dslreports logo
 story category
C Spire Charges More to Stream Video, Insists Idea 'Popular'

Some time back C Spire wireless raised net neutrality eyebrows by requiring that some users pay an additional sum if they wanted to stream video on their wireless connections. The company's $80 per month for Unlimited Lite plan, for example, offers users unlimited voice, text and picture message, but restricts data usage by content type -- allowing you to browse the Internet and play online music, but not video. For video, users are required to buy a $5 "pass" for two hours of streaming, $10 for five hours and $30 for unlimited streaming for 30 days.

Without revealing any data one customer adoption, C Spire CEO Hu Meena this week stated that the "innovative" passes have proven to be "popular" with C Spire customers, even if other carriers offer completely unhindered data access for less money:

quote:
Speaking at the Mobile World Congress trade show here, C Spire CEO Hu Meena said that by carving out streaming video as a premium service, the company was able to create a sustainable service that is popular with users. Specifically, Meena said that one in four customers who purchase an Unlimited Lite plan--which offers unlimited voice, texting, web browsing and 30 minutes of online video for $80 per month--also purchase a day pass. Of those, one in seven purchases the data pass priced at $5 for two hours of streaming video.

"This allowed us to deliver a sustainable model for data," Meena said. "If you don't have size you have to have innovation."
It's not entirely clear if innovation is the word many users would use to describe this effort. Hard numbers would be welcome; it would be interesting to see how many users prefer having video cordoned off instead of deciding to sign up for one of C Spire's more recently unveiled and comparably priced shared data plans.
view:
topics flat nest 

greed4u
@verizon.net

greed4u

Anon

greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed

?

Mr Guy
@charter.com

2 recommendations

Mr Guy

Anon

Re: greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed

Yes greed. Has nothing to do with the fact if everyone was streaming video the whole network would either be shut down or slower than molasses in January during a polar vortex. I love how people think wireless data is this magical thing that runs on rainbows and unicorn farts.

dnoyeB
Ferrous Phallus
join:2000-10-09
Southfield, MI

dnoyeB

Member

Re: greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed

" if everyone was streaming video" is a really fantastic statement. The whole internet is based upon the fact that 'everyone' does NOT stream video. If that were the case, it would significantly reduce the benefit of digitizing anything.

Mr Guy
@charter.com

Mr Guy

Anon

Re: greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed

said by dnoyeB:

" if everyone was streaming video" is a really fantastic statement. The whole internet is based upon the fact that 'everyone' does NOT stream video. If that were the case, it would significantly reduce the benefit of digitizing anything.

Except the whole article is about people having to pay extra to stream video. So why is my post not on topic? And those people that do not stream video should be fine with sub 10 GB caps. You're not using more than 10 GB looking ay Facebook and checking e-mail.
dra6o0n
join:2011-08-15
Mississauga, ON

dra6o0n to Mr Guy

Member

to Mr Guy
Nay. It's called corruption and it's affecting everything in the world.
It's also the word people seemed to avoid using a lot, and now it's reached to the point where being called 'greedy' isn't as bad as being called 'corrupted'.

buzz_4_20
join:2003-09-20
Dover, NH

buzz_4_20

Member

Popular...

Among investors maybe. I suspect users see it quite differently.

TechyDad
Premium Member
join:2001-07-13
USA

TechyDad

Premium Member

Re: Popular...

Every single person they surveyed loved the plan.... Of course, they only surveyed executives and investors, but that's a random sampling, right?
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband to buzz_4_20

Member

to buzz_4_20
Probably setting themselves up to be sold. But not many options for someone to by them that's already CDMA unless TMO takes them and moves the customers to GSM like they're doing with Metro.

EliteData
EliteData
Premium Member
join:2003-07-06
Philippines

EliteData

Premium Member

Welcome

to the USA.
the land of the fat-cat money hungry investors.
what is good for the goose is good for the gander but sucks to be you, the customer.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

2 recommendations

itguy05

Member

Re: Welcome

Simple solution. Don't use their products and services. Encourage others to do the same.

I survived without a smartphone and I can do it again.
amungus
Premium Member
join:2004-11-26
America

amungus

Premium Member

wow

fuck. that.

How can that even be legal?

Sorry, but if I'm already being bent over for a data plan, I would expect it to deliver ...you know... data. Of any kind. Whether those bits represent video, or not.

anonomeX
@comcast.net

anonomeX

Anon

"Unlimited Lite"?

Isn't that an oxymoron? ...emphasis on the "moron".

Kilroy
MVM
join:2002-11-21
Saint Paul, MN

Kilroy

MVM

VPN is the answer?

I know that proXPN has an Apple and Android app. I wonder if that would allow you to stream without them knowing. For pricing $6.25 a month beats the tar out of $5 for two hours. I know it worked wonders on getting to Netflix on Comcast, for me at least. I haven't turned it off since Netflix and Comcast came to an agreement to see how my speeds are, but when the feud was on I could see the difference, even with VPN overhead.

jtl999
join:2012-11-24
canada

jtl999

Member

Re: VPN is the answer?

As long as you can connect to other services at full speed this would work if they weren't interfering with VPN service. I doubt they are.
PowerMac
join:2011-03-02
Anaheim, CA

PowerMac

Member

RIP

RIP C SPIRE
and
US Cellular

scott2020
join:2008-07-20
MO

scott2020

Member

Re: RIP

What the hell is C Spire??
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: RIP

Cellular South now C-Spire
SunnyD
join:2009-03-20
Madison, AL

SunnyD

Member

Because Network Neutrality

Oh wait...

n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY

n2jtx

Member

Data Is Unlimited!

Unless you actually want to use it, then prepare the lube and bend over. OTOH, I have Sprint's unlimited 3G data and it is just as useless for everything so I do not even bother to turn the "Cellular Data" option on my iPhone on. My employer insists on sticking with Sprint and they pay the bill so why should I complain?
tabernak4
join:2013-08-10

tabernak4

Member

Personally I like the differentiation

I suppose I'm biased since I'm a C Spire customer, but I like the fact they differentiate different types of users. Heavy data users are always subsidized by low data users, this actually has heavier data users pay more. This article also fails to mention "Other talk and data" plans that basically give you a $20 discount for a 500 minute cap (which still has free nights and weekends and is as good as unlimited to me).

C Spire is a Mississippi based regional carrier, outside of larger towns and cities C Spire and Verizon are the only ones with good coverage and I find C Spire to be a better deal. As a bonus, C Spire is also building fiber to the home in 9 Mississippi towns, which is more than any other carrier can say for Mississippi.

Having said all that, I do agree their use of "Unlimited" seems abusive. From what I've read at a certain point they will throttle you on any of the plans. Although on the "Talk 500 & Unlimited Text/Web/Online Video Unlimited Text/Pics, Web and Online Music & Video" for $80 I've used a few gigs before and never been throttled.

mitchbaria
@myvzw.com

mitchbaria

Anon

cspire

CROOKS!
My wife and mother-in-law hooked up with c-spire,,,, wow!,,, just unbelievable,,, my poor mother-in-law didn't understand why she's getting a notification to buy "streaming time"while she's already enjoying the comfort and peace of mind of being unlimited with her plan...lol! No thank you! I'm happy with Verizon, they may cost a little more but the service works and everything is up front in black and white.....

polymers
Premium Member
join:2002-09-03
Petal, MS

polymers

Premium Member

Yet another definition of "Unlimited"

I am a previous Cspire customer. (I'm biased as well but in the negative direction.)

It seems they are perfectly open to using the word "unlimited" in their plan names and marketing, just not in actual application. This has been a longtime discussion on the Cspire discussion boards (they are called the "Circle"). As with most things, big on promises but short on delivery.