Topic 'Non-4G plans are still good enough.' in forum '' - dslreports.com

Re: Non-4G plans are still good enough.

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:30:36 EDT

Crookshanks posted :

They aren't a luxury for many people, myself included. I need to carry one for work purposes, they require that I have one.

Then I hope they are paying for it.

said by MovieLover76:

Also with all of the payphones being basically abandoned a cell phone is fairly important should you get stuck somewhere and need to make a call, it's a matter of safety for many.

However did people manage to survive getting stuck before cell phones? What happens if you get stuck somewhere without cell phone service?

Cell phones might make it more CONVENIENT if you get stuck but they aren't NECESSARY to get unstuck. As I said in my reply to the other person, those of us who live in the boonies have to be prepared for emergencies where we can't count on summoning outside help. Frankly it's a good idea to be prepared regardless; if your plan for emergencies boils down to counting on someone else to bail you out then you have no plan at all.

said by MovieLover76:

Also it seems to me that peoples lives are much busier these days, between me being out and my friends and family being out I'd never connect with people and it would be a constant game of phone tag.

That doesn't make it a necessity, that makes a convenience. There is a difference.

Re: Non-4G plans are still good enough.

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:24:28 EDT

Crookshanks posted :

said by mogamer:

Try to find a pay phone. And don't say, you'll use someone else's cell phone in an emergency.

Those of us who live out in the boonies where cell phones may not work have learned to prepare for emergencies without telecommunications. If we can do it I'm at a loss for why people who live in built up areas (worst case scenario: knock on someone's door and ask to use the phone) can't manage the same.

Re: Non-4G plans are still good enough.

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:45:50 EDT

MovieLover76 posted : They aren't a luxury for many people, myself included. I need to carry one for work purposes, they require that I have one.
Also with all of the payphones being basically abandoned a cell phone is fairly important should you get stuck somewhere and need to make a call, it's a matter of safety for many.

You may have a life that doesn't require a cell phone and if your happy without one that's great, but for many it's a neccesity.

Also it seems to me that peoples lives are much busier these days, between me being out and my friends and family being out I'd never connect with people and it would be a constant game of phone tag.

Also 4G is severely hindered by low caps, I happen to have unlimited LTE but still even with data caps, the smartphone experience just surfing web pages, downloading apps, reading emails and downloading attachments is much more fluid, things that I'd never do on 3G because of how long it took are near instantaneous on 4G, since the plans cost the same amount why not upgrade and if you avoid video and music streaming you can do the same things you did on 3G just faster for the same price.

Re: Non-4G plans are still good enough.

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:40:38 EDT

anon posted : The alternative is no data at all. You interested?

Re: Non-4G plans are still good enough.

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:10:51 EDT

cdru posted :

said by Crookshanks:

It's actually somewhat liberating to know that you can venture out into the world and enjoy some solitude without being rudely yanked back to reality by the din of an obnoxious ring tone.

You can still be yanked back by the din of someone else's obnoxious ring tone, or if you're referring to your own ringtone, whose fault is it that it's obnoxious?

Re: Non-4G plans are still good enough.

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:40:11 EDT

mogamer posted :

said by Crookshanks:

said by mogamer:

Cell phones aren't luxuries anymore.

Yes they are. I know it's hard to fathom for a lot of people who have grown up as members of the instant gratification generation but you CAN survive without being reachable anywhere in the world 24/7/365.

I went without a cell phone from 2003 to 2007 after I left the job that provided me with one. I only got one again because my current employer decided to pay for it. Guess what? I survived just fine with a landline phone and answering machine. It's actually somewhat liberating to know that you can venture out into the world and enjoy some solitude without being rudely yanked back to reality by the din of an obnoxious ring tone.

Try to find a pay phone. And don't say, you'll use someone else's cell phone in an emergency. I myself use a Tracfone. The phone itself isn't the luxury, it's all the extra stuff that people want that is.

Re: Non-4G plans are still good enough.

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:12:59 EDT

Crookshanks posted :

said by mogamer:

Cell phones aren't luxuries anymore.

Re: Non-4G plans are still good enough.

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:07:19 EDT

JigglyWiggly posted : this change from unlimited to throttled should be illegel and punishable by death

Non-4G plans are still good enough.

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:01:53 EDT

mogamer posted : My wife and son have phones on their lowest tier plan and don't have any problems with unlimited texts, unlimited calling and unlimited web. Of course they use their phones as communication/data devices and not as entertainment hubs.

Cell phones aren't luxuries anymore. And being able to connect with email is a necessity for many people. But 4G streaming video and music are luxuries. We aren't talking about rural residents who need some sort of broadband here. Most people who have smartphones could easily find Wi-Fi hotspots to connect on.