Buzz Out Loud Lounge: Requiring a data plan
Lol you are limited
by hosko - 8/27/09 7:24 AM In reply to: We've also talked about how that money you think by minimalist"We are an all you can eat culture."
Just like your EVDO plans they may call it unlimited but they have "fair use" limitations. The unlimited EVDO plan is capped at 5Gb per month.
Also your data plans cost you $30 per month for the life time you have your iPhone.
So on AT&T if you want unlimited calls you have to pay $99.99 a month + $20 a month for unlimited text messages + $30 for the data plan plus the upfront cost of the phone. So for the iPhone 3Gs 32Gb thats $299. Your total monthly spend is US$149.99
Now compare that to one of Australia's carriers plans Optus's $99 Timeless package. For your $99 you get unlimited standard national calls and test messages and you get 1.5Gb of data. You don't pay anything for the phone, its all covered in the monthly spend. That's right you get it for free. Sure your plan is unlimited data but here you can pay for more data if you need it. An extra 6Gb will cost you $44.99 a month. So say your went with this package the total monthly spend is AU$143.99 or US$120.20. I highly doubt anybody needs more then 7.5Gb of data a month. I only have 800mb a month of data and never go near using all that up because when I download a lot I'm in wifi areas.
Sure our data is capped but you get to use all of that up. Your data is called unlimited but is capped at 5Gb. I'd prefer to pay nothing upfront for the phone and have the choice of which data plan I go onto. If I'm going to be on the road and ramp up my data plan so I have enough to tether the phone to my MBP.
The all you can eat culture is highly overrated because you have to pay for people who use or eat a lot more then you would. If your a light to medium user you have to pay for the few that a heavy/excessive users. What's wrong for paying less if you eat less. Also its hardly all you can eat if you get kicked out if you go up for thirds.
So in conclusion our monthly spend is lower, with that lower monthly spend we can get 2.5Gb more data a month. We pay nothing for the iPhone up front if your on a plan with a high enough monthly spend. If we put in another Sim Card into the iPhone we can use that plan and they don't force you up to a special iPhone plan. The AT&T plans are atrocious, they can afford to be beacuse you can't get the phone from anywhere else. I got my iPhone 3G on launch day from the apple store in Sydney. At the apple store they asked who you wanted to sign up with. Everybody signed up with the cheapest provider which forced the other two to lower their plans. In other words we have competition in an open market.
You may think your markets are open because you live in the greatest capitalistic society on earth. They aren't, most of your laws are tailored to suit companies not individuals. Here we have a federal body that solely looks at competition and consumer complaints.
We also have public hospitals that don't cost you a cent to get treatment in but that's another debate all together :P
No data caps on iPhone... at least written caps.
by minimalist - 8/27/09 8:19 AM In reply to: Lol you are limited by hoskoSo that is "unlimited". Nobody who uses an iPhone ever has to go check their data usage (and hope that that its correct and up to dat to avoid overage charges). And its also one of the reasons why iPhone users are the heaviest users of the web on mobile devices.
If you want an fledgling industry to grow you don't put artificial limitations on its use.
Arguing for the status quo (60 dollars a month for 5GB data caps) is not a very forward thinking argument. The iPhones unlimited 30 dollar a month plan is like a breath of fresh air in an industry that is still pricing themselves as if its 2004 and only corporate users need data plans.
Asking "why would someone need all that data?" is really not all that different than some grandfather asking why anyone "NEEDS" a cell phone anyway... or a FAX machine, etc.
Give people lots of bandwidth and business will mushroom around it. Hold them back and it will stiffle innovation.
Why is there no data cap on the iPhone
by Nicholas Buenk - 8/27/09 8:36 PM In reply to: No data caps on iPhone... at least written caps. by minimalistBecause it's extremely hard to use that much data, 5GB, on an iPhone. Infact the typical iPhone user will be well under 1GB of usage.
The lack of a cap is not at all because iPhone users are the heaviest mobile users, the reason is mobileSafari is excellent and close enough to a desktop web browsing experience, that people actually use it, a lot!
It is indeed because safari is so good
by minimalist - 8/28/09 8:43 AM In reply to: Why is there no data cap on the iPhone by Nicholas Buenkbut the never underestimate the chilling effect of quotas and obscenely expensive overage charges.
Just look at how miserable it is to travel to other countries with an iPhone. Even when you TRY to buy data for usage you can get stuck with a 700-1000 dollar bill... for doing nothing but going 100-200 MB over your limit! So yeah, AT&T will make a lot of money one time. But then people will just not use their iPhones ever again once they get zapped with a huge bill. Quotas and limits will limit usage even if only because people are scared of going over. its just not smart business and its not forward thinking.
People just monitor their data use
by Nicholas Buenk - 8/28/09 9:17 PM In reply to: It is indeed because safari is so good by minimalistOne of the apps at the top of the chart on the Australian app store, optus usage meter. Just loads the carriers web page and reports your usage.
There is a Datacap for the iPhone
by Maarek Stele - 11/10/09 9:06 PM In reply to: Why is there no data cap on the iPhone by Nicholas BuenkAT&T tracks your data usage, if it exceeds actual usage that the phone can physically do, AT&T will hit you $1/meg. How? Tethering. Yeah, it's not released yet for the iphone, but jailbroken phones can do it. Hell, my HTC phone has the option every time I charge the phone through a computer.
If you do tether, use it sparingly or for simple tasks, not downloading or streaming video.
crap, I was (honestly) going to get a smart phone w/o...
by shmody - 8/26/09 1:13 PM In reply to: Requiring a data plan by DangMIcrap, I was (honestly) going to get a smart phone w/o a data plan to keep cost down. I just wanted to make sure it had Wi-Fi, reasonable navigation (pointer, scrollwheel, touch, etc.) and some media ability.
I hope I won't run into a big problem with this stuff in the future...
--S
I guess this is another reason I like my Internet Tablet ;)
by shmody - 8/28/09 3:24 PM In reply to: crap, I was (honestly) going to get a smart phone w/o... by shmodyI guess this is another reason I like my Internet Tablet 
No/little service fees if Wi-Fi is available! And...I feel a bit better that someone wanting my data won't get into my (super basic) mobile phone to do so.
--S
Now
by Nicholas Buenk - 8/28/09 9:21 PM In reply to: I guess this is another reason I like my Internet Tablet ;) by shmodyAll you need is a mifi and a voip app.
I was once in that minority
by hurleyit - 8/27/09 12:35 PM In reply to: Requiring a data plan by DangMIBefore my husband and I got iPhones, we had Palm Treos we bought used and put on the Verizon Wireless network (so there was no subsidy from them). We didn't want access to the internet, but rather the combination of a PDA and telephone in one, relatively easy-to-use device. We asked them to drop the internet connection ability because the device liked to use the internet whenever it could, even if we didn't want it to do so. And when we upgrade our iPhones, I would love to give the old ones to my parents sans the internet access so that they can have wifi-enabled media devices that are also capable of making phone calls. But sadly, it seems that the cell phone companies don't want us to reuse our existing devices. So basically, I think Paul from episode 1050 is completely wrong on this one.
Minutes are dead....
by skellener - 8/29/09 10:41 AM In reply to: Requiring a data plan by DangMIPaying for "minutes" is a legacy concept left over from the 20th century. It's ALL data anyway. It's digital. Bits are bits.
When you use the internet at home, you pay for a connection. You can hook up a router, a computer, a game console, a voip device, a digital picture frame, a webcam, etc.... It doesn't matter. It's your choice what to use the connection for. That is what wireless service needs to move to. That IS what it will move to whether the carriers like it or not. The My-Fi is the first step in the right direction. You pay for the connection service and then use whatever device you want.
Forcing people to pay for data plans if they do not want may be in the carrier's best interest, but may not be in the public's best interest. Same the other way, you may want data only and no minutes. Carriers need to address these concerns. Remember, the wireless carriers are using the public airwaves to offer service. When the the public interests are not being met, the government can step in and make regulation changes so that they will be addressed. I can see them regulating the separation of services, making it illegal to force bundling of services. That doesn't mean they can't bundle services if they want, it just means that they must offer them separately as well so that people have the option to pick what they want.
Verizon offers touch screen phones w/o a data plan
by Miri1018 - 8/29/09 5:42 PM In reply to: Requiring a data plan by DangMII am part of the minority who wants a smart phone without having to get a data plan. I use the phone as a phone 95% of the time, but would like to have some of the features of a smart phone at my disposal, and more importantly, already on the phone when I am ready to upgrade my plan to include digital usage (before my 2 year contract is up). Verizon called me as soon as my contract ended, in February, and wanted to sell me a new phone (OK, discount a new phone for me). I explained that I wanted a touch screen phone but wanted a voice only plan. They could not help me at that time. Fast forward to August - just a couple of weeks ago - Verizon called me with the same pitch. I asked again for a touch screen phone without having to upgrade my voice plan to a data plan, and they stated that two smart phones are now available for the voice plan. They are both LG, and I think one was the enV Touch, and know that the other is the LG Dare. Hopefully, they will offer more phones, as I am holding out for even better phones to be offered.
In the meantime, I am using my old phone with a voice plan only, and using my iPod touch for internet and messaging (when I have WiFi available). Yeah, it's a band-aid fix, but it works for me.
Using AT&T LG Incite (Smartphone) With WiFi and NO Data Plan
by ace98bx - 8/29/09 9:05 PM In reply to: Requiring a data plan by DangMII was/am amazed that ATT actually charges for a data plan based on the device type!
- I was told it is $15 for non-smartphones and $30 for ANY "smartphone".
- So they have ONE(1) data plan and the price is determined by the device type !??
- This is nuts!
I am obsessed with my iPhone I like it so much.
- I have the data plan on my iPhone.
But, I am very upset with ATT and the no-choice data plan.
So, I do NOT have the data plan on the LG Incite in my family talk plan.
The LG Incite has WiFi capability and the person using it likes it a lot with NO data plan.
- They can get to internet no problem.
May be based on yoru phone
by ahutch - 8/31/09 7:05 AM In reply to: Requiring a data plan by DangMIFYI - I wanted a smartphone for much the same reason as your wife. I wanted to synch my contacts and appointments - but don't do Web browsing, email, etc. I do occasional text messages as well. I synch my phone with Outlook on my computer and all is well. I do not have any type of data plan. I looked at a couple of Blackberry models - but they all required a data plan. I opted for the Palm Treo (or you could go with the Palm Centro. My carrier is Verizon and I don't have a prepaid data plan, just the "pay as you go" per kb. I synch via USB cable instead of over-the-air - so I don't incurr any charges for data usage.
Works for me.
Required Data Plans are ridiculous
by prberg - 9/1/09 7:34 PM In reply to: Requiring a data plan by DangMII agree with the first poster. Requiring a data plan is ridiculous. I also want a smart phone because it has more organizing capabilities than the other phones. Actually all I want is addresses. Is that too much to ask? When I asked Verizon about it, they said the smart phones are for internet use. Really? How about running more software than the 'dumb' phones, or syncing to outlook, or just having a full address/phone book?
I just don't need to spend $30 for a cell phone data plan. For me, I am either at home, at work, or driving in my car. So I don't need internet access on my cell phone. It really sucks that Verizon requires it on any phone that is 'smart. So I have to buy a 'dumb' phone or pay the big bucks. Very frustrating! Once my contract is up.. I will be shopping around to the smaller companies looking for a better deal.
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