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Comments on news posted 2012-11-28 10:16:45: There has been no limit to the number of folks that have pointed out that SMS is an obnoxious and bloated cash cow, carriers charging a fortune for a simple 160 character, 140 byte message, despite it costing them virtually nothing to send (as it tr.. ..

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amungus
Premium Member
join:2004-11-26
America

amungus

Premium Member

alternatives are limited

The biggest problem with any alternative is getting everyone you know on the same service. SMS/MMS is "universal," even (and perhaps especially) between those without smartphones.
The other problem is that carriers seem to keep messing with plans - I can't get much other than "unlimited" or "pay as you go." Neither are great options. Quite the comparison though, I dig it.
The carriers know that they have folks suckered into it, and don't see any reason to change. Hopefully, someday, we'll see it included in more post paid plans, perhaps when 4G becomes more prevalent?

jjoshua
Premium Member
join:2001-06-01
Scotch Plains, NJ

jjoshua

Premium Member

Stupid comparison

Distance isn't the factor. It's the infrastructure and resources required to send data from anyone on the planet to anyone else on the planet that costs money.

Point to point is easy.

Telco prices still suck.
Terabit
join:2008-12-19

Terabit

Member

Pricing

He's using 5 cents as a basis. In reality, most major US carriers now charge 20 cents per text message. Therefore, it's actually even higher than that. worse off, we pay to receive them here too. Just goes to shows how stupid we are.

The reality that we now have a choice of 20 cents or $20 on AT&T for example, shows that it's time for the gov to step in. It also cements why we need to put our Consumer Protection agency into force to cover everything 'We the People' utilize quick-smart.

We have the worst recession since the Great Depression yet the carriers have not budged once inch on prices. In fact, they have just thrown in unlimited and actually increased pricing.
Terabit

Terabit to jjoshua

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to jjoshua

Re: Stupid comparison

When it comes to text, it uses the coms channel, so the infrastructure is already there and in use anyway.

Text messages literally cost a carrier nothing.

jseymour
join:2009-12-11
Waterford, MI

jseymour

Member

Being Stupid Enough To Pay For It

So paying for texting plans is "stupid," is it? Let's do the math. My texting plan costs me $5/mo. for 300 text messages and works with anybody that has a wireless phone. To go to a data plan, so I could use somebody's proprietary messaging system that only works with people that have signed-up for it, would cost me an additional $50-$70/mo.

Right.

Jim
tired_runner
Premium Member
join:2000-08-25
CT
·Frontier FiberOp..

1 recommendation

tired_runner

Premium Member

People are stupid and will continue to be

Prepaid MVNO's have existed for some time now. Most of these include unlimited messaging, some even charge no tax at all.

There is a business model behind every stupid product catered to every dumbass in this planet. The major phone companies know this, and will continue to serve you accordingly.

XANAVirus
Premium Member
join:2012-03-03
Lavalette, WV

XANAVirus to jseymour

Premium Member

to jseymour

Re: Being Stupid Enough To Pay For It

So, explain to me why SMS messaging is dying out anyways.
There's a link which links to the said observation right in the article.

Perhaps it's because you're able to use any device available to send your message, using the same service that you have as an application on your smartphone (which uses data there).

With a normal texting service, you don't have this luxury; if your phone dies you can't text anymore (or make calls, but that's what you can use VoIP for).

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

1 recommendation

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Unlimited for me

I have the Verizon ShareEverything plan and I have both unlimited talk & text.

Only thing I have to watch is data. If it wasn't for caps, the data would be unusable as people would overuse it, thus straining the network. I use Verizon Wireless data to supplement my Comcast home connection, not replace it. I use VZW data on the go, I use my secure home Wi-Fi when I am at home. I don't use public Wi-Fi hotspots as those are open to data security threats.
Terabit
join:2008-12-19

Terabit to tired_runner

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to tired_runner

Re: People are stupid and will continue to be

There is a reason as to why again and again we are ranked as having one of the most expensive cell service and offer the least value in the OECD.

Cell services in countries where consumers are evidently smarter and actually have choice, is indeed reasonably priced. Whereas over here, it's all about maximizing profit - country be damned.

These CEOs and their GOP cohorts couldn't care less if the country is being harmed by archaic speeds or overpriced services. Heck, they exploit and gain off the very system they give lip-service to publicly and pretend to hate - to increase their profits.

For example, vast sections of NYC have 1 maybe 2 choices - yes NYC. Whereas, cities with lower population density overseas have often 5 times the competition and charge much less for the faster services too. Consumer to blame right? WRONG! As they have no choice.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop to Terabit

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to Terabit

Re: Stupid comparison

It costs you very little to get to work so why are you not working for very little?

Would it make you happy if they stopped charging $20/mo for unlimited text messages and moved that $20 to your voice plan?
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned) to IowaCowboy

Member

to IowaCowboy

Re: Unlimited for me

said by IowaCowboy:

I have the Verizon ShareEverything plan and I have both unlimited talk & text.

Only thing I have to watch is data. If it wasn't for caps, the data would be unusable as people would overuse it, thus straining the network. I use Verizon Wireless data to supplement my Comcast home connection, not replace it. I use VZW data on the go, I use my secure home Wi-Fi when I am at home. I don't use public Wi-Fi hotspots as those are open to data security threats.

Some people don't get that unlimited data over 4G isn't possible now. Good thing you do. They seem to think in an area like Chicago or NY that one could have million of customers all using 4G unlimited with just a measly 10 MHz downlink and 10 MHz uplink of spectrum.

The good news is that Verizon plans on deploying the AWS spectrum they got form the cable companies starting next year. Of course that will take time to fully deploy and people will have to actually have deices that can use that spectrum which should go on sale early next year. So I can see within 1-2 years the caps going up. I can also see the caps going up again when the activate any spectrum the get from the OTA TV auctions in 2015 and when they refarm their 2G and 3G spectrum which they plan to do within 8 years. But as I said people have to have devices that can use these frequencies so that can take up to 3 or 4 years before you get over 50% of the phones that can do that.

Majestik
World Traveler
Premium Member
join:2001-05-11
Tulsa, OK

2 edits

Majestik to IowaCowboy

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AT&T grandfathered iPhone 5($56/mo.) LTE and iPad 4 ($30/mo.)LTE unlimited here.
Still pay $5/mo. for 200 text.
Can't complain.

Eagles1221
join:2009-04-29
Vincentown, NJ

Eagles1221 to 88615298

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to 88615298
There is a difference in "unlimited" and "OMG rape me at 10 bucks a gig"

1 buck per gig, LTE can handle that, and customers might not complain as much.

Rambo76098
join:2003-02-21
Columbus, OH

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How many times are you going to claim this despite being proven wrong? Unlimited users do not use more data than tiered users.




»betanews.com/2012/02/24/ ··· e-usage/

anon0123
@northropgrumman.com

anon0123 to amungus

Anon

to amungus

Re: alternatives are limited

Two words: Google Voice

jseymour
join:2009-12-11
Waterford, MI

jseymour to XANAVirus

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to XANAVirus

Re: Being Stupid Enough To Pay For It

said by XANAVirus:

So, explain to me why SMS messaging is dying out anyways.

Because many people think paying an additional $50 or more a month for data service is a reasonable thing to do? And, since they have it anyway...?
said by XANAVirus:

With a normal texting service, you don't have this luxury; if your phone dies you can't text anymore (or make calls, but that's what you can use VoIP for).

I can text to/from my WiFi-only tablet, no problem. And, via Google Voice, to/from my computer.

Jim
Crookshanks
join:2008-02-04
Binghamton, NY

2 recommendations

Crookshanks to Terabit

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to Terabit

Re: Pricing

said by Terabit:

The reality that we now have a choice of 20 cents or $20 on AT&T for example, shows that it's time for the gov to step in.

Yes, because text messages are a life essential service, and we clearly need Government intervention so Lil Suzy can afford to text her friends Shakespearean gems like "4 ll u hu tlk bout me, tnx 4 makin ME D ctr of ur wrld!"
Crookshanks

1 recommendation

Crookshanks to Eagles1221

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Re: Unlimited for me

said by Eagles1221:

1 buck per gig, LTE can handle that, and customers might not complain as much.

No, but investors would, and so might consumers when it took many more years to deploy the 4G network. Verizon is spending billions of dollars to deploy the LTE network, they will spend billions more to expand it as new spectrum and technologies become available. That money has to come from somewhere.

As someone who first got online with a 2400 baud modem, and whose first experience with "cellular data" was a 9600 baud connection, it never ceases to amaze me that people will bellyache about the pricing of something as technologically amazing as LTE. Hell, even the 3G network is beyond anything I could have imagined as recently as the 90s. Just think about it, you can get 600kbit/s+ speeds nearly anywhere in the United States, for a lousy $50/mo. With LTE you'll get double digit mbit/s speeds, in the same footprint once the build is complete, for the same price. Counting the second POTS line I had to pay for, that's more than my first internet connection cost! That connection was 14.4kbit/s and didn't follow me around everywhere.

We all want things to be cheaper, or even free, but I think that mobile broadband is a decent value at the current price. If you don't you can always live without it, as it's hardly a life essential service.
Crookshanks

Crookshanks to Terabit

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to Terabit

Re: Stupid comparison

said by Terabit:

When it comes to text, it uses the coms channel, so the infrastructure is already there and in use anyway.

Umm, some amount of additional infrastructure is required, as are peering agreements with other telco providers. Text messages have a non-zero cost. It's admittedly a very small cost, but it's a cost nonetheless.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

A non-issue

There are a half-dozen ways to get SMS service for cheap.

If you don't want to switch to one of them, then you have no one to blame but yourself.

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

FFH5 to Terabit

Premium Member

to Terabit

Re: People are stupid and will continue to be

said by Terabit:

These CEOs and their GOP cohorts couldn't care less if the country is being harmed by archaic speeds or overpriced

Wise up. the Dems are just as involved in being in cahoots with business. Business buys as many Dem pols as they do GOP pols. And do you know why? Pols put themselves up for sale to the highest bidder every election.

Somnambul33t
L33t.
Premium Member
join:2002-12-05
00000

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to anon0123

Re: alternatives are limited

I do use google voice, but until i can have an android smartphone that gets a full-day's charge with normal use while keeping the data connection on, it's simply a niche. I dont know anyone with a half-way decent android phone that can keep data on all day without a charger and have battery left to go out after work. I know some heavy iphone users in the same boat.

I use txting b/c i can turn my 3G/LTE data connection off to save battery but still use take and rec calls and txts over the much less hungry voice network.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned) to Eagles1221

Member

to Eagles1221

Re: Unlimited for me

said by Eagles1221:

There is a difference in "unlimited" and "OMG rape me at 10 bucks a gig"

1 buck per gig, LTE can handle that, and customers might not complain as much.

You can argue current caps and prices are too high. That a legit argument. Too many people think that they should be entitled to unlimited data for $30. Heck my Charter internet is $50 a month and it's not unlimited and that's cable.

$1 per gig you could still get people using 50 GB or more per month. Part of that $10 per GB is to get people to use less. And technically on Verizon's Share Everything plan to move up from 2 GB ad higher it's $5 per GB not $10 and yes I know that's too high too.

As I said as Verizon deploys more LTE spectrum I feel the pricing for data will go down. It always has gone down every couple of years anyway. 5 years ago you were paying $512 per GB.
88615298

88615298 (banned) to Rambo76098

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to Rambo76098
said by Rambo76098:

How many times are you going to claim this despite being proven wrong? Unlimited users do not use more data than tiered users.

[att=1]

»betanews.com/2012/02/24/ ··· e-usage/

Yes they do. I guess all the unlimited users showing where they've used 80 GB, 100 GB or more were liars? I guess they photoshopped their usage for shits and giggles?

Also if unlimited users aren't using any more data than tiered why is it that the Verizon messageboard is CONSTANTLY flooded with people bitching about losing unlimited if they upgrade? If one is not using anymore than they would used in a tiered plan what is the issue. Perhaps you should go over there and show then your charter and tell them to chill. I wonder what their response would be?

Also nice year old data.
bt
join:2009-02-26
canada

bt to anon0123

Member

to anon0123

Re: alternatives are limited

...you didn't actually read the post before replying, did you?
Angrychair
join:2000-09-20
Jacksonville, FL

Angrychair to Somnambul33t

Member

to Somnambul33t
said by Somnambul33t:

I do use google voice, but until i can have an android smartphone that gets a full-day's charge with normal use while keeping the data connection on, it's simply a niche. I dont know anyone with a half-way decent android phone that can keep data on all day without a charger and have battery left to go out after work. I know some heavy iphone users in the same boat.

I use txting b/c i can turn my 3G/LTE data connection off to save battery but still use take and rec calls and txts over the much less hungry voice network.

You're in luck.

»www.motorola.com/us/cons ··· ,pd.html
Qreptiles
join:2005-07-20
Grants Pass, OR

Qreptiles to Somnambul33t

Member

to Somnambul33t
There is a phone that will do exactly that on Verizon. Razr maxx hd. I got one two weeks ago and with abnormal use I can keep a full days charge.

The Limit
Premium Member
join:2007-09-25
Denver, CO

The Limit to Crookshanks

Premium Member

to Crookshanks

Re: Pricing

And we should allow the carriers do whatever they want, I hear you. Government regulation be damned even if said carriers write their own policies into law through clever lobbying.

With that kind of thinking we would still be "colonies" owned by a foreign entity. What do I know, I'm just preaching to the choir. Nothing to see here.
The Limit

The Limit to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5

Re: People are stupid and will continue to be

First of all, please don't turn this into a political bashing. Second of all, politics really has nothing to do with this. Third of all, both parties have the same agenda. What exactly are you trying to prove?

jgkolt
Premium Member
join:2004-02-21
Avon, OH

jgkolt to Somnambul33t

Premium Member

to Somnambul33t

Re: alternatives are limited

try getting a samsung S3
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