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37% of Smartphone Data Originates Over Wi-Fi
As Carriers Offload More Mobile Data to Wi-Fi Networks
A new report by ComScore holds some particularly interesting data in terms of tracking wireless growth. According to the firm's latest study, smartphones and tablets now drive roughly 7% of all global digital traffic. Thanks in large part due to wireless carriers trying to offload cellular traffic to Wi-Fi, Comscore found that more than one third (37.2 percent) of U.S. digital traffic coming from mobile phones occurred via a WiFi connection. ComScore also tracked device brands, noting that iPads now deliver 97.2 percent of all tablet traffic in the U.S. Android has the largest smartphone market share (43.7 percent), Apple tops all "connected device" market share with 43.1% thanks to the iPad.
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FactChecker
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FactChecker

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Cell bill vs Cable bill

It amazes me that cell carriers can charge $30 for EVERY phones data plan while they pass on 37% of their network costs to broadband networks.

I pay more for my family cell phone plan than my video (and all the content costs), phone and broadband together.
mogamer
join:2011-04-20
Royal Oak, MI

mogamer

Member

Re: Cell bill vs Cable bill

said by FactChecker:

It amazes me that cell carriers can charge $30 for EVERY phones data plan while they pass on 37% of their network costs to broadband networks.

I pay more for my family cell phone plan than my video (and all the content costs), phone and broadband together.

My family has kept costs down as much as we can for cell phones. My older son and I both only have "triple minute" tracphones, but we also both have WiFi only tablets. My wife and younger son have Metro PCS smartphones for $35 each per month. Our combined monthly bill is lower than what most people we know pay for one phone.

Smart phones are really nice to have and can do a ton of stuff. But let's be honest, the majority of smart phone usage (I bet 90%) isn't anything vital. Outside of work, does anyone really need a phone for internet access?

jseymour
join:2009-12-11
Waterford, MI

jseymour

Member

Re: Cell bill vs Cable bill

said by mogamer:

My family has kept costs down as much as we can for cell phones. My older son and I both only have "triple minute" tracphones, but we also both have WiFi only tablets. My wife and younger son have Metro PCS smartphones for $35 each per month. Our combined monthly bill is lower than what most people we know pay for one phone.

I can b eat that My wife and I are on a non-data plan for less than $60/mo. after taxes and surcharges.
said by mogamer:

Smart phones are really nice to have and can do a ton of stuff. But let's be honest, the majority of smart phone usage (I bet 90%) isn't anything vital. Outside of work, does anyone really need a phone for internet access?

I don't get it, either.

Jim
mogamer
join:2011-04-20
Royal Oak, MI

mogamer

Member

Re: Cell bill vs Cable bill

said by jseymour:

said by mogamer:

My family has kept costs down as much as we can for cell phones. My older son and I both only have "triple minute" tracphones, but we also both have WiFi only tablets. My wife and younger son have Metro PCS smartphones for $35 each per month. Our combined monthly bill is lower than what most people we know pay for one phone.

I can b eat that My wife and I are on a non-data plan for less than $60/mo. after taxes and surcharges.

Jim

Well there's four of us, and we still keep it around $90 per month. The two Metro PCS plans are $70 total. No additonal taxes or fees. Those "triple minute" tracphones save some serious cash! Not bad if I say so myself.

jseymour
join:2009-12-11
Waterford, MI

jseymour

Member

Re: Cell bill vs Cable bill

said by mogamer:

Well there's four of us, and we still keep it around $90 per month.

That's pretty darn good, all right
said by mogamer:

The two Metro PCS plans are $70 total.

That's what I was comparing to. And ours would be under $55 did I not have text messaging on my device. But I'm a network admin., and I need that for various and sundry network/server/what-have-you automated alert stuff.

Jim
mogamer
join:2011-04-20
Royal Oak, MI

mogamer

Member

Re: Cell bill vs Cable bill

said by jseymour:

said by mogamer:

Well there's four of us, and we still keep it around $90 per month.

That's pretty darn good, all right
said by mogamer:

The two Metro PCS plans are $70 total.

That's what I was comparing to. And ours would be under $55 did I not have text messaging on my device. But I'm a network admin., and I need that for various and sundry network/server/what-have-you automated alert stuff.

Jim

We have those Metro PCS phones because both my wife and younger son need the unlimited texting and calling. Otherwise, they'd be on tracphones too. And the web features are handy for when you need them. Like I said 90% of cell phone web isn't vital, but it does have a place.
Happydude32
Premium Member
join:2005-07-16

Happydude32 to mogamer

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to mogamer
quote:
But let's be honest, the majority of smart phone usage (I bet 90%) isn't anything vital. Outside of work, does anyone really need a phone for internet access?
Does anyone really need to be driving a nice car? Does anyone really need to eat filet mignon? Does anyone really need to be poisoning themselves with alcohol and cigarettes? These are all expenses that people bare because they find benefit in them. You don’t need them, you want them to enhance your life. I can understand wanting and owning a nice car, I can understand wanting a nice smartphone. Not sure why anyone would want to waste money and destroy themselves smoking a tar and formaldehyde laced cancer stick or ingest alcohol. Neither of which yield any positive results. I would just die without my smartphone, I use it all the time for data related purposes, hardly talk on it. I stream Pandora and Sirius XM all the time, surf the net on the go, stream live sports when I can’t be near a TV. I use a decent amount of data on my phone, typically 4-5GB per month. Last month I was just under 7GB, I’m halfway through right now and used 2.4 GB.

I for the life of me cannot understand those who want a smartphone, but don’t want a data plan. What’s the point? Isn’t the whole idea of a smartphone to have internet access on it? I don’t know where some people get the notion of free wifi, but other than coffee shops, some waiting rooms and such, where do people find free wifi so they have it when needed? it’s not like the whole country is laced with free wifi.

I got the Evo 3D on launch day on June 24th, I think I connected to my home wifi maybe twice. Other then that, I see no point to even use wifi, which I hate wireless technology to begin with.

With how much I use cellular data, and how much joy I get out of it, I love paying that $275 every month to Sprint

Bill Neilson
Premium Member
join:2009-07-08
Alexandria, VA

Bill Neilson to FactChecker

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to FactChecker
The Phone Companies want to promote their phones, the apps, the video streaming (which every phone ads has just about), etc....

Oh, but dont use it on their network....oh, and we will raise your rates

And if you want to use the network that you pay a high amount? Don't use it TOO MUCH as you have a laughably low cap that struggles to have multiple video streaming segments.

jseymour
join:2009-12-11
Waterford, MI

jseymour to FactChecker

Member

to FactChecker
said by FactChecker:

I pay more for my family cell phone plan than my video (and all the content costs), phone and broadband together.

It's your money, but I don't see why. I don't see why people spend $60, $75, $120, etc. per month for cable TV, either.

Jim

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

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Disincentives

Well heck. If I have to use Wi-Fi in order to avoid bill shock with a Smartphone, then why would I pay $15 to $30 a more per month for data again?

I'd love to see the days of optional data plans, or even a truly pay as you go option that charges you $0 if you keep the data on your phone off. I might actually consider a Smartphone for myself (as I am almost always near Wi-Fi I can use) if I had that option.

wings10
I Am Legend
Premium Member
join:2004-06-09
South Elgin, IL

wings10

Premium Member

Re: Disincentives

I agree. I only use my iPhone on WiFi so I have the $15 data plan. You HAVE to have a data plan. At least that's what AT&T tells me.

I would love to drop the $15 per month. Big scam.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Re: Disincentives

said by wings10:

I would love to drop the $15 per month. Big scam.

I feel like I need to tangentialize this discussion somewhat. Perhaps if there were more than 2 large national carriers with a real service footprint, this would be an option. Of course with every telecom merger being rubber-stamped right and left, we see the result... this option simply isn't available.
civicturbo
join:2009-11-08
USA

civicturbo to wings10

Member

to wings10
I did this with my iphone3gs, I jailbroke and unlocked it, went to Tmobile and bought a sim for 10 bucks, I use wifi at home and I have a ispot from clear for 25/mth 2-6M down no throttle or cap. I can buy a daypass from the web browser for 1.50/day for 200k unlimited on the EDGE network if I don't have the ispot or I'm out of wimax range.
Im on prepaid and at $100 level mins are only 10 cents. At the lower levels it gets more expensive, when I was poor one week and very low on mins i went to the AT&T store and bought a 25 prepaid card. Their 10/min at ANY $$ level. I DIDNOT tell the guy it's an iPhone, I didn't bring it in the store. Just told em I have a phone that I own and would like to get it on their prepaid network. He also gave me the SIM for free!
the comparison between tmobile and AT&T is that on AT&T it's always 10cents /min, you Cant buy a day pass, and the mins don't last as many days when buying the sub $50 cards. I have the 3g turned off in the phone to save battery.
Basically I wanted a nicer prepaid phone so I did this. I came from tracphone and would have stayed with them if they wouldn't lock their darn SIM cards. I reserched tracphone + iPhone and finally came to a dead end.
civicturbo

civicturbo

Member

Re: Disincentives

I was soo happy with my results I put all the files, instructional videos, links to vies, links to articles, the jailbreak software itself, and my own instruction log into a nice organized file and burnt it to a CD and went back to the tmobile store and gave it to the guy who helped me.
He loved it and said his boss is into jailbreaking iPhones and will love to have this CD.
-spread the love
FactChecker
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join:2008-06-03

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My Perfect Phone

Smart phone with all the data features only available over WiFi. No dataplan.

Why can't I buy this?
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

1 recommendation

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: My Perfect Phone

Because that minimizes your role as a revenue providing machine.
puck0114
join:2005-12-24
Portland, OR

puck0114 to FactChecker

Member

to FactChecker
I know a guy who did this. He bought the European Galaxy S II and put his AT&T Sim card in it, but he wasn't on their data plan.
willzzz
join:2007-05-23
NY

willzzz

Member

Re: My Perfect Phone

That's easy... Just remove the APN settings or disable the software data connection... And then remove the feature saying you have a dumbphone.

PrepaidPhone
@sbcglobal.net

PrepaidPhone to FactChecker

Anon

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Yes you can have a smart phone with phone service but without a data plan.

My friend bought dirt cheap pre-paid minutes from Page Plus and applied them to a smartphone with Wi-Fi capabilities. Page Plus is a prepaid service that uses the Verizon Network, so almost all Verizon phones can be used for Page Plus service. Of course, non-Verizon phones can also be used, but you have to make sure they work for Page Plus. The prices for minutes are really good, and the coverage is awesome (it's the verizon network).

All of the prepaid minute cards from Page Plus give minutes that (after using the card) last for 4 months. Their cheapest card is $10, so theoretically you can get a year's worth of phone service for $30 on any compatible phone (just make sure it has Wi-Fi of course, for your purposes).

vpoko
Premium Member
join:2003-07-03
Boston, MA

vpoko

Premium Member

That picture

How many times are you going to use that picture of Dr. Cooper, Karl? Do you still crack up every time you use it?