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Other Discussion Boards => Technology & Information => Topic started by: spoon on December 15, 2014, 02:44:16 AM

Title: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: spoon on December 15, 2014, 02:44:16 AM
I have ordered a new smartphone, the LG Optimus G E970 (http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_optimus_g_e970-5062.php). I got it for $1 with free 2 day shipping. I will be on my own plan, paying $20/month for unlimited talk/text and 300 MB of data. Fortunately for me, wifi is everywhere.
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: Vindictus on December 15, 2014, 06:30:40 AM
$20/month with only 300mb? I pay $13 for 1gig.
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: Pete Svarrior on December 15, 2014, 07:15:05 AM
America: where receiving texts from abroad costs money.
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: spoon on December 15, 2014, 07:54:06 AM
$20/month with only 300mb? I pay $13 for 1gig.

Are you on a plan with more than one person? I could've done $14/month but I would've had to sign onto some special offer they had.
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: Vindictus on December 15, 2014, 09:31:06 AM
Nope. I'm just a cheapo on a grandfathered plan.
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: Rushy on December 15, 2014, 01:16:48 PM
I got it for $1 with free 2 day shipping. I will be on my own plan, paying $20/month for unlimited talk/text and 300 MB of data. Fortunately for me, wifi is everywhere.

$20/month with only 300mb? I pay $13 for 1gig.

I pay $50 a month for 2 gigs and then it's an additional $40 a month just for owning a smartphone.
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: Ghost of V on December 15, 2014, 05:44:52 PM
I pay for unlimited data, which is actually about 10gigs a month before they start tacking extra charges on my bill.

I don't understand how AT&T can say something is unlimited that is obviously not unlimited. I'm sure there is some loophole in the contract somewhere that lets them do whatever they want with my service.
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: Rushy on December 15, 2014, 05:51:59 PM
I'm sure there is some loophole in the contract somewhere that lets them do whatever they want with my service.

There is a clause in pretty much all provider contracts that allows them to modify any allocation of minutes/texts/data to you at their will, usually citing some "network bandwidth" technobabble. They don't do it often because it is very noticeable and is a good way to boot customers to another provider, but they could if they wanted to.

I just wish legal definitions weren't so different than actual language definitions. e.g. they can legally define "unlimited" as the limit set by them, regardless of the obvious contradiction.
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: Ghost of V on December 15, 2014, 05:55:52 PM
I read that Comcast is trying to do the same thing.

Data throttling, not just for your smartphone anymore.
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: Rushy on December 15, 2014, 06:02:11 PM
I read that Comcast is trying to do the same thing.

Data throttling, not just for your smartphone anymore.

Comcast isn't just trying to throttle data, Comcast is trying to charge you based on what the data is. Think about how cable TV works. You get local channels with a basic package, but if you want HBO or some other specific channel, you have to pay extra. Now imagine getting Google and Amazon for free, but you have to pay for a "game package" so Steam can connect.
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: Ghost of V on December 15, 2014, 06:04:27 PM
I read that Comcast is trying to do the same thing.

Data throttling, not just for your smartphone anymore.

Comcast isn't just trying to throttle data, Comcast is trying to charge you based on what the data is. Think about how cable TV works. You get local channels with a basic package, but if you want HBO or some other specific channel, you have to pay extra. Now imagine getting Google and Amazon for free, but you have to pay for a "game package" so Steam can connect.

Yeah, they're trying to do that too.

But this (https://customer.comcast.com/help-and-support/internet/data-usage-what-are-the-different-plans-launching?ref=1) is a seperate thing.

In Huntsville and Mobile, Alabama; Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, Georgia; Central Kentucky; Maine; Jackson, Mississippi; Knoxville and Memphis, Tennessee and Charleston, South Carolina, we have begun a trial which will increase our data usage plan for all XFINITY Internet tiers to 300 GB per month and will offer additional gigabytes in increments/blocks (e.g., $10.00 per 50 GB).
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: Rushy on December 15, 2014, 06:06:11 PM
In Huntsville and Mobile, Alabama; Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, Georgia; Central Kentucky; Maine; Jackson, Mississippi; Knoxville and Memphis, Tennessee and Charleston, South Carolina, we have begun a trial which will increase our data usage plan for all XFINITY Internet tiers to 300 GB per month and will offer additional gigabytes in increments/blocks (e.g., $10.00 per 50 GB).

Oh fuck Huntsville is where I'm going to go for college. That's some bullshit. Why are they only doing it to the southeast? We need to secede again.
Title: Re: American mobile network operators are terrible
Post by: Ghost of V on December 15, 2014, 06:09:15 PM
In Huntsville and Mobile, Alabama; Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, Georgia; Central Kentucky; Maine; Jackson, Mississippi; Knoxville and Memphis, Tennessee and Charleston, South Carolina, we have begun a trial which will increase our data usage plan for all XFINITY Internet tiers to 300 GB per month and will offer additional gigabytes in increments/blocks (e.g., $10.00 per 50 GB).

Oh fuck Huntsville is where I'm going to go for college. That's some bullshit. Why are they only doing it to the southeast? We need to secede again.

Comcast needs to be stopped.