Take notice att!

mikewho · ‎12-17-2008

The new shared plans from verizon stink. When you go to shared data don't follow Verizon's lead. Those plan prices are outrageous. Don't be a follower.

21stNow · ‎07-07-2010

I agree. That would be enough to push me out to prepaid. The fact that the only minute allotment available to smartphone users is unlimited minutes is bad. But, the price for data is what is outrageous. $50 for 1GB is price-gouging. It would have looked better if they offered unlimited text and voice minutes for $60 (with lower tiers available) and $20 for 1GB of data.

But why would VZW give up the title of most expensive carrier when they don't have to?

kinghdmi · ‎02-21-2012

I just looked on their site. Would you elaborate on the plans ? I don't see whats changed since I left them in December.

mikewho · ‎12-17-2008

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2018412968_verizon_revamps_data_pla...

kinghdmi · ‎02-21-2012

When we had VZ, it was $30 for 4GB on each phone. ( 8GB total $60) Now its shared 4GB total for $70 ? Way to go ! Of course it wouldn't matter if they would have given me 100 GB for $30 because I couldn't use it when all I ever saw was

< NO NETWORK CONNECTION>.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

like it has been said - be careful what you ask for, it will not be what you want. Figured he prices would be medium to high and the shared data be a medium allocation.

youngjm · ‎05-02-2003

These companies are not going to change the plans in a way that reduced their gross revenue. They are being pushed to increase their average revenue per user. These new plans do that without you realizing that they got more of your dollars.

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Dcookie · ‎01-30-2008

mikewho wrote:
The new shared plans from verizon stink. When you go to shared data don't follow Verizon's lead. Those plan prices are outrageous. Don't be a follower.

I think I like my 2GB/$25 plan more and more each day. I have to agree with you...their prices ARE outrageous!!

Hangin' with my Peeps!!

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

Dcookie wrote:

mikewho wrote:
The new shared plans from verizon stink. When you go to shared data don't follow Verizon's lead. Those plan prices are outrageous. Don't be a follower.

I think I like my 2GB/$25 plan more and more each day. I have to agree with you...their prices ARE outrageous!!

Not quite sure I would aggree with outrageous, high, yes, outrageous no. the carriers are not going to lose money in going ot a shared data plan, that was a given. The thing that I have not seen mentioned in any of these discussions are the changes to the voice / text protion of the service. The users that opt for the shared data plan will now recieve unlimited voice minutes and unlimited text minutes for 40.00 (I thinkt hat wsa the quoted price). The winners in this senario will be those that already have the unlimited plans for voice / text, their pricing is going to drop tremendously. They are currenlty paying 80.00 for that privilige on a single line and 149.00 for family plans

Suspect any other carrier going this route will have pricing very close to what is showing for verizon. The other thing thast has not been talked about is the fact that unless you pay full retail price for your upgrade those that have grandfathered unlimited plans will be forced to remove the unlimited plan and take one of the new data plans

Bottom line - be careful what you wish for, you may get it and it will not be what you desired.

mikewho · ‎12-17-2008

I'm fine with shared data but I think the plans should have a lower starting point. Priced too high in my opinion. I saw somewhere that an individual voice plan is still $40 so it's good to see that option still available.

harryspar · ‎11-06-2011

People are using less voice & text, & more data. Therefore VZ will give you more of what you don't need (voice & text) and less of what you do need (data).

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

harryspar wrote:
People are using less voice & text, & more data. Therefore VZ will give you more of what you don't need (voice & text) and less of what you do need (data).

and as any good business that is profitabe charge more for what is in demand because the infrastructure and spectrum costs are a lot higher, voice / text utilizes a very small portion of the avaialable spectrum, data is the higher of the three, specturm is not cheap nor is it limitles

Spectrum efficiency improvements due to LTE and LTE-Advanced will not be able to keep up with the projected traffic demand. By the end of the decade spectrum efficiency is expected to grow roughly 5.5 times which translates into a yearly average growth of 18.5%. A recent estimate by the french puts the cost at $2.55B for 30+30 MHz in 800 MHz band, considering the differences in costs and regualtion by the goverment between europe and the US that figure is about 40 percent of what it would cost in the US - at a rough estimate.

Spectrum and data use right now is at teh same stage of 25 cent a gallon gas a few decards ago, it is going to skyrocket and the number of data consuming devices go up exponentially

Dcookie · ‎01-30-2008

@harryspar...I have to admit, I still use a LOT of text but very little voice, if I can help it. My data usage consists mainly of wifi.

Hangin' with my Peeps!!

rga419 · ‎10-07-2011

I think alot of people understand the cost associated with upgrading to LTE and increasing capacity. However, why should some people pay more when

1. their area is not currently being upgraded to LTE,

2. they are not approaching their limits for voice, messaging, and data on the

plans they are paying (I would consider that paying for the increased 3G

coverage that has taken place in my area. Thank you for that AT&T),

3. following Verizon's pricing, I would be paying 50% more for half of the data if a tablet and one additonalsmartphone is added

4. if a tablet and a smartphone were added the data usage would increase

5. It would be the same to add a tablet and smartphone separately and get more data

Does not make sense. Not a very good option for me and my family. Rollover data without expiration would be the only way I would even consider it.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

rga419 wrote:

I think alot of people understand the cost associated with upgrading to LTE and increasing capacity. However, why should some people pay more when

1. their area is not currently being upgraded to LTE,

2. they are not approaching their limits for voice, messaging, and data on the

plans they are paying (I would consider that paying for the increased 3G

coverage that has taken place in my area. Thank you for that AT&T),

3. following Verizon's pricing, I would be paying 50% more for half of the data if a tablet and one additonalsmartphone is added

4. if a tablet and a smartphone were added the data usage would increase

5. It would be the same to add a tablet and smartphone separately and get more data

Does not make sense. Not a very good option for me and my family. Rollover data without expiration would be the only way I would even consider it.

you will see shared data long before (if ever) rollover data. Rollig over voice minutes takes a very minimal portion of the cellular spectrum when actually used. Data is the biggest drain on spectrum, there is no ROI on rollover data. This is show by the totally ignored section of the verizon annoucement - the simple statement that when the new data plans roll out, unlimited voice and texting drops to 40.00 a month. There are numerous studies and reports showing that the available spectrum is falling way behind the demand, it will only get worse.

you also notice veizon is killing their grandfathered unlimited plan in the same step - that is unless you are willing to pay full retail cost for your smartphone, then you get to keep it. Want a iphone 4s for 199.00 - then lose you grandfathered plan, willing to pay 699 for it - then you can keep your unlimited data plan

kinghdmi · ‎02-21-2012

Lets not get teary-eyed for multi billion dollar corporations. The internet is the reason why ATT & VZ are where they are today. So when they spend $ on LTE, it only comes back to them increasing the bottom line. If they don't have enough spectrum, then don't take on any more customers.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

kinghdmi wrote:

Lets not get teary-eyed for multi billion dollar corporations. The internet is the reason why ATT & VZ are where they are today. So when they spend $ on LTE, it only comes back to them increasing the bottom line. If they don't have enough spectrum, then don't take on any more customers.

Personally I don;t get "teary-eyed" over it at all, the basic tenet of business is to make a profit for it's employees and stockholders.

Not taking on any more customers is not a valid business tenet, it doesn;t work that way, they don;t take on new customers, they don;t get income to enhance services and you can't get the latest viral video from youtube because the spectrum is not there.

Sorry to disappoint you but the internet is NOT the reason why ATT & Verizon are where they are today, you could not be further off the correct line if you tried. Both entities existed long before the internet was even thought of, way before it released as milnet.

21stNow · ‎07-07-2010

I don't think that rollover data is out of the question, but I'm not arguing that it is likely. The concept of rollover minutes was a Cingular idea. I don't know how many of those decision makers are still around. Rollover minutes are a brand differentiator for AT&T, and some customers feel a sense of loyalty because of rollover minutes. Since VZW came out with shared data first, rollover data provides the perfect opportunity for AT&T to differentiate themselves from VZW, but maintain the same pricing if they want to (I hope that they don't).

Many customers never use their rollover minutes; after the first couple of months, I think that data will fall into the same category.

kinghdmi · ‎02-21-2012

YOU said they are running out of spectrum. I said they shouldn't take on customers if the system can't handle it. I'm fully aware of attt / cingular et al history. Enhancements don't seem to be working out when people with 5/5 service bars can't receive text/ data and get dropped calls in Manhattan. Tell the CEO to pull the 4G commercials cause ATT don't need them since they "made it" without the net.

harryspar · ‎11-06-2011

@Dcookie once you are using data (mobile or wifi), you can send voice & text over IP with Google Voice, GrooveIP, Whatsapp, etc.

For example I have wifi at home and work so I really just need like 50 minutes and 0 texts and 30 MB of data for whenever I'm not home. Everything else I can do over wifi. Yet I'm forced to buy hundred of minutes, hundres of texts, and hundreds of MB that I will never use.

It's maddening. Imagine a gas station that only sells gas in hundred gallon lots, so every time I fill up I have to buy and throw out 80 gallons, and then at the end of the month I lose even the gallons I already paid for.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

kinghdmi wrote:

YOU said they are running out of spectrum. I said they shouldn't take on customers if the system can't handle it. I'm fully aware of attt / cingular et al history. Enhancements don't seem to be working out when people with 5/5 service bars can't receive text/ data and get dropped calls in Manhattan. Tell the CEO to pull the 4G commercials cause ATT don't need them since they "made it" without the net.

you might want to look up the proceedures and costs for obtaining additional spectrum, what is currently allocated to the carriers is what is being consumed, a good indication of this is the various carriers ae shutting down old technology to reallocate it to the newer technology.

I did not say it, it has been reported

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/21/technology/spectrum_crunch/index.htm

http://www.twice.com/article/485396-Carriers_Mull_Strategies_To_Control_Wireless_Data_Growth.php

http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2012/05/wireless-carriers-eye-solutions-spectrum-crunch

http://www.inewsgy.com/2012/02/22/us-running-out-of-wireless-spectrum

You are making the mistake that ATT is just wireless, by far it is not, wireless is one of the the conglomerates divisions. The broad picture is what is needed, not tunneling.

As far as dropping calls - carry all three cell carriers phones for the US, have learned never to walk around downtown in New York, Manhattan, Los Angles, San Diego, Denver, chicago or any otrher large metropolitian areas, the surronding buildings and other interference pretty well insures a dropped call no matter what carrier you have or how many bars you have. Cell service relibilty is very dependant on location, terrain, infrstructure surrounding you, solar conditions, weather, hand off tower radius. Comparibly, all cell carriers service reliability is far below other forms of communications methods.

kinghdmi · ‎02-21-2012

The LTE 700 Mhz spectrum was divided up for bid at FCC auction. It was taken from analog TV. I'm aware of it. I never said ATT was just wireless. I said they do need the net and would go under without it. Wreless data and home internet is a signifcant part of their revenue along with government contracts. What they did in the past is irrelevant. its what have you done for me lately......

Dcookie · ‎01-30-2008

harryspar wrote:
@Dcookie once you are using data (mobile or wifi), you can send voice & text over IP with Google Voice, GrooveIP, Whatsapp, etc.

For example I have wifi at home and work so I really just need like 50 minutes and 0 texts and 30 MB of data for whenever I'm not home. Everything else I can do over wifi. Yet I'm forced to buy hundred of minutes, hundres of texts, and hundreds of MB that I will never use.

It's maddening. Imagine a gas station that only sells gas in hundred gallon lots, so every time I fill up I have to buy and throw out 80 gallons, and then at the end of the month I lose even the gallons I already paid for.

Thanks for the info, harryspar, but I guess I belong to the old school...all of that stuff is Greek to me. I have heard of Google Voice but not the others so I still use my texting thru ATT...we have Unlimited and 3 people use it so I'm not complaining about that, but, I can see your point if you use one of those other services.

I also only use my data plan when I'm not at home, work a few other places, but, like you, am also forced into buying data that I will never use...that's just how it is. Guess ATT has to make money off of us some way and that's the price we pay for having these devices. In a perfect world, it would be nice to have choices and only pay for as little data as we need, but, the world isn't that way. Rollover data would be nice, too.

The idea of a shared data plan doesn't appeal to me anyway since I'm the only one out of 3 of us on our plan that has a smartphone. If I read correctly, it IS only shared among smartphones.

Hangin' with my Peeps!!

21stNow · ‎07-07-2010

VZW's shared plans allow data to be used across any kind of device, not just smartphones.

Dcookie · ‎01-30-2008

21stNow wrote:

VZW's shared plans allow data to be used across any kind of device, not just smartphones.

REALLY??? I'll have to look at that again. Thanks! Yes, you're correct.

Hangin' with my Peeps!!

rga419 · ‎10-07-2011

At work I am on wifi, home wifi, with AT&T I am on wifi at McD's or Starbucks. So I am not using your precious expense spectrum.

Rollover data would protect customers in the occasional monthly spike in data when on vacation or when wifi goes down. (I had to reset router to get wifi going this morning)

Rollover data would keep customers. All but one of my families phones is out of contract. It okay if AT&T drives customers to Sprint, I am a Sprint stockholder as well.