Ok, so here's the deal. US subscribers are in a pickle as far as unlimited data plans are concerned with tethering. Our plans suck (comparatively).
Some of it has to do with wording of contracts by carriers. Some of it has to do with the entitlement we feel when we purchased our respective unlimited data plans. Either way, we all feel hurt by this. As consumers, we want it our way. We want our unlimited data plans to cover our 2GB months to our 200GB months. We don't want to be told about limits on plans labeled and sold as unlimited.
Here's where you come in. How would you change the terms of the agreement as an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or other carrier's customer if you were in charge? Keep in mind that you may have limited network resources, funds, or staff to carry out the extreme plans. You still need to generate income for your investors. What would you do to make your customers happy as well as the investors? Is it possible? Is there any sort of reform that is possible in our wireless industry?
Ban contracts all-together. The bundling of phones with network vastly distorts both markets; phones are no longer truly competing on price (e.g. apple's strong position with the iPhone allows them to dictate high carrier subsidies, whose costs must be paid off by effectively taxing everyone else on the network) while carriers are instead competing on phones (rather than the quality of their service).
On the other hand, without subsidies (which essentially hide the costs for the average person who doesn't think it through), manufacturers would have to actually worry about choosing a price low enough to be attractive. This is something that is sorely missing under the current regime.
Not to mention, contracts themselves are effectively anti-competitive, locking in users who don't really know how to properly evaluate their choices. The way to ensure the best service for the user is to allow them to quit at a moment's notice.
Now, I notice you might be thinking more specifically about how the service agreements can be modified, rather than the "contracts" per se. Do the above, and this woud automatically happen. The carriers will have to actually compete for better service (rather than just drawing in people with new shiny phones in order to lock them in). If their service is not up to par with their advertisements, people would just quit the next month. Hence, no more random throttling of plans, etc.
thebobp said:
Ban contracts all-together. The bundling of phones with network vastly distorts both markets; phones are no longer truly competing on price (e.g. apple's strong position with the iPhone allows them to dictate high carrier subsidies, whose costs must be paid off by effectively taxing everyone else on the network) while carriers are instead competing on phones (rather than the quality of their service).
On the other hand, without subsidies (which essentially hide the costs for the average person who doesn't think it through), manufacturers would have to actually worry about choosing a price low enough to be attractive. This is something that is sorely missing under the current regime.
Not to mention, contracts themselves are effectively anti-competitive, locking in users who don't really know how to properly evaluate their choices. The way to ensure the best service for the user is to allow them to quit at a moment's notice.
Now, I notice you might be thinking more specifically about how the service agreements can be modified, rather than the "contracts" per se. Do the above, and this woud automatically happen. The carriers will actually have to compete for better service, rather than just ensure that people are locked in longer than they can think about. If their service is not up to par with their advertisements, people would quit the next month. No more throttling plans with nothing the users can say about it.
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I understand your position, but I have doubts that this would be possible to implement in our market. T-Mobile's CMO made a statement about device subsidies contorting what the devices actually cost. T-Mobile actually has a line of Value plans that are kind of on par with what you're thinking about. The rate plans are considerably cheaper than the ones with a device subsidy. The real problem is convincing the other carriers to follow suit.
See, by doing this, it put investors at risk. It's all a money making game. If an idea isn't profitable, then it generally never sees the light of day. What about a sales model similar to what T-Mobile is offering? Could you see a way to make this model profitable to both carriers and consumers alike?
I think it should be handled like the european networks handle their service agreements. You sign up for service when you buy a phone, and you pay full retail price for the phone. Then you pay a relatively lower price for service. Instead of paying say, 59.99 for a phone that retails for 399.99 and then paying 100$ give or take a little each month, you pay full price for the phone, and then get your bill for 50ish a month. Which one sounds better?
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
leo321 said:
I think it should be handled like the european networks handle their service agreements. You sign up for service when you buy a phone, and you pay full retail price for the phone. Then you pay a relatively lower price for service. Instead of paying say, 59.99 for a phone that retails for 399.99 and then paying 100$ give or take a little each month, you pay full price for the phone, and then get your bill for 50ish a month. Which one sounds better?
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
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I agree that this would benefit us more as consumers, but we would need to come up with a marketable solution to the current situation that would be agreeable to the carriers as well.
cajunflavoredbob said:
If an idea isn't profitable, then it generally never sees the light of day.
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This.
Blaming carrier greed is easy but really doesn't solve anything. Carriers want to make more money and contracts make them more money - I can't fault them for that.
I don't see the US market becoming like Europe's. Although T-Mobile USA is trying to change things, I can think of two things in the way:
-Americans are too stupid to save money~~ Everyone thinks short term savings, hence the persistence of contracts.
-Carrier incompatibility~~ Verizon and Sprint are CDMA. T-Mobile and AT&T run on (mostly) different 3G bands. Buy a phone for full retail and you're probably going to be stuck with one carrier anyway.
luftrofl said:
This.
Blaming carrier greed is easy but really doesn't solve anything. Carriers want to make more money and contracts make them more money - I can't fault them for that.
I don't see the US market becoming like Europe's. Although T-Mobile USA is trying to change things, I can think of two things in the way:
-Americans are too stupid to save money~~ Everyone thinks short term savings, hence the persistence of contracts.
-Carrier incompatibility~~ Verizon and Sprint are CDMA. T-Mobile and AT&T run on (mostly) different 3G bands. Buy a phone for full retail and you're probably going to be stuck with one carrier anyway.
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The incompatibility is changing this year, at least with AT&T and T-Mobile. T-Mobile is currently refarming their spectrum to rollout a network on the 1900MHz PCS spectrum. This will be used for their HSPA/+ network, while the existing 1700MHz network will be used for LTE. This move makes their network inter-operable with AT&T devices.
Other than that, I agree with your points. I don't feel that T-Mobile is going to make contracts as we know them go away. I admire the bold move, but I doubt it will ripple the waters much. That being said, I'm hoping we can come together and brainstorm a bit to think of a way to benefit carriers and customers alike. Our market NEEDS to change.
Pentaband unlocked handsets for everybody! Then you can choose whatever retarded WCDMA bands you like!
A list of things I would do:
1) Bring back the unlimited data plans, but only for LTE. (bandwith limits 3g unlimited plans)
2) Have them start rolling out LTE v10 or LTE advaned right now.
3) Voice over LTE.
4) Unlimited voice and text added to a data plan like this:
Plan1) Unlimited voice and text+2gb of data for $
plan2) Unlimited voice and text+5gb of data for $$
plan3) Unlimited voice and text+10GB of data for $$$
plan4) Unlimited voice and text+Unlimited data for $$$$ (LTE only)
They are just ex and I hope the pricing is better than that, but I am trying to be real here.
And verizon needs to fix this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDxJoGv3FLA&feature=player_embedded
4ktvs said:
A list of things I would do:
1) Bring back the unlimited data plans, but only for LTE. (bandwith limits 3g unlimited plans)
2) Have them start rolling out LTE v10 or LTE advaned right now.
3) Voice over LTE.
4) Unlimited voice and text added to a data plan like this:
Plan1) Unlimited voice and text+2gb of data for $
plan2) Unlimited voice and text+5gb of data for $$
plan3) Unlimited voice and text+10GB of data for $$$
plan4) Unlimited voice and text+Unlimited data for $$$$ (LTE only)
They are just ex and I hope the pricing is better than that, but I am trying to be real here.
And verizon needs to fix this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDxJoGv3FLA&feature=player_embedded
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This isn't really a plan. It's more of a wish list. I was hoping that some of the people around here might actually have better ideas of how to do things than the carriers. This isn't a wish list thread. I intended it more as a brainstorming thread.
Well, before anything I want to happen will even be possible, we'd have to see real net neutrality laws in this country...
I would like to see wireless carriers charge for internet access the same way that most ISPs charge. You pay for speed and have unlimited data. Say I have an LTE device. I can pay $50 for unlimited data at 10 Mbps or $100 for 20 Mbps. This makes much more sense to me.
Also, carriers need to be dump pipes. That's just how it has to be. I know they all fear that and will do everything in their power to stop it but I think it's inevitable.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
cajunflavoredbob said:
This isn't really a plan. It's more of a wish list. I was hoping that some of the people around here might actually have better ideas of how to do things than the carriers. This isn't a wish list thread. I intended it more as a brainstorming thread.
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#2 was more of a wish, but the rest of it is not. Let me try to put it in a better way:
1) give 4G LTE users a higher cap/unlimited data, becuase there is more bandwith. They could charge a bit more for the new Data plans, but over all save $ for the buyers. In turn, this would likely help the push for LTE and kill 2g and 3g sooner, so that the bandwith can be used for 4G.
2) Voice over LTE( 3 will be why)
3) When Voice over LTE is done, then make voice/text/data all one plan, Like:
1) 2GB for $60. ( Voice and text would use data)
2) 5GB for $80.
3) 10GB for $100.
4) 20GB/unlimited for $120.
Any way I am not a CEO and I don't have the # for everything, so this "plan" of mine may not work/be good, but I tryed.
I have both AT&T and verizon unlimited data plans and don't like the low bar they have set of 2-5gb plans, but really most don't use more than about 5GB. Now I bet they would if they used a crap load of voice at 50mb per 60 min. ( If you used 900min per bill then you would use about 750mb or about bit less 1/2 of the 2GB plan and then a few e-mails, some text and bam over the limit.)
Mobile voice is surely not 50Mb for 60 minutes. That'd be close to 128kbps MP3 quality, which our phones certainly are not!
I read that on verizon, that voice would be about 45mb per hour. I don't know all the #, but think it may work. They may up the voice quality to make this work and I think it's one of there goals with voice over LTE.
4ktvs said:
#2 was more of a wish, but the rest of it is not. Let me try to put it in a better way:
1) give 4G LTE users a higher cap/unlimited data, becuase there is more bandwith. They could charge a bit more for the new Data plans, but over all save $ for the buyers. In turn, this would likely help the push for LTE and kill 2g and 3g sooner, so that the bandwith can be used for 4G.
2) Voice over LTE( 3 will be why)
3) When Voice over LTE is done, then make voice/text/data all one plan, Like:
1) 2GB for $60. ( Voice and text would use data)
2) 5GB for $80.
3) 10GB for $100.
4) 20GB/unlimited for $120.
Any way I am not a CEO and I don't have the # for everything, so this "plan" of mine may not work/be good, but I tryed.
I have both AT&T and verizon unlimited data plans and don't like the low bar they have set of 2-5gb plans, but really most don't use more than about 5GB. Now I bet they would if they used a crap load of voice at 50mb per 60 min. ( If you used 900min per bill then you would use about 750mb or about bit less 1/2 of the 2GB plan and then a few e-mails, some text and bam over the limit.)
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That's actually a much better way of saying it. It's not a bad idea. Going all data would seem to be the way to go for the future. That problem is going to be getting carriers to realize this and make adjustments accordingly. They keep saying that they don't have enough bandwidth to service everyone, but this plan makes exclusive use of data. It requires a nationwide "4G" footprint. Verizon is the closest to this right now. T-Mobile is close behind with its HSPA+ rollout. AT&T has a large HSPA+ footprint as well, but it's not any/much faster than their 3G in my testing. We won't even go into Sprint's "4G" services....
I think that Verizon and T-Mobile would be the biggest players in this. T-Mobile currently has the bandwidth and lower customer base to make this a reality. Verizon may still have quite a way to go, though. CDMA technology really needs to hurry up and die already.
In any case, this is any interesting plan, that would indeed be beneficial to both parties. The biggest hurdle is that their are still large parts of the country that do not have high speed wireless access. Within the next three years, I can see this being put into play.
EDIT: Also, GSM networks use the G.729 codec (as far as I recall) for voice calls which compress the call to roughly 6-8Kbps. This makes it about 3.6MB per hour on a normal, non VoIP GSM call. I have no idea what CDMA uses.
4ktvs said:
They are just ex and I hope the pricing is better than that, but I am trying to be real here.
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... you're not trying hard enough
Seriously though, that list is unrealistic. "I want more advanced tech and I want it released and working now." is not a useful answer for "How would you change the wireless market?"
As for me, I want American cell networks to be more compatible with other networks - right now AT&T and T-Mobile are the only carriers with anything close to this. Maybe there's hope for this with LTE developments, but I don't know.
If this happens, maybe cheaper postpaid plans will be available - I really like this - it's why I'm on T-Mobile. I wish AT&T would have discounted plans if you're not on contract - it's not like they need to subsidize a phone.
luftrofl said:
... you're not trying hard enough
Seriously though, that list is unrealistic. "I want more advanced tech and I want it released and working now." is not a useful answer for "How would you change the wireless market?"
As for me, I want American cell networks to be more compatible with other networks - right now AT&T and T-Mobile are the only carriers with anything close to this. Maybe there's hope for this with LTE developments, but I don't know.
If this happens, maybe cheaper postpaid plans will be available - I really like this - it's why I'm on T-Mobile. I wish AT&T would have discounted plans if you're not on contract - it's not like they need to subsidize a phone.
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You're answer is similar to the one you jest about. How would such a move benefit the carriers? If it is not beneficial to them, it will not happen. What would be their motivation to make their networks or devices interoperable? Customer loyalty, or doing it to make customers happy isn't a reason, unfortunately. Generally, there needs to be financial motivation to make changes to the market.
cajunflavoredbob said:
EDIT: Also, GSM networks use the G.729 codec (as far as I recall) for voice calls which compress the call to roughly 6-8Kbps. This makes it about 3.6MB per hour on a normal, non VoIP GSM call. I have no idea what CDMA uses.
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Thank you, I couldn't remember the exact bitrate but I knew it was really very low.
Adaptive Multi-Rate Speech (AMR) is the codec used by WCDMA voice and it tops out at 12kbps.
Now I know were I got 45mb/hour. I read it in the mobile broadband part of a verizon mag.
It list Voice call(VoIP) as 45MB/hour over 4G LTE.
Related
This morning I got a SMS from AT&T (USA) saying that they have identified my device as a "smartphone" and they will now be charging me $30 per month for data. (I checked and have used about 400MB of data in the last month)
(previously I was on a $10 data unlimited + $5 (forced messaging) plan (EDGE).
When I called to ask, they said that the only way I can use the EDGE data unlimited plan was if I went back to my SE w810 phone. (Note that it has a full browser and IM capability too)
I'm shocked how they can force me to pay more by using their ignorance of data technology (diff between EDGE and 3G) as an excuse.
Some questions for the community:
1) has this happened to you and what did you do ?
2) which are the other providers that provide EDGE? (the ATT rep stated as a matter of fact that t-mo DOES NOT have a EDGE-only plan, but I have read that t-mo does have it)
3) do you think I should return my phone and wait for the ATT version?
4) which 3G band is more common around the world? (UMTS Band 1/4/8 2100/AWS/900 ) or the bands on the upcoming ATT N1 ?
ps: I'm thinking of calling them back and saying that my phone is not a smartphone. (coz its a superphone )
Switch your phone to "use only 2g networks" (under settings>wireless networks) and tell them that they are wrong and your phone is incapable of 3g connectivity. I'm on tmo and I don't think they have a 2g (edge) only plan...
so....
you have a nexus that gets at&t 3g? how is that possible?
britoso said:
This morning I got a SMS from AT&T (USA) saying that they have identified my device as a "smartphone" and they will now be charging me $30 per month for data. (I checked and have used about 400MB of data in the last month)
(previously I was on a $10 data unlimited + $5 (forced messaging) plan (EDGE).
When I called to ask, they said that the only way I can use the EDGE data unlimited plan was if I went back to my SE w810 phone. (Note that it has a full browser and IM capability too)
I'm shocked how they can force me to pay more by using their ignorance of data technology (diff between EDGE and 3G) as an excuse.
Some questions for the community:
1) has this happened to you and what did you do ?
2) which are the other providers that provide EDGE? (the ATT rep stated as a matter of fact that t-mo DOES NOT have a EDGE-only plan, but I have read that t-mo does have it)
3) do you think I should return my phone and wait for the ATT version?
4) which 3G band is more common around the world? (UMTS Band 1/4/8 2100/AWS/900 ) or the bands on the upcoming ATT N1 ?
ps: I'm thinking of calling them back and saying that my phone is not a smartphone. (coz its a superphone )
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Click to collapse
They are not "using their ignorance of data technology as an excuse". I am sure that AT&T knows more about the technology behind their service than you or I. They are not using any "excuses" they are going by policy. If you have a smart phone on their network they require you to have a data plan. It is really in your best interest to pay for the unlimited plan. It prevents you from having insanely large bills. And if you can afford to by the Nexus One, you can afford the $30 plan. I had to pay for the data plan when I had my 8525 on AT&T and they didn't even have 3G in my area at the time.
thewayne01 said:
If you have a smart phone on their network they require you to have a data plan.
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You're missing the point. THEY get to decide what is a "smartphone". Even though there are two levels of service (EDGE and 3G), they force you into paying for 3G even if your phone does not support it.
An analogy is a gas station forcing you to fill premium gas even though your car runs fine on regular. The gas station's excuse is that you have a shiny car so as per their policy you can only fill up on premium.
britoso said:
You're missing the point. THEY get to decide what is a "smartphone". Even though there are two levels of service (EDGE and 3G), they force you into paying for 3G even if your phone does not support it.
An analogy is a gas station forcing you to fill premium gas even though your car runs fine on regular. The gas station's excuse is that you have a shiny car so as per their policy you can only fill up on premium.
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LOL at the analogy. How about drop the bucket of loss that is AT&T and go with TMobile????
j2eubank said:
LOL at the analogy. How about drop the bucket of loss that is AT&T and go with TMobile????
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i second this lmao
b1337 said:
you have a nexus that gets at&t 3g? how is that possible?
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this .
Are you on contract? If you are tell them to go eat a ****, or free you from your contract because they are changing the terms on you.
If you're not on contract, then well, it's really up to them to change terms as they see fit, and they get to decide how you use their network.
I'm not in contract, been with them (Cingular) since 2003.
What are my options for voice+EDGE only.
I will surely miss my rollover minutes.
I could be wrong, but I don't think data plans are ever Edge or 3G specific. You are paying for data based on smartphone usage expectations. They think smartphone users will use a larger bandwidth than someone who uses a feature phone regardless of what the phones 3g/edge capabilities are.
If you are interested in checking out tmobile, you would be suited perfectly do to one of their even more plus plans (no contract, no subsidy) which range from $59.99 for 500 min with unlimited data/text (or ~$55 for no text) up to $79.99 for unlimited everything...
Depending on where you live you may only get edge, or GPRS so make sure to check the coverage maps etc...
Edit: IIRC DFW is supposed to well covered by tmo...
rossiscatch said:
You are paying for data based on smartphone usage expectations.
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So browsing on EDGE on my old sony w810i uses less bandwidth than browsing the same websites on my N1 ?
There is NO cap on the EDGE-only "data unlimited" data plan.
In the past they have forced people who used more than 2GB/month to switch. I'm not even close to that number. All they have right now is that i'm on a phone they classify as a "smartphone".
So those rates are for t-mo 3G correct ?
Damn that sucks that they're forcing you to upgrade >.< unfortunately, it's the same with t-mobile so it's up to you if you want to switch carriers
I had the "total internet add-on" data plan with t-mo with my dash, i only got edge on it though since the phone didnt support 3g. When i got my N1 i had 3g working for about 2 weeks just fine but one day it stopped working altogether, so i called them up and they said the same thing, "We have detected that you are using an android smartphone so you'll have to upgrade to the android internet plan"
Now i'm paying $25/month.
That's not too much of a difference than ATT's $30 but if you switch you'll actually be able to use 3g, and t-mobile's pretty cheap too so it shouldnt be too bad for you
britoso said:
So browsing on EDGE on my old sony w810i uses less bandwidth than browsing the same websites on my N1 ?
There is NO cap on the EDGE-only "data unlimited" data plan.
In the past they have forced people who used more than 2GB/month to switch. I'm not even close to that number. All they have right now is that i'm on a phone they classify as a "smartphone".
So those rates are for t-mo 3G correct ?
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Yup, T-mobile is essentially going for an "all or nothing" pricing structure.
Basically three options, X Minutes voice, text, data.
I hope they roll text and voice together soon.
britoso said:
So those rates are for t-mo 3G correct ?
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Yeah, the rates listed are for tmobile 3G (there is no EDGE plan on any carrier as far as I know), and you can take a closer look at tmobile.com. If those prices are good to you you should at least test tmobile out for a couple of weeks... 3G is definitely much more fun on the nexus than edge, and if you are going to be paying $30 a month more on At&t anyway you have nothing to lose. Also, you wouldn't be signing a contract, so you'd be in about the same position as you are now but with 3G capabilites.
With regards to data plans, I am not saying I agree with their logic; In fact, I think they should have 3G and Edge specific data plans. You would think AT&T would also welcome this to alleviate some of the 3G congestion for users who don't demand 3G speeds, or who's phones are not capable. I would even welcome a tiered package, for example, a 1GB hard cap for $10-15 or something.
Anyway, I think (total guess here) that they believe there is more use of push email, etc and apps that constantly update and grab data on phones like the iphone and nexus, so those are the capabilities I am referring to, not simply browsing the web.
There's no reason for them to have edge/3g data plans, that's not what they're charging you for. they charge more for smartphones because they use more bandwidth since they're able to load actual websites and do more than a basic cellphone with mobile web browsing. They may have a poor way of explaining the situation if they're saying it's because you've accessed their 3g networks (which as somebody has already pointed out is impossible with an N1), but it's simply because a smartphone accesses the data network more than a basic cellphone.
Why do you want EDGE only? Thing is the unlimited voice plans on tmobile are so cheap you don't need roll over. I used to be on AT&T as well and always felt more like I was the one doing the rolling over.
j2eubank said:
Why do you want EDGE only? Thing is the unlimited voice plans on tmobile are so cheap you don't need roll over. I used to be on AT&T as well and always felt more like I was the one doing the rolling over.
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I dont need more than EDGE. (gmail, gvoice, IM, occassional web lookup. thats all I use the web on my phone for)
original iphone (2g) users when they acquire a 3g or 3gs iphone receive emails and texts from att letting them know they have a 3g capable device (even if they have 3g disabled on the phone) and need to upgrade their plan to reflect this.
My girlfriend broke her 2g and adopted my iphone 3g when I moved to the n1. About a week after the migration, texts and emails started rolling in from ATT telling her to upgrade to a 3g data plan. I called ATT and they were less than friendly about the entire thing. I explained why she was on a 3g device and that if they checked their records, she was not using it. After a manager began to talk down to me I let them know she was in contract for the services offered for the iphone 2g and if they were adamant about the forced upgrade, they were free to let her out of her contract at not additional cost...so far the emails and texts have stopped. Keep in mind that she has 3g turned off on her phone so it's not like she is attempting to use a service that was not in her original plan.
It seems to me that they do actually offer an edge/2g only data plan if they are this persnickety regarding edge vs. 3g data usage.
...seriously lame if you ask me.
If the rumors about an upcoming AT&T N1 are true, then AT&T is probably gearing up to be able to detect the 3G N1's on their system and force them to upgrade. That would at least make some sense, even though I think they should be gearing more off of amount of data rather than type of data.
So, if they are gearing up for that - perhaps the current N1's are coming up in their system as "rogue 3G smartphones" even though these particular N1's are not accessing their 3G? They probably use IMEI numbers so it would boil down to whether HTC uses separate ranges for the different forms of the N1 or not - or whether they report the ranges with such fine granularity to the carriers.
My take on the "smartphone data" plan distinctions is that they really want to charge more for higher volumes of data, but any plan that includes a limit has such a bad public reaction these days that instead they make all of the plans "unlimited" and bank on how easy it is for the device to use the data to throttle the customers rather than a hard limit. In the end, the result is that they classify your device instead of your usage to appease the other customers and then you may pay in circumstances which seem unfair - all to save the "we don't like limits" crowd from rebelling...
So yesterday I got the email from sprint,followed the link and it took me to a "comming soon" page....WTF. So I call sprint, rep asked someone else in the room and said aug. 20. Then I figured I Might as well confirm contract pricing and stuff. She said that the $10/mo. Fee allows higher speed/wider bandwidth connection even on 3g network locations. Can evo owners confirm or deny this?
She also seemed to hint that we might get some sort of pre-notification/pre-order email if your on that list or whatever, I think its all just some sort of bass aackwords social media campain to keep us talking about it...........epic 4g..epic 4g..epic 4g..epic 4g,can I have my phone now?
Evo 4g still is only at select locations "due to unprecidented demand" WTF. Sprint you better pull your head out of your bass and hook an "early adoptor" up.
ummm, what?
radar5 said:
ummm, what?
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That's what I would've said.
Anyway does anyone know if the Epic 4g is gonna cost that $10 extra a month? It's not really all that big of a deal but I still wanna know.
I'd bet 10$ it will. Its here to stay on 4g phones.
Yes its going to cost the extra 10.
I can assure you that they are no faster on 3g than we are. 3g is '3g' is "3g" is EVDO RevA. The technologies don't allow for one device to be different than than other one. The towers don't give an EVO a priority over a Hero, its just not how things work. If the EVO does get a better speed test its because it can process the data faster, so if a website feels like it loads faster - it probably does - but its all in rendering not in the network.
And yes, the $10.00 fee will be there. I am not sure what everyones big deal is with it. It gives you the ability to hit 4G if you can, its a lot easier for sprint to tell you that you can connect to 4G regardless of where you live than for them to keep track of 4G users and non 4G users.
Given I do think they need a 3g super phone for those of you who are complaining.
All about the fee...
Try out explainthefee dot com
Kcarpenter said:
I can assure you that they are no faster on 3g than we are. 3g is '3g' is "3g" is EVDO RevA. The technologies don't allow for one device to be different than than other one. The towers don't give an EVO a priority over a Hero, its just not how things work. If the EVO does get a better speed test its because it can process the data faster, so if a website feels like it loads faster - it probably does - but its all in rendering not in the network.
And yes, the $10.00 fee will be there. I am not sure what everyones big deal is with it. It gives you the ability to hit 4G if you can, its a lot easier for sprint to tell you that you can connect to 4G regardless of where you live than for them to keep track of 4G users and non 4G users.
Given I do think they need a 3g super phone for those of you who are complaining.
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Ok so I kind of accepted what she said ( I don't argue with children or uninformed people),but I asked "sooo the fee makes me somekind of priority user?" She replied "yes" I said "ummm ok". Please understand that I'm not saying she was right or truthful. Also when I went into the sprint store to ask about coverage in my little 3 stoplight town they had multiple overlapping signal strength maps on their terminal (3 I think). They were telling me yes your in 3g coverage area, yes your in area for cell modem, hotspot at home etc. Its my understanding all of these devices operate on the same network, but at differant speeds usually, isn't a cell modem plan more than adding data coverage and also faster? IDK maybe cell modem users do have priority.
The reason makes sense to me is because I use to move pretty often and I had a blackberry pearl that I bought when it first came out specifically for use as usb tether modem. Whenever the local high school let out for the day my connection would take a dump, so I would call T-mobile and explain my problem," is there anything you can do, this is a really important work project? They'd say hold on ill try to boost your network priority. I did this 2-3 times a week and it seemed to work, every time I called in I got the same response,T-mo RIM support had their own dept. Back in the day and they were actually quite good. This took place from 4-2 years ago.
Disclaimer
I am not a lawyer, don't play one on tv, and didn't sleep in a holiday inn express lastnight.
harrybozack said:
Try out explainthefee dot com
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You could just choose not to have Sprint. You always have that choice. They aren't adding the fee to current subscribers without possibly using the service. Unlike the other carriers with similar products, the user experience IS very different. I don't know if its your website, or a website you're just fond of. But if you really want to make Sprint pay for their $10 fee, then don't use them. Even with the $10 fee, they still sold out on the Evo, maybe its because their service isn't half-bad for what you do pay for.
Would you complain to the BBB about AT&T just announcing tiered data plans? No, because there is nothing you can do about it. Want an Iphone 4, pay for your extra data you'll use. VZW will go this way soon enough.
They are charging $10 extra a month on all of their 4G phones now. They charge evo $10 extra for the chance to use 4G if you can find it.
Ok so I went to explainthefee.com read the transcript and some other stuff. My guess is that some mid level exec. business school graduate got his hot little hands on a evo, flexed its muscles and decided that they "could/should" charge more. Keep in mind 2 things, firstly these guys running the companies don't understand/care about "fringe users like us" their personal phones are not rooted/overclocked/themed they have no idea!,they may have never bothered using youtube etc. On a smaller screeen device. Secondly the new CEO of sprint turned the company around and wanted to offer the lowest priced plans available with the most everything. They want it both ways and that's why they can't answer a simple question "what am I paying for".
I guess the 10$ is for..........Ummm well were not going to restructure our entire rate plan menu because of one device are we? I mean we signed a contract for 1.5m rate plan pamplets, and those little signs in all the stores.........etc.
I say after the epic is released we start a serious email/bbb campain they don't seem to have any firm ground to stand on. They will raise all rate plans $10 or more and allow us our legacy plans without the $10 fee.
Remember AFTER epic release............... Say 10 days?
Indeed, as far as I know, what they're doing is essentially unheard of in the US. I wasn't into phones as much back in 2002 or so when 3G first got started, but I do know that nowadays you don't have to pay an extra surcharge for EDGE over GPRS, or HSPA over EDGE (apologies for the GSM examples). You pay for Internet on other carriers, plain and simple. It would be slightly easier to take if they at least gave you the choice to not use their 4G Internet, especially since it might not be available where you live anyway, and they may have no plans to make it available.
BTW Thank You harrybozack for explainthefee.com
All future epic owners and sprint customers should be aware of
explainthefee.com and their efforts.
explainthefee.com
Epic4g...epic4g...epic4g...epic4g...epic4g...epic4g...epic4g...epic 4g...epic 4g...epic 4g...epic 4g......
Can I purchase my phone now?
gophergun said:
Indeed, as far as I know, what they're doing is essentially unheard of in the US. I wasn't into phones as much back in 2002 or so when 3G first got started, but I do know that nowadays you don't have to pay an extra surcharge for EDGE over GPRS, or HSPA over EDGE (apologies for the GSM examples). You pay for Internet on other carriers, plain and simple. It would be slightly easier to take if they at least gave you the choice to not use their 4G Internet, especially since it might not be available where you live anyway, and they may have no plans to make it available.
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You do realize that when the iPhone 3G came out, they jacked up the cost of the internet plans on AT&T right? I THINK it was $20 for the 1st gen, and $30 for the 3G.
reply
entropism said:
You do realize that when the iPhone 3G came out, they jacked up the cost of the internet plans on AT&T right? I THINK it was $20 for the 1st gen, and $30 for the 3G.
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Firstly we are Android users, and as such I don't drink from the kool-aid cup of at&t/steve jobs/apple. Secondly at&t aplies their rates evenly on all users. Would I pay more per month
For a i4 vs i3gs?
And in conclusion what product or service is being provided for $10/mo. Or $120/yr Or in my case $240/yr? Am I renting a big screen/fast processor/whatever, in addition to paying for the device and service?
I'm sorry but I'm so tired of reading about the $10 fee, (Did a lot of lurking on the EVO forums before it released)
The $10 sucks, but it does allow you to access 4G in various locations around the country. Out of the 5 or 6 Cities I'm visiting in the next year, 4G is everywhere but Wichita so I won't be missing out.
Even then, paying $79.99 for a plan is still cheaper than what you would pay with AT&T and Verizon.
If you're too upset to pay the fee, it's not that hard to switch to another company that offers a comparable high level android phone and not have to pay that $10. Maybe if you and enough like minded people don't sign up for the 4G phones, it'll make a difference to Sprint.
I just get so tired of seeing these same old complaints from people and then they turn around and get the phone anyway!
So let me explain the fee:
With Comcast/Charter you have different levels of speed you are able to get - you pay more for faster speed. They cannot guarantee that you will get 25 mb/s but - you pay for it any way...theres your explanation. You don't want the fee, don't buy the hardware.
I don't understand the drama.
kgold708 said:
Ok so I kind of accepted what she said ( I don't argue with children or uninformed people),but I asked "sooo the fee makes me somekind of priority user?" She replied "yes" I said "ummm ok". Please understand that I'm not saying she was right or truthful. Also when I went into the sprint store to ask about coverage in my little 3 stoplight town they had multiple overlapping signal strength maps on their terminal (3 I think). They were telling me yes your in 3g coverage area, yes your in area for cell modem, hotspot at home etc. Its my understanding all of these devices operate on the same network, but at differant speeds usually, isn't a cell modem plan more than adding data coverage and also faster? IDK maybe cell modem users do have priority.
The reason makes sense to me is because I use to move pretty often and I had a blackberry pearl that I bought when it first came out specifically for use as usb tether modem. Whenever the local high school let out for the day my connection would take a dump, so I would call T-mobile and explain my problem," is there anything you can do, this is a really important work project? They'd say hold on ill try to boost your network priority. I did this 2-3 times a week and it seemed to work, every time I called in I got the same response,T-mo RIM support had their own dept. Back in the day and they were actually quite good. This took place from 4-2 years ago.
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There is a priority on the network, and it would probably allow you to drop less calls. I think priority 0 is reserved for emergency departments use - but speed would not be affected by it. Just how often you can poll the tower and how likely you are to be bumped off in high traffic.
1: I'm ok with paying $10 extra for decreased latancy/higher network priority. Not ok with "enhanced user experience" BS
2: I am going to sign a contract for @$3840-4000, 2 devices 2yr contract, that $10 fee is $480. If I pay over $500 (after tax) for something, don't you think I should know what it is?
3: Sprint fanboys/employees,how about next time they charge $20/mo (Android 3.0 provides an enhanced-enhanced experience).
Companies are being really stupid when it comes to 4G, and the Ipad having 4g is really dumb because of the dumb choices by the cell phone companies. Whats the problem? Should be obvious, data caps. What the hell is the point of faster internet when you can't use it without paying hefty premiums? I am watching verizon advertisements about 4G and how you can download 1100 songs and stream multiple HD movies and it makes me sick. Sure you can download 1100 songs on 4g, if you don't use ur internet for single byte of data for anything else. Sure I can quickly stream movies over 4g, whats the point when the movie will eat up half my data plan? Sure webpages will load faster, but the only websites where it will make a real difference are ones that will eat up my data. What do they think, people want their email messages to download faster? OOO I have 4g, my one email downloads half a second faster. Give me a break.
Putting 4G on the new Ipad I think is more for marketing than it is for anything else, because people will quickly realize that their data usage bills are through the roof when they start using that data for a lot of the things people will use an Ipad for, and by that time it will be too late, they already bought the product. In the long run this will create a ton of consumer backlash. I am so glad I am grandfathered in with unlimited data, because if I had a data cap life would be extremely difficult in regards to my cell phone and tablet usage (HTC Thunderbolt with wireless tether)
AMEN BROTHER!
Just like no sd cards in phone, they give you cloud storage for free, but you get to pay for data. My sd card never charges me when I use it! This is a blatant ploy by the wireless providers to get us to use more and more data, paying them more and more, when they claim they are struggling to keep up with demand and don't have enough spectrum!
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA
Your right that's one other thing. I love the claims that they need data caps to keep up with demand on a 4g spectrum that is no where near capacity, its so insane how selfish and greedy they can be.
PS I also have grandfathered unlimited data and ATT decided that unlimited is really 3gb and then you get switched to edge. I never agreed to this. I guess big companies can do whatever they want.
And by the way, The HTC Vivid is still sending some data over 4g even when you are on WiFi! I have seen it on 3 phones now! 1.6gb 3 weeks usage, only gmail and weather when not on WiFi, very minimal user, no streaming, no downloading! Beware!
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA
Well Bros
You Guys are Talking "4G",
Whereas we ,in Pakistan are still Waiting for 3G To be launched...
Or, you could go with someone that offers unlimited data still or buy unbranded like I did.
z33dev33l said:
Or, you could go with someone that offers unlimited data still or buy unbranded like I did.
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In America the only major carrier that still offers unlimited data to new customers is Sprint, who is known for being one of the worst carriers when it comes to getting a signal. I do not know if Europe or other areas have 4G coverage yet and if those countries have options when it comes to unlimited bandwidth.
Also what do you mean when you say buying unbranded?
T mobile does, att does on prepaid.
z33dev33l said:
T mobile does, att does on prepaid.
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You are sort of right about Tmobile, they won't charge you for overages, but you get dropped to the lower speed network when you go over your plans allotment for 4g, you can pay for 2 gb of 4g speed or you can pay more for 5 gb of 4g speed, so they are still doing tiered data plans and charging more for higher allotment, but doing what ATT does when you go over your plans allotment and dropping you to slow speed.
I believe this should still be considered a problem when they advertise all the high bandwidth things you can do with 4G but require you to either pay a hefty premium to have a decent amount high speed data or force you to crawl internet speeds when you don't want to pay extra but want to do internet intensive things. I just feel its shady marketing practices, especially the current verizon 4gb data 4g ad.
And clearly I do not know how to spell allotment.
I'd hardly consider 3g a crawl...
Would you consider dial-up a crawl? I'm using it now and I would like to shout some distasteful comments about it
Sent from my Lemon™ 5GS using Tapatalk
I get 3g speeds after running my 4g into the ground.
sfetaz said:
In America the only major carrier that still offers unlimited data to new customers is Sprint, who is known for being one of the worst carriers when it comes to getting a signal. I do not know if Europe or other areas have 4G coverage yet and if those countries have options when it comes to unlimited bandwidth.
Also what do you mean when you say buying unbranded?
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Speaking for europe I can say there is no 4G in uk but plans for 4G within two years.
We are stuck with 3G which cost me five pound for five hundred mb.
Dave
Sent from my LG P920 using Tapatalk
We have a 30Gb data limit here in Finland for 4G LTE.
The carriers want you to go over your data limit so they can charge you more. Then they want to recharge you for the same data if you want to tether with it. And for some of us we don't have a choice of many carriers if we want coverage.
They also impose the data cap because VZ is marketing part of their 4g bandwidth to customers now. FIOS is in pretty limited markets and it's a pretty low-cost method for VZ as they don't have to put down new cables or anything. What sucks though is that now you will have people attempting to run all their normal computer data over the same data network as people on their phones which doesn't seem like it will have a good outcome.
Unlimited data
This is the only reason I will not switch from Sprint to Verizon or AT&T. UNLIMITED data! Sooner or later Sprint will take the lead for this simple reason...
All these companies need to break away from wanting consumers to sign a new contract for data on a tablet.
I also believe that having 4G on an iPad is pointless because if you get a texting+voice app you now have a huge iPhone.
Well the telecommunication corporations in north America charge the most in the world so what do you expect. Furthermore, they can get away with it and there is nothing you the consumer can really do about it because it is something such a wide spread amount of people use that they can charge whatever they want.
Not to go off topic but I think socializing the telecommunications industry would be the best course of action as it is a universal service that pretty much everyone uses. It would lower the rates greatly if there wasn't a huge mark up on all the services.
Then again anything a little related to communism is scary because you know Nixon said so and corporations tend to push technology further to stay ahead of their competition so meh.
Hi, thanks for looking at my thread. Hopefully you can help me out. My situation is described below.
My family and I are currently on a Verizon Wireless plan. We have two smartphones connected to the plan, and two dumb phones. One smartphone has been grandfathered into the unlimited 4G data plan and needs to keep it because that line uses about 4-8GB/month. The other smartphone is on the tiered data plan of 2GB, which is fine for this line because it uses about 1-1.25GB/month. We have 1400 minutes (we do not use all of this) and unlimited text (necessary) shared throughout the plan. We are using a corporate discount, yet our bill is still ~$200USD/month, which is pretty absurd for what we get in return. The two dumb phone users really wish to upgrade their line to smartphones, but we have not proceeded because the bill is already quite high and we are looking for alternatives. The contract is ending in the next few months, and I am looking for guidance on what to do that would allow the following:
# of lines: 4 (all smart phones)
Minutes: 800-1000 shared
Text: Unlimited shared
Data: Preferably unlimited, but each device really only needs about 2GB, with the exception to the one line requiring unlimited. Also, 4G is important, and I have grown to love the speed, but it is something I am willing to part with to allow the other two lines upgrade to smartphones.
My goal is to overall lower the monthly costs of our plan and allow all four lines obtain smartphones. From research, I have found that this, from my knowledge, is more than unlikely to occur at Verizon Wireless and this is why we are planning on taking our business elsewhere. I have been doing intense research on prepaid plans, and considering this instead of the traditional plan, but I am new to this and need some guidance.
If anyone wouldn't mind pointing me in the right direction, I would really appreciate it. All suggestions are highly appreciated.
Lastly, since one of the lines requires a more extensive plan (unlimited data), I am willing to split that line into a second plan if it would save money as the other lines would more than likely be able to share 5GB/month.
Thank you very much!
If you need any additional information, please let me know.
Honestly it depends on coverage for all the carriers. If you have good coverage on all four carriers I'd consider T-Mobile honestly. If your current Verizon smartphones have GSM built in you should be able to get good speeds. Or you could sell your account (with the unlimited grandfathered plan, you could get something good for that), then use the money to recoup some of the cost involved with moving over. I think out of the four postpaid carriers T-Mobile isn't a bad way to go, and data is per line. There's also plenty of prepaid options like Virgin Mobile. You can get the $35 plan x4 = $140 a month (pay a little more for the one line with more data) and you can get 4G up to either 2.5 or 3.5GB unthrottled then it throttles down. If VM/Sprint works good in your area that might be something to consider.
Honestly it's gonna take research. The problem is if you sign up for a plan you'll have to pay for phones. If you have the money to plunk it down up front you could buy 4 Nexus 4s or even find some used phones and start there off of like Craigslist/eBay or something. You can very easily spend less than $200 a month, just do some research.
You never did state your area.
Thank you very much for your reply. I am sorry I forgot to state my area, I am in central Ohio, USA. I live in a rural area, so out of most providers, we don't get the best service. I'm on the very edge of Verizon's 4G service (I only get it in one corner of the house), but this is not particularly important because our wifi works quite well, and 4G LTE is a battery hog anyhow. I've been looking into T-Mobile, especially since they announced their family plan, but I'm slightly worried about coverage because some people I have spoken with said they cannot even receive text when in our area, and that would be a big problem. I may look into grabbing a monthly prepaid on one line and testing the network prior to switching. Thanks again!
Edit: http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/family-plans.aspx is the tmobile family plans I am referring to, but unfortunately, this is only saving $20/mo, but on the bright side, everyone is able to have smartphones on the plan.
c21johnson said:
Thank you very much for your reply. I am sorry I forgot to state my area, I am in central Ohio, USA. I live in a rural area, so out of most providers, we don't get the best service. I'm on the very edge of Verizon's 4G service (I only get it in one corner of the house), but this is not particularly important because our wifi works quite well, and 4G LTE is a battery hog anyhow. I've been looking into T-Mobile, especially since they announced their family plan, but I'm slightly worried about coverage because some people I have spoken with said they cannot even receive text when in our area, and that would be a big problem. I may look into grabbing a monthly prepaid on one line and testing the network prior to switching. Thanks again!
Edit: http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/family-plans.aspx is the tmobile family plans I am referring to, but unfortunately, this is only saving $20/mo, but on the bright side, everyone is able to have smartphones on the plan.
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If you're in a partner area, then yeah you will only get roaming coverage, which will suck. If your area is a 2g area, you will get either GRPS which is dialup speeds or edge which is up to 256kbps down, but really is more like 100 kbps or maybe 150 kbps real world conditions, enough for streaming Pandora on low or having it buffer. Since I don't know exactly, it looks like Sprint only has 3g so it may be crappy fast but might be decent (comparable to Verizon 3g EVDO, but slower as they don't seem to have as much bandwidth to their towers as Verizon). You might ask people on Sprint/AT&T and then consider Virgin Mobile.
Another option is to get a SIM card and test the network on prepaid for T-Mobile. They let you have full access to their network speeds in your area on prepaid so if you have a LTE capable phone unlocked and stick a T-Mobile SIM in and active on like the $3 a day play or the $30 5GB plan you would get LTE speeds. But you'd be stuck on edge probably and you might have to go with one of the big two companies or maybe Sprint. Some MVNOs are pretty good and reading up on HowardForums would be a better option
After doing extensive research and comparison....I don' t see how Project Fi is a better deal price wise.
I have not tried Google Fi....I just ordered a Pixel XL....but unless their plan prices lower to be more competitive....no thanks.
In-fact, I find Republic Wireless or MetroPCS to be a better deal if you are looking for a cheap NVMO.
I was gonna switch to a cheaper carrier, but then Tmobile is now offering 10gb pre-pay plan for $50. (vs the $40 3gb plan I was on).
Since I am directly with the network carrier, and not a NVMO like Fi, faster speeds and higher priority.
( Tested out Republic Wireless and MetroPCS in my area to compare, both are Tmobile NVMO's....and download speed is capped at around 25megs. On my Tmobile prepay sim, I get full speeds of 100+megs.) (ATT/Sprint NVMOS are capped at 8megs)
If Fi lowered their base plan to $10 or made it $5 per GB...then it would be far more competitive. Sure, they do the refund thing, but 10gb base would be $120 on Fi....i would have to only use up to 3GB on Fi to get a refund to make it $50 to match Tmobile 10gb price.
The only real advantage i can see with Fi is for low data users and those who needs the carrier switching ability in there area. Tmobile is far better in my area...and the 3rd carrier Fi uses isnt even anywhere near me. So, travel wise, I suppose Fi would also be a low cost option to VZW(which seems to be the most preferred for travel)
The only reason I'm on Fi is because data for tablets, etc. is free.
Well, it gets rolled into your plan's existing data usage.
But they don't charge you like $10/month for having a tablet or something.
Between that and the fact that I'm locked in, I'd already be back with AT&T which has the best overall coverage here in Texas.
Fi is good. But it's not GREAT.
Fi user here.
When Fi first came out it was a lot more competitive. Now that the other major carriers are offering unlimited data, unlimited streaming, etc. for ~$50-60 a month, it's hard to make an argument for Project Fi. I don't use a whole lot of data while on the go; I average about 2 GB a month, so Fi makes sense for me (a $45 phone bill is awesome) but this is not the case with most others. I also like the networking switching because T-Mobile is a bit weak where I work, while Sprint is somehow very strong (Sprint sucks pretty much every where else in my area). The data only SIMs are cool, the idea is cool, the speed is great, WiFi calling is stellar, network switching is neat and works relatively well, and if you don't use a whole lot of data, you can save a lot of money on your phone bill every month. If you're a person who likes to stream video and snapchat every aspect of their life while on the go, I'd say look elsewhere lol.
I used to be a T-Mobile customer. I switched to Project Fi when I got a Nexus 5X. My phone bill was substantially lower. Things have changed, however, and pricing among competitors has gotten a lot more... competitive. I find myself considering going back to T-Mobile from time to time, but it's not worth the hassle. Perhaps when I move to a new area / get a new job.
The main reason I'm still on Fi is because I travel overseas yearly and international data is considered part of your normal data pool. I came from T-Mobile who I wouldn't mind going back to if it wasn't for a bad experience with John Legere. Only other carrier I've considered is Verizon who have a terrible international data plan so thats not going to happen anytime soon.
FI User since i got my Pixel XL in 2016
Silenthillnight said:
The main reason I'm still on Fi is because I travel overseas yearly and international data is considered part of your normal data pool. I came from T-Mobile who I wouldn't mind going back to if it wasn't for a bad experience with John Legere. Only other carrier I've considered is Verizon who have a terrible international data plan so thats not going to happen anytime soon.
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I agree.
No Roaming.
Variety in carrier when traveling is a huge plus.
Low fees.
Hangouts works really well for ProjectFI users, still texting and making calls.
Even when i do have a month where i use 10gb it is still cheaper than the group plan i was supporting with ATT before.
And the peak is only that month.
Otherwise I am in the 65-95 per month range. Which was still half of my monthly with ATT.
If Verizon would take corporate discounts on the Unlimited plan I would switch but they dont so i wont.
I have been with Fi since the beginning. I travel quite a bit and has come in handy out of the US.
I was with AT&T before and they had great service everywhere I went here in the states. That said with my 2 phones I was spending 150ish a month for service.
With Project Fi my bills are around 70 a month. Very worth it for me.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
If you don't like the idea of Fi, you're wanting to use it for the way wrong reasons. Fi isn't for people who want cheap data. It's for people who want reliable service and not having to worry too much about dropped calls and just want to have phone service. Yes you can get cheap plans from other carriers but you're stuck to their towers and where they have service. With Fi you have 4 options. T, S, US and WiFi.
Fi for the win! ??
Jammol said:
If you don't like the idea of Fi, you're wanting to use it for the way wrong reasons. Fi isn't for people who want cheap data. It's for people who want reliable service and not having to worry too much about dropped calls and just want to have phone service. Yes you can get cheap plans from other carriers but you're stuck to their towers and where they have service. With Fi you have 4 options. T, S, US and WiFi.
Fi for the win! ??
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I agree I came from at&t and never looking back, I love that fi has around the clock live customer service
In my country, unlimited LTE data is only about 25USD. and I'm not a frequent flyer.
so it's really too expensive for me.
but if it can lower it's base price, I'm willing to try it.
sakumaxp said:
I agree I came from at&t and never looking back, I love that fi has around the clock live customer service
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We were trying to same some money when we switched from T-Mobile so Fi works great for my wife and I. We are thinking of Xfinity Mobile but they are stuck on Verizon. Plus they got that whole net neutrality thing going on. The deal is attractive as fudge though. If you're an Xfinity customer that has home internet, you'll only have to pay for the data you use. So for my wife and I, or Mobile bill will be $24 total. But... Verizon! ?
stone0504 said:
In my country, unlimited LTE data is only about 25USD. and I'm not a frequent flyer.
so it's really too expensive for me.
but if it can lower it's base price, I'm willing to try it.
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If you need unlimited data I suggest sticking to your current service. I used to be one of those people that T-Mobile would cut off completely each month. Yeah, 200+GB most months. One month we are on Project Fi, and boy that was a total slap in my internet habits face. Turns out though, I actually only need to use 600mb of data a month because I'm always on WiFi at work, lol.
Still...Fi is a NVMO...so its gonna have multiple backend phone numbers (1 on each network) so more spam calls. (this is an issue with several people I know that use NVMOs)
.and the phone always searching and comparing multiple networks, so that would cause a bit more battery drain as the radios are more active than just locked to one band.
They need to catch up to the modern day times tough in price...to stay competitive. I read they are gonna offer a mid range price device compatible with Fi...so..they are doing...something.
speedingcheetah said:
Still...Fi is a NVMO...so its gonna have multiple backend phone numbers (1 on each network) so more spam calls. (this is an issue with several people I know that use NVMOs)
.and the phone always searching and comparing multiple networks, so that would cause a bit more battery drain as the radios are more active than just locked to one band.
They need to catch up to the modern day times tough in price...to stay competitive. I read they are gonna offer a mid range price device compatible with Fi...so..they are doing...something.
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Yeah but my Pixel tells me when its a spam caller so its no big deal. Same amount as when i was on ATT really.
You can also anchor it on one carrier or another so it isnt switching constantly which is what I do only because of preference for Tmob coverage over Sprint in my area.
parakleet said:
Yeah but my Pixel tells me when its a spam caller so its no big deal. Same amount as when i was on ATT really.
You can also anchor it on one carrier or another so it isnt switching constantly which is what I do only because of preference for Tmob coverage over Sprint in my area.
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How do u set it to use only one carrier?
As someone that has looked at most MVNOs, I'd say some possible selling points of FI might be for someone that:
1) Uses enough talk and text to justify unlimited talk and text, since some users don't actually need unlimited
2) Wants to limit their phone bill by not using a lot of data, since limiting data usage generally results in a lower bill at FI
3) Wants better coverage than just Sprint or T-Mobile native service, since there are probably cheaper options with Sprint or T-Mobile MVNOs that lack roaming
With that sort of criteria, the main competitors are probably going to be Verizon or AT&T MVNOs, although there may be a few other options like Twigby (Sprint MVNO with voice roaming). $20 is about where Verizon and AT&T MVNOs start with unlimited talk and text, and customers might get a bit of data. For example Boom Mobile begins at $20 for Verizon service and includes 250 MB with the option to add data that lasts 90 days. Like any service provider that only offers one plan, FI probably just doesn't fit your interests, since either #2 & #3 don't seem to be major considerations in your comments. It doesn't fit my usage either, simply because I don't use enough voice service that I need to pay $20 each and every month (#1).
Note: Currently there's probably no actual reason to use Twigby, since Sprint postpaid is offering a year of service for nearly free. The Pixel is one of the phones in the offer, so many users here could probably port to Sprint postpaid for nearly free service. Personally my main reason for passing on the free unlimited service from Sprint offer is that their limits for data roaming are rather low, and Verizon or AT&T have far more data coverage.
alluringreality said:
As someone that has looked at most MVNOs, I'd say some possible selling points of FI might be for someone that:
1) Uses enough talk and text to justify unlimited talk and text, since some users don't actually need unlimited
2) Wants to limit their phone bill by not using a lot of data, since limiting data usage generally results in a lower bill at FI
3) Wants better coverage than just Sprint or T-Mobile native service, since there are probably cheaper options with Sprint or T-Mobile MVNOs that lack roaming
With that sort of criteria, the main competitors are probably going to be Verizon or AT&T MVNOs, although there may be a few other options like Twigby (Sprint MVNO with voice roaming). $20 is about where Verizon and AT&T MVNOs start with unlimited talk and text, and customers might get a bit of data. For example Boom Mobile begins at $20 for Verizon service and includes 250 MB with the option to add data that lasts 90 days. Like any service provider that only offers one plan, FI probably just doesn't fit your interests, since either #2 & #3 don't seem to be major considerations in your comments. It doesn't fit my usage either, simply because I don't use enough voice service that I need to pay $20 each and every month (#1).
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My mother uses Republic Wireless $10 unlimted talk/txt plan. No data. Great for her. U can get some data for $5 more. (discontinued 2.0 refund plans though)
Fi $20 off code: NV503E Now should be worth it
kolyan said:
Fi $20 off code: NV503E Now should be worth it
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lol...not like a quick Google search wont find more than 100 Fi referral codes.
A one time $20 credit....
I would like to know how much the "real cost" is of Fi....that is...how much they charge for taxes and fees etc.
On my Tmobile Prepay...only thing is state sales tax...so $40 plan is $43.91
Duplicate post...wtf?
speedingcheetah said:
How do u set it to use only one carrier?
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FiSwitch
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cheekydevs.fiswitch&hl=en
Root makes it easier but is not required.