Items tagged with data plan
Most of us don't put much stock into the claims of mobile carriers that unlimited data users slow down the network for everyone. We tend to think that the carriers are just using excuses to throttle our connections and charge us more money. But according to recent tests from OpenSignal, speeds at AT&T and Verizon are indeed slowing down thanks to unlimited data users. OpenSignal writes, "Six months after reintroducing unlimited plans, Verizon and AT&T experienced a marked decline in 4G speeds in our tests. The impact appears to have hit Verizon the most. Its average LTE download test fell 2 Mbps to 14.9 Mbps in the six months between reports." As speeds at AT&T and Verizon have declined,...
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Verizon plans on raising its data limit for prepaid smartphone plans. Starting May 15th, the data limit on Verizon's $45 a month plan jumps from 1GB to 3GB, while the $60 plan has been doubled to 6GB. This includes unlimited talk and text in the United States. The $45 plan comes with free texting to Mexico and Canada while the $60 plan comes with free texting and calling to both countries. There is, however, a catch -- you will need to set up Auto Pay in order to reap the benefits. Verizon’s Vice President of Consumer Pricing, Rob Miller, stated, "Whether you're just starting out with your own wireless plan or simply love to have complete control of your wireless spending, prepaid plans give...
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After months of anticipation, Verizon today finally and officially lifted the wraps on its Share Everything data plans, which are set to go into effect starting June 28, 2012 (a little over two weeks from now). The new plans allow subscribers to share a single data cap with up to 10 devices, negating the need to purchase separate data plans for additional gadgets like tablets, as well as multiple family members each wielding smartphones. Pricing starts at $50 per month for 1GB of shared data, along with unlimited talk and texting. If that's not enough, Verizon will also offer 2GB for $60, 4GB for $70, 6GB for $80, 8GB for $90, and 10GB for $100. Mobile Hotspot, currently an premium add-on, will...
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Verizon Wireless stirred up a hornet's nest of sorts when word got out earlier this week that Big Red was planning to shove grandfathered users off of their $30/month unlimited data plans that they signed up for prior to VZW rolling out tiered price plans. As you can imagine, news of the nixed data buffet for existing customers didn't sit well with John Q. Public, but before you pick up pitchfork and torch, Verizon wants to make some points clear. In a statement emailed to The New York Times, a VZW spokesperson clarified that "Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans. If a 3G or 4G smartphone customer is on an unlimited plan now and they do not want to change their plan,...
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According to a leaked memo obtained by TmoNews, T-Mobile may be planning to increase the price on its 5GB and 10GB Promotional Bundles data plans. The increase could happen as early as next week, so if you've been thinking about becoming a T-Mobile customer, now might be the time to act. Based on the leaked information, "T-Mobile will increase the price of the Premium – 5GB Promotional Bundles and Ultra – 10GB Promotional Bundles Classic data features by $5 per month. The currently available Classic Premium – 5GB Promotional Bundles and Ultra – 10GB Promotional Bundles data features will end and be replaced by new features with the $5 MRC increase." The document indicates...
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Several months ago, AT&T notified customers that it would begin throttling network speeds for users who exceeded a certain threshold, with the definitive throttle point defined as an imprecise "the top 5% of mobile data users." The company has issued a statement clarifying this policy after irate customers with unlimited data plans demanded to know what the cap was and how the company determined who should and shouldn't be throttled. The magic number is 3GB, which conveniently happens to be the maximum amount of tiered bandwidth AT&T will sell you. "Our unlimited plan customers have told us they want more clarity around how the program works and what they can expect," AT&T said. "For...
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Who needs a wad of cash in their wallet dragging them down? If that's how you feel, you'll be thrilled with AT&T's new data plans for smartphone and tablet customers. The plans, which launch this Sunday, January 22, 2012, are designed to "give customers more data and value," but that additional data and value comes at the cost of higher prices. AT&T's current data plans run $15 per month for 200MB of data and $25 per month for 2GB of data. If you're a mobile hotspot customer, your're paying $25 per month for 2GB plus another $20 for 2GB of hotspot data, which adds up to 4GB for $45. Source: Flickr (MrVJTod) The new smartphone plans shake out like this: AT&T Data Plus 300MB: $20 for...
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Speaking at the D9 conference earlier this week, AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega confirmed that the wireless carrier is "working on" a shared data plan. There aren't any plans in place just yet, nor did the CEO say what kind of price points AT&T is looking at, but the idea of having a single data plan for homes with multiple devices is one that is long overdue. It's an idea that Verizon is considering, and one that T-Mobile just recently implemented. The shared data tiers for T-Mobile are: 10GB for $120/month 5GB for $90/month 2GB for $80/month 200MB for $70/month Under T-Mobile's terms, Family Plans are good for up to 5 devices, and while the tiers look pricey at a glance, it's a lot more...
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Why T-Mobile isn't on top of a mountain shouting at the top of its lungs, we don't know, but the company should be. What for? Well, T-Mobile just launched its new 10GB Web Access + Unlimited T-Mobile HotSpot plan, which in and of itself doesn't sound like anything special. But here's the kicker -- there aren't any overage fees, even if you go over your 10GB monthly allotment! How's that again? Okay, if we must... There's a catch, of course, but it's really more of a compromise. Should you go over your 10GB limit, T-Mobile won't cut you off or hit you with additional charges that could lead up to bill shock. Instead, the wireless carrier will throttle back your connection until your next billing...
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AT&T managed to ruffle a few feathers when they announced the end of their unlimited data plan. For most customers -- up to 98 percent, according to the wireless carrier -- the new 250MB and 2GB monthly data plans will actually save users money in the long run, but for those who ordered an iPad 3G in hopes of not having to worry about data consumption, some of you are in luck. According to a report in The New York Times, iPad 3G tablets purchased before June 7 are still eligible for the $29.99 unlimited data plan. For everyone else, you'll have to make do with the new 2GB plan for $25/month. That isn't such a big deal for iPhone customers, where 3G data usage tends to be lower, but could...
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AT&T is rolling out new data plans for smartphones and tablets. Starting next Monday (the same day Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone), AT&T will begin offering new data plans with preset amounts of monthly data access. This also means that the current $30-per-month unlimited data plan will no longer be available to new users. The new data plans will offer users three options: DataPlus: This $15/month plan will provide for 200MB of data, which AT&T says will be enough to send/receive 1,000 emails (no attachments), send/receive 150 emails with attachments, view 400 Web pages, post 50 photos on social media sites, and watch 20 minutes of streaming video. Should you exceed the...
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Enjoying that old school MEdia Net data plan on your feature phone or smartphone? Get ready to kiss it goodbye should you ever choose to upgrade to a new phone. Proving once again that all good things must eventually end, AT&T has today made clear that any phone that it deems a "smartphone" will be subject to the same $30/month data plan that iPhone and BlackBerry users currently endure.In other words, any Palm, Windows Mobile or Symbian S60-based phone that is purchased from AT&T will have to be paired with a $30/month data plan. And yes, that includes the incredible small Nokia Surge, which is absolutely no a smartphone by anyone's definition other than AT&T's. Of course, if you...
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Some may view smartphones as a necessity, but that doesn’t mean users are happy about the costs associated with the phone’s monthly data plan. iPhone users are especially among this group who don’t like the pricey data plans required for the phone. As the wireless industry continues to address the downturn in customer spending by offering lower priced service plans and phones, AT&T is holding its ground with the iPhone and required data plan that accompanies the phone despite increasing pressure from the industry and from consumers. Last month, AT&T wireless chief Ralph de la Vega said the company was considering a lower tier service plan for the iPhone that could include limits on how...
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The launch of the Google's first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, was both widely anticipated and highly covered. Of course, one big negative, one frequently pointed out as a real problem for the iPhone as well, is the associated carrier with the device. T-Mobile has the smallest 3G footprint of any major carrier, and additionally --- well, the devil is in the details.T-Mobile's advertised data plan for the $179 phone are $25 for unlimited data and voice and 400 text messages, or $35 for unlimited everything. Well, that's when you really, really need to take out your magnifying glass, and take a look at their 3G details page (as linked to this story). Look at the very bottom...
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