dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
view:
topics flat nest 
Comments on news posted 2012-06-12 10:05:27: Verizon today finally unveiled the company's first even shared data or family plan, which allows users in one household to pull from a pool of minutes -- much like users have been able to do with voice minutes for years. ..

page: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · next

AnonFTW
@rr.com

AnonFTW

Anon

Exactly

Your thoughts mirror mine exactly.

Unless you have 3 or more phones that use little to no data per month or are enticed by the unlimited minutes, you are settings yourself up to pay more for less.

2 phones trying to eek by on the 2GB plan would wind up paying $5/month more if they go over that shared 2GB.

spewak
R.I.P Dadkins
Premium Member
join:2001-08-07
Elk Grove, CA
·Consolidated Com..

1 recommendation

spewak

Premium Member

Another way

"When developing these plans, we first asked customers what they wanted in a wireless service plan," says Verizon Wireless of the shift.

Did he mean to say "shaft" instead?
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

1 recommendation

Os

Member

Careful, Verizon

The price gap between the MVNO's and the contracts is growing with all your overage fees.

Soon, what advantage is there going to be to sign your life away to these guys? Just to get gouged?

The market is a two-way street. Firms respond to consumers, but consumers also respond to firms.

It's a maturing industry. More people have your smartphones now than those who don't. That easy gravy train is closing up shop.

This is just hard to take serious. This is an industry that seems more hellbent to destroy themselves than the cable companies.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05

Member

It's a horrible plan

We'd pay more for less service under this plan than we are getting now. And we have 2x smartphones and 1x dumbphone.

FAIL on Verizon's part.

SysOp
join:2001-04-18
Atlanta, GA

4 edits

SysOp

Member

Where are the savings?

I don't think this is designed to save anyone money.

Family's are going to be in for a wake up call when they get the bill for overages. Individuals are going to look elsewhere for service.

pende_tim
Premium Member
join:2004-01-04
Selbyville, DE

pende_tim

Premium Member

Move Along... Nothing To See Here

I fail to understand the value for customers on the data sharing. I can purchase a Smart Phone plan with the 2 GB data plan for $30.
So if I share the 2 GB with a second phone, it costs me $60 for the same 2GB data? If I purchase 2 data plans it costs the same as the shared plan but EACH phone gets 2 GB.

I guess if you have several data phones/devices, it may make sense as long as your use is not too high.

I don't need unlimited texting from Verizon, with all the Google Voice type apps available so the "unlimited" texting brings no value to me.

I will pass on this one.

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru to Os

MVM

to Os

Re: Careful, Verizon

said by Os:

The price gap between the MVNO's and the contracts is growing with all your overage fees.

Soon, what advantage is there going to be to sign your life away to these guys? Just to get gouged?

Something needs to be done. Obviously MVNOs need to go out of business, be acquired, or otherwise cease to exist. Or at least have to pay as much if not more then what it costs to have plans with the real network operators. It's just not fair to the network operators...they should have a right to make a as much profit as they can with minimal competition, let alone on the very same network.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

How to keep your Verizon unlimited data plan

For those who still have a Verizon unlimited data plan, here is how to hang on to it after June 28. At least for a while longer.

»news.cnet.com/8301-1035_ ··· 1_3-0-20
tom thomas
join:2010-11-04

tom thomas

Member

don't tie this to device type and we need bigger buckets(wit

what about bigger buckets of data. for a bunch of devices 10GB may not be enough. how about 25GB or 50Gb buckets.

also i thought Verizon lte cards could be freely moved between devices, so why the distinction between phone, tablet, usb , mifi?

why not one price for a sim with voice/text and another for data only? the device it goes in is for the user to worry about not verizon.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os to cdru

Member

to cdru

Re: Careful, Verizon

You're right that it's unfair to the legacy network builders, but they also somewhere along the way agreed to allow these MVNO's use of those networks.

If that's the case, then that egg is on Verizon and Sprint's face. I'm assuming they're making plenty from those MVNO deals, otherwise they wouldn't be doing them. There's no incentive for them to burden their network with more subscribers at a lower cost if they weren't getting plenty for it.

Punitively going after the MVNO's isn't going to help the problem that this is an industry whose pricing far exceeds inflation, maybe even moreso than the ever-rising cable bill. They seem to think they can just get away with runaway growth forever, see how that worked for the cable companies.
bnceo
join:2007-10-11
Bel Air, MD

bnceo to tom thomas

Member

to tom thomas

Re: don't tie this to device type and we need bigger buckets(wit

And the sim talk is exactly why Verizon can't do it like that. Lot of their stuff uses CDMA and that's not sim tech.

Overall, the $ per device per month is the killer.

Windupbird
@verizon.net

Windupbird

Anon

"Overall, the $ per device per month is the killer."

Absolutely agreed.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

A typical example for individual with 2 devices - $150/mo

So, an individual has a smartphone($40) and an iPad($10) and wants to share 10 GB($100) between them. That will run you $150/mo and that is before any FCC fees; USF fees; taxes; etc.

Even if you can live with 2GB shared between your iPhone & iPad, that will still run you $110/mo plus taxes & fees.

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

1 recommendation

cdru to Os

MVM

to Os

Re: Careful, Verizon

Check the batteries in your sarcasm detector. I think they may be dead.
Technicholas
Premium Member
join:2010-11-11
West Des Moines, IA

Technicholas

Premium Member

Data.

Please don't force me off my Unlimited Data Plan.

My plan is the 1,400 shared with two lines unlimited data on both lines I use 5-7gb a month in LTE places. While the other line uses less then 500mb a month.

thegeek
Premium Member
join:2008-02-21
right here

thegeek

Premium Member

Holy Shit

I have 4 smartphones on my plan right now. 1400 minutes, unlimited text, unlimited data. We use at most 200 minutes of voice a month. Wife, son, and I send maybe 100 texts each a month, daughter sends probably over 100 a day though. We use 15-20GB of combined data a month. Total cost right now is about $200 a month.

With this new plan I'd be paying a minimum $260 not counting the ridiculous overage charges I'd have to pay for using twice the allotment of data. It will be worth it to pay full price for devices and keep my old plan as long as I can. Once they force me onto a family data deal (even if I pay full retail for devices they'll likely force it at some point) I'll seriously consider switching services.
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

elefante72

Member

So I guess tablets are a bust

So say I just want a tablet $60 for 1 GB. Thoughtful. I'm assuming that they will still have tablet only, jetpack only because I only pay $36 for 5 GB on my Mifi now (with disc), and I hook my wifi tablet up to it when needed.

If they really wanted tablets on this, they would have made the pricing $0 or $5. People can't control themselves on tablets.

As one noted you can move SIM between devices, but I'm assuming that they will clamp down on that now and if the network sees a new device you will need to have it registered else people will just start sharing SIMs. You don't think big red hasn't thought of that

No word on tethering, but I assume they will still maintain some annoyance charge for the heck of it.

In any case, no matter how you slice this or dice this a family would be crazy to do this versus risk-limited prepaid. I can't imagine how many people are going to suffer under this plan.

I for one will keep my fam's $25 VM plan until ting gets some reasonable phones, and off to the races. Only $6 for a smartphone and data charges are less. Sprint is finally upgrading towers in my area and speeds are just as good as verizon now. We will never get wimax because out Canadian brothers to the north still have some analog stations, but some day LTE will be here.

I was not surprised that this new "plan" would be despicable, and Verizon has not let me down.
elefante72

elefante72 to thegeek

Member

to thegeek

Re: Holy Shit

You do realize that is a car payment, right?
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

ISurfTooMuch

Member

Wow, this deal stinks!

Holy price gouging, Batman!

This is a horrible deal, no matter how you look at it.

As much as I like Verizon's coverage, I very well might switch carriers if they try to force me onto this plan.
Brigrat
join:2003-09-01
Waxhaw, NC

Brigrat

Member

I think I'll save money...

Line 1: iPhone on 1400 plan with unlimited messaging at 99.99 plus $30 for unlimited data is $130.

Line 2: iPhone add-a-line $9.99 plus $30 for 2GB data is $40

Line 3: Mobile Hotspot $50 for 5GB data

Total: $220 before all of the taxes and crap...

New Plan:

$100 for 10GB data
$40 for iphone
$40 for iphone
$20 for hotspot

Total: $200

Am I missing something??? Seems like I will get more data than I cuttingly have and use, plus unlimited calling and the mobile hotspot feature for my other iPhones. Sounds like a good deal to me.

A non
@151.190.0.x

A non

Anon

Smart phones - Dumb plans

These new plans will cost more and provide less data than the current plans.

I'll stick with my 3 non-smart phones.

Camaro
Question everything
Premium Member
join:2008-04-05
Westfield, MA

Camaro

Premium Member

They have everyone by the ball's

Simple as that. They know they are 200 pound gorilla with the biggest cell network in the country so if people want the best then they will pay. This may get some defectors spread out through the rest of the providers, but it comes down to the reliability of the network. And most large corporations use them, so even if they a mass of people run to other providers it wouldn't hurt there purse at all.
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

rradina to cdru

Member

to cdru

Re: Careful, Verizon

They won't get rid of the MVNOs because they provide the illusion of competition. It's better to let the MVNOs skim a bit off the top than face being classified as a monopoly and then be told how much profit you can make.

thegeek
Premium Member
join:2008-02-21
right here

thegeek to elefante72

Premium Member

to elefante72

Re: Holy Shit

That's a crappy car.
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

elefante72 to Brigrat

Member

to Brigrat

Re: I think I'll save money...

Yes. Unlimited data on primary iphone. Gone.

Now it hasn't been disclosed as to pricing if you take a lower tier, but I am BETTING that as you see plans go $10/2GB that they will charge $10/1GB OVERAGE as to induce people to sign up for plans they don't need just in case.

Also it hasn't been discussed on hotspot pricing , but don't plan on that being free.

You see they want you to PAY for 10GB not USE it.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os to cdru

Member

to cdru

Re: Careful, Verizon

Now now, there's enough shills trolling around here that I thought it might have been possible.
amungus
Premium Member
join:2004-11-26
America

amungus

Premium Member

what about business?

Ugh. I hope this doesn't change anything drastic for business plans...

We have ~100+ lines here.

Every time I hear people complain about AT&T and Verizon, I'm glad to be on "little ol' U.S. Cellular"...
AndyDufresne
Premium Member
join:2010-10-30
Chanhassen, MN
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter ERPro8
Netgear R7000

AndyDufresne

Premium Member

no benefit-

currently 3 phones and mifi for 233.00 after taxes

new plan would be 120+20.00+x= (190.00 to 240.00)+ taxes and I lose unlimited on 2 phones.

Was waiting to see what they would offer and I like Verizon service but looks like I will be shopping and by shopping I mean heading to Sprint
rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

1 recommendation

rradina to tom thomas

Member

to tom thomas

Re: don't tie this to device type and we need bigger buckets(wit

They don't want to price bigger buckets. Remember, 25 years ago these same "thinkers" never wanted unlimited long distance or even plans that reduced the per-minute charges. They wanted every long distance call to be completely UBB and high per month charges just to have dial tone. The data bucket is the new dial tone charge and the overage fees are the new long-distance UBB.

Mind you, I certainly don't want to deny these operators their privilege to make as much profit as possible -- in a competitive environment. I just don't think what we have today is competitive. What we have today is unchecked greed.

For instance, take FIOS. It's all-around a great thing to get the nation wired with last-mile fiber and there's money to be made. However, in today's investment environment, everyone is looking for get-rich-quick returns and it isn't good enough to make 10%, they want 20%, 30%, 50%. If that sound like Vegas or a local pawn shop, you have my opinion.

djrobx
Premium Member
join:2000-05-31
Reno, NV

3 edits

1 recommendation

djrobx

Premium Member

Data is too expensive

Previously we were adding secondary lines for $10-ish, and adding $30-ish data plans to them.

Under this scheme/scam we're still adding them at $40, but need to add on data, and the data is extremely expensive.

I currently pay AT&T $110 for two unlimited iPhones, 200 texts each, and shared 550 minute plan. Under this plan, the minimum is $130 (40+40+50) and I only get 500mb per phone. I'd get unlimited minutes and unlimited text, but I don't use all those things anyway on my current plan.

It might be more palatable if they were including more GBs at each price point. $30 for 2GB would have been a more reasonable place to start (that is, after all, what they charge for my iPad), but even that's pushing it with those massive "base" charges.

Also, I'd like to get some justification on why a notebook/netbook is an additional $10 vs. a tablet.
page: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · next