Reviews:
 ·T-Mobile US
·Sprint Mobile Br..
1 edit | Mvnos are the solution? said by Karl Bode:Granted plenty of blame falls on the shoulders of consumers not willing to investigate the scattered lower-priced options that are available to them. Many of our regulars still flock to smaller, less-known carriers like Millenicom to save a buck, and there's a slew of new MVNOs (Ting, Republic Wireless) and no-contract prepaid companies who are desperately trying to shake up high-price gridlock.
I see this everywhere. Besides Metro PCS and Cricket are the only other flat rate carriers with their own network. So what do you think would happen if all the contract customers quit subsidizing the prepay, mvno customers? The big 4 could terminate contracts with the wholesalers just as quickly as it started. It wasn't that long ago that I was paying $100 for 700 mins and 1000 texts so it has gone down over the years. As they say, you get what you pay for.
Edit: Typing faster than I was thinking.
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| Im pretty sure if you were to buy the phone separately and were able to use it on any network 3 things would happen.
1.) Phone prices would come way down.
2.) Phone service cost will come way down.
3.) Customer service will go up. |
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Reviews:
 ·Time Warner Cable
 ·Verizon FiOS
 ·voip.ms
| Nothing. Wireless is a commodity anyways, not some magic. You put up cell towers and use a phone. In fact the US carriers cost us money demanding locked phones, models specific to a carrier (the "brand") and force bands in the phone so that it makes it harder to go elsewhere.
If they lose enough customers (which they are not), they move from a direct sales and marketing model to a more channel-based model which is more cost effective.
I have multi-milllion dollar Sprint, ATT, TMO, and VZW stores all over my neighborhood. That could as easily been in a corner of Best buy of Walmart which they are BTW.
Or they can sell online. I haven't bought a phone in a store in over 5 years. Click, it shows up the next day.
As to MVNO, the cost is lower because the SGA costs are way lower, and in many cases they are private companies who don't have to maintain insane multiples and $50 million dollar executive pay.
It's all fat, trim the fat. That is what true competition does automatically. |
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| To those who it is available Us Cellular offers extremely competitive pricing especially when it comes to business plans. While they are following the big 2 in terms of tiered data the overage charges are less 10/gig while also giving customers the ability to use Belief rewards points to pay for them (points they earn simply by paying for their bill). One and done contracts aka after 2 years never another contract while still being able to upgrade phones early at the same subsidized pricing or using points to pay for phones etc etc. I obviously sound biased but really to those of whom it is available it really does save a lot of money. |
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rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO | reply to bobjohnson
said by bobjohnson:... So what do you think would happen if all the contract customers quit subsidizing the prepay, mvno customers? The big 4 could terminate contracts with the wholesalers just as quickly as it started... Perhaps but they won't because MVNOs provide the illusion of competition. If AT&T and Verizon suddenly pulled/priced all MVNOs off their network and got rid of roaming agreements, how would anyone else provide nationwide competition? Sure, there would still be competition for the top 50 metro areas but if you aren't on the big two, there would be "no bars" outside the suburbs. |
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Reviews:
·T-Mobile US
·Sprint Mobile Br..
| reply to elefante72
said by elefante72:Nothing. Wireless is a commodity anyways, not some magic. You put up cell towers and use a phone. In fact the US carriers cost us money demanding locked phones, models specific to a carrier (the "brand") and force bands in the phone so that it makes it harder to go elsewhere.
Someone is paying to build these networks and for cell tower leasing and employees to provide QoS etc. etc. These are multi-billion dollar networks we are talking about. Also the customers allow for this system because they would rather pay on the credit system and/or don't like T-mobile. $399 now and $50 a month vs $99 now and $120 a month for 24 months does not equal the same thing it does to me and you as it does to average joe.
said by elefante72:If they lose enough customers (which they are not), they move from a direct sales and marketing model to a more channel-based model which is more cost effective.
They are moving to a channel based system. There are almost no corporate stores left. They are receiving royalties from franchising for all the crappy authorized retailers everywhere.
said by elefante72:I have multi-milllion dollar Sprint, ATT, TMO, and VZW stores all over my neighborhood. That could as easily been in a corner of Best buy of Walmart which they are BTW.
Or they can sell online. I haven't bought a phone in a store in over 5 years. Click, it shows up the next day.
I have not been in contract for 3 years because I buy on ebay but once again we are not normal consumers. And in the same token, I still pay for contract service because I like the ability to call Sprint and tell them what I want and not go thru the middleman that may or may not do anything (or understand what you're saying in the first place)
said by elefante72:As to MVNO, the cost is lower because the SGA costs are way lower, and in many cases they are private companies who don't have to maintain insane multiples and $50 million dollar executive pay.
MVNOs have no fixed costs. Buy and sell phones and pay to piggyback on someone elses (The MNO who finances the multi-billion dollar) network, and maybe a decent call center to have customer service (probably contracted)
said by elefante72:It's all fat, trim the fat. That is what true competition does automatically.
This is absolutely true.
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 Simba7I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT | reply to bobjohnson
I like the Straight Talk SIM plan in my smartphone (at&t Captivate). Been working great for almost half a year now.
Now.. if Verizon would band-unlock my D2G.. |
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