs of data. This isn't good for others. You could also get caught.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Few things:
1. You can consistently use between 50 and 75 GB per month and not get in trouble. Believe it or not there are people who use more than that and haven't been threatened with disconnection. But yes, if you download at 100% line capacity 24/7 you will get disconnected. Even 50 GB can be downloaded in an extremely short time (about 1 to 2 days depending on your LTE signal), leaving a lot of room for other users on the network.
2. Verizon is contractually prohibited by the FCC, which allows them to operate the licensed 700 MHz spectrum, from discriminating against a user because of that user's choice of device, which means you can either tether a smartphone or use a mobile hotspot, or even a USB modem, and they can't do anything against you based solely on your choice of device or they risk losing their operating license.
3. All of Verizon's towers will throttle your LTE speed down to a lower level (faster than 3G, but way slower than your LTE is capable of) if they identify you as a heavy data user AND the tower is 100% utilized. So they minimize data hogs' impact on other users by slowing them down when the tower is busy. Light or Occasional data users will be able to use the tower at full LTE speeds. When the tower isn't busy, well, why do you care if unlimited users are just using up spare capacity? That doesn't hurt anyone at all, and doesn't cost Verizon a penny, since all their back haul and peering is unmetered, so if they aren't 100% utilizing it they are actually paying for capacity that isn't being used, which is a waste.
I'm lucky that the tower closest to me at home is ALWAYS extremely under-utilized. I get fantastic speeds and no throttling, ever, at home. In the city I have seen close to 3G speeds on the LTE network due to saturation, which I am fine with. I still benefit from LTE's improved reliability and ping compared to 3G, so even if it's not 20 Mbps, I'm happy to have what I'm allowed. Verizon keeps me on a pretty long leash.
And no, I don't make the network worse for everyone else by using 70GB on an underutilized tower. 70GB over a month is not even a drop in a bucket to Verizon's back end infrastructure. I know some FiOS users who run multiple terabytes per month.
Sent from my Motorola RAZR Maxx HD with Tapatalk 4

I love my unlimited data and I'm definitely gonna keep it. If i like a new phone that comes out, ill just pay full price for it. I canceled my internet and cable at home because I have access to both thru my phone. I average around 150gigs a month and haven't seen a decrease in speed.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda app-developers app

I seem to have struck a nerve with someone and that was not my intention. You are probably used to having countless people advocating for verizon and following their rules. I am not one of them.
I was not aware that such policies were in place to protect the consumers. This is good to hear. I was under the impression that 4G devices weren't throttled (for the most part), even when on 3g and that only 3g devices were being throttled after heavy use. Verizon has obviously updated their guidelines so I need to read up on it.
I could not limit my home internet consumption to only 50 gigs. What is an average use anyway? I'm generally under 200 gigs. I am in areas where 4G is new and isn't that fast (under 10mbps, 3g tops off at 0.75) or in a big city where it's over utilized. I pay $20 a month for 50 mbps cable internet and that is a luxury many do not have.
Let's face it. We are lucky to have this unlimited plan. There are no guarantees on how much longer it will last. Just keep it, please?
Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

I switched from Sprint Unlimited to Verizon "share-all-of-your-money" (that's about right) plan. I had a real hard time letting go, but my wife and I have been on for 2 months now and it hasn't been a problem. We went with 4GB, and I initially thought it would be a problem, but we haven't even come close to 2GB yet. I mitigate that a lot by using WiFi as much as possible. Especially when I'm home, but also at work. I've also become a lot less bashful about asking for their WiFi password. What's the worst that could happen? They just say no. Many of them don't care though and don't give it a second thought. I also make the conscious decision to wait until I'm home to watch that YouTube video or what have you everyone one is clamoring about. I also used to tether my laptop to my phone and used that as my primary internet connection. Haven't needed to do that, so data consumption has gotten a lot less.
I haven't found it that difficult to live with a 4GB cap.

tech_head said:
THe only reason to a share plan is to get subsidized phone.
I have resigned myself to keep unlimited until they kick me off. I'll buy my phone retail if I have to.
If they kick me off I'll switch to Sprint.
Keep unlimited at all costs.
We use a combined 11-13GB on three lines.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And what happens when Sprint cuts off unlimited? I agree with the idea of voting with your wallet but in this case, I feel there needs to be an exception. Given the financial standing of Sprint atm, I can't see why any one would risk jumping to them. Plus if enough people follow suit like you, it is bound to bog down Sprint's network until they start to cap data plans to.

Xplorer4x4 said:
And what happens when Sprint cuts off unlimited? I agree with the idea of voting with your wallet but in this case, I feel there needs to be an exception. Given the financial standing of Sprint atm, I can't see why any one would risk jumping to them. Plus if enough people follow suit like you, it is bound to bog down Sprint's network until they start to cap data plans to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They claim "unlimited forever".
What financial standing, they just got bought by SoftBank Mobile (Japanese).
They are building out their network and adding more LTE from their old iDEN spectrum, that and they bought Clearwire.
When Verizon makes me move from unlimited, I'll be jumping to Sprint.

tech_head said:
They claim "unlimited forever".
What financial standing, they just got bought by SoftBank Mobile (Japanese).
They are building out their network and adding more LTE from their old iDEN spectrum, that and they bought Clearwire.
When Verizon makes me move from unlimited, I'll be jumping to Sprint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is an old saying. Talk is cheap. I seriously doubt they will retain unlimited forever. I would ask for a contract and read that thing over and over and over again as I would not be surprised to see some sort of clause in there that they have the right to terminate the unlimited data at any time because they get greedy like ATT and VZW.
Finance wise, you're right. I forgot about the buy outs. They are in a much better position financially and network wise, but they are still in the early roll out stages making it to early to judge just how well the network upgrade will be in the end. I also haven't heard how involved SoftBank has been so far. Have they only put up the money while still letting the former Sprint execs run the company for the most part?

My wife and I both gave up our unlimited data. She gave up hers to upgrade and I just gave mine up to save money. We have 3 smart phones sharing 4GB. I was using more than 10GB every month myself on unlimited. But a little prudence and control and we have no problem. In fact our month is over next week and we haven't even used 2GB between three phones.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

I'd say to just do the math of what saves you more of the course of 2 yrs. If its cheaper in the long run by a significant amount to switch to the new plan and get a subsidized phone, and you can't foresee needing unlimited data, it just makes sense to switch. I personally am planning on keeping my unlimited plan while buying phones at full price due to highly fluctuating data usage.

Xplorer4x4 said:
There is an old saying. Talk is cheap. I seriously doubt they will retain unlimited forever. I would ask for a contract and read that thing over and over and over again as I would not be surprised to see some sort of clause in there that they have the right to terminate the unlimited data at any time because they get greedy like ATT and VZW.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, they've already added that to the contract, effective July 1st. If you no longer qualify for a plan or they no longer support a plan, they can switch you to a new one. (Paraphrased, but close to a direct quote)
So glad I jumped ship from Sprint in May.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2