Unlimited Data wishes?

[Profaniter]

HI everyone, I think this is my first discussion posted in thread on Verizon's website.. recently I learned that Verizon's website had some kind of loophole allowing people to retain their unlimited data plan can upgrade their phones via online.. Apparently, some sources got to Verizon before they found out and they decided to close the loophole and back to square 1..

I want to understand something, why do AT&T and Verizon decided to end and kill unlimited data? what for? last week, the CEO of Verizon said that having unlimited data plan, as he claimed, is "unsustainable".. WTH? do anyone understand why he said that? I mean, the Internet is here.. it won't go away.. I don't know what else to say but what is your opinion guys?

[AZSALUKI]

it's about money. they don't offer it anymore because they want to charge more to those who use 5, 10, 20+ gigs per month. now, there's an argument to be made that it's not sustainable, because more and more people were dropping home internet and just tethering it from there phones. if you could get unlimited data at LTE speeds for $30 (or even $50) per month, and the phones are now all capable of acting as hot spots, why would anyone keep their home internet? they wouldn't. they would just feed off of their cellular network. this would cause potential congestion on the cell network. i've seen people argue that verizon is more than capable of handling the traffic, but i'm inclined to disagree. we really don't know how much data would be flowing through their LTE network if they still offered unlimited data. i also believe that it's only a matter of time before tmo and sprint and the rest do away with unlimited data. "if" those other companies ever get anywhere near the cusstomers that verizon and at&t have, i can't imagine their networks could handle that many people constantly streaming unlimited amounts of data.

as far as that glitch goes, we'll have to wait and see if they honor those upgrades. i'm aware of what happened, but none of the people who upgraded online and managed to keep their unlimited data plan have even received their phones yet, much less activated them. i'm curious to see if verizon honors it, or if they tell the customers that they will only get 2 gigs per month, and give them the option to return the device and cancel the upgrade. i'm betting on the latter.

[#3]

When Mr. McAdams stated unlimited is unsustainable he actually was lying. If his statement was factual the cost of data would be set at say $30 for 2Gb for all customers. Then it is sustainable but with different tiers of data for segments of verizon customers paying much more per GB is really no sustainable but by paying more it actually is. Think how his statement really makes no sense. The data is unsustainable at $30 per month unlimited, but if you were to use way over that $30 unlimited via paying $15 per GB in overage feesover 2GB then it is sustainable. Because a person pays more does not make the data use sustainable it just puts more money in Verizons greedy pockets.

The other companies like Verizon did in the past use their unlimited data as a carrot to entice customers. T-Mobile signed up over 1 million new customers last quarter and Wall Street projects more huge customer gains through the next few quarters.

If that is the case you know they are coming over from other companies. My guess as Mr. McAdams stated is verizon will not have to compete for a few more years to come.

In retrospect if fir giggles sake tomorrow Verizon lost 33% or 50% of their customers to Sprint and T-Mobile and throw in AT&T as defections, the same Verizon will offer u limited and incentives to survive in the cellular market. Verizon may have the bestproduct but if people cannot afford it then it dies verizon no good to have it.

[demmo86rt]

They released a statement saying that they will honor new contracts signed through the loophole.

[#5]

And I read yesterday tgey are offering free activations for new customers that come from another service.

its begun already.

[AZSALUKI]

i get your point, but that assumes everyone will just pay more and continue to use however much data they want. surely we can agree that by pricing it in tiers, there is some acceptable assumption of a decrease in use right? i mean, i think it's fair to say that as a customer base, we would use A LOT more data if it were unlimited at $30 than if it were at the current pricing structure. now i know it's about money, but i also do believe that with unlimited, there is considerably more network resources being used. i don't think they are saying "we can handle the load if you pay enough." i always took it more as "since you'll have to pay more, you will certainly use less." i don't know a single person who is continuing to use as much as they used to, unless they are still on the unlimited plan.

[rcschnoor]

I agree that it is not realistic to think because Verizon has priced data in tiers that Verizon is saying unlimited data is not sustainable at $30 but is sustainable at a higher price. Obviously, data use is lowered as the price goes up. That is just common sense. As price rises, demand lowers.

However, I don't think pricing data in tiers necessarily means the majority of people have lowered their data usage. I have switched my entire account from unlimited data(2 lines) to tiered data(now up to 4 lines) and have NOT lowered my data usage on average per line. I am currently using the same amount of data per line as I was before, I just don't have to pay for 4 separate data plans, and EASILY get away with a total of 4 GB shared among the 4 lines, quite often use less than 2 GB shared/month.

Yes, if you were a high data user on unlimited and have switched to tiered data, you may have lowered you usage. Those of us who were not high data users, though, haven't necessarily changed our habits at all. We(at least me) are actually paying LESS than when we had unlimited data without changing our habits at all.

[jroeder]

Sure, it could be because they want more money, but it is primarily a congestion problem. Verizon has the fastest network. If you have millions of people streaming endlessly on the network without a care of data usage what would happen? The network would become congested and speeds would drop dramatically if not completely disconnect the customer from the network. By unsustainable they meant in order to run a network with ability to handle that high amount of usage, they would have to dramatically increase the price of the plans. Therefore it would be unsustainable for Verizon to run a network like that and still retain customers and not go under with such a high price tag for the service. Other companies can offer unlimited because the networks aren't as fast and/or they choke your speed after a certain data usage. Straight Talk, for instance, allows "Unlimited Data" however after about 2gb of usage they choke you to the point where you can barely access the network at all. Verizon is not willing to choke customers of speed because that is really the only selling point they have. Without the best network, you might as well go to another provider and pay less. If unlimited data is a huge issue and you don't care about connection speeds then don't go with Verizon.

[#9]

Oh there can always be an assumption when the Overages are so great as to customers not wanting to pay for data that use should drop.

However in thinking that at unlimited at $30 was not used really that much when Verizon stated 95% on average of their customers use less than 2 GB per month. So going on if everyone had been limited to just 2GB of data and no more does the unsustainable statement from Mr. McAdam's hold any validity?

My take also is with any big business and profitability is that customers who use large amounts of data will still do so, maybe the price makes no difference. This is an assumption on my part and not a fact but a point to ponder. The statement of unlimited is unsustainable to legitimize the tiered data is in this case crazy. Does the pipe slow down any less if every customer is using data in any amounts? I would say congestion is still a problem. But throwing more money at it does not solve the situation, unless putting that $15 per GB overage in as a deterrent opens up more data for others. But that it just an assumption.

I see and read where folks now are going over the limits set and are crying about the charges. But they did not have this problem before. Its now all about the money.

Like I told RC before; I use KB and MB not GB so it would not faze me. But my wife uses over 5 GB on average with her Netflix and You Tube and now TWC app for TV. But I will not give up unlimited just in case I or my wife decide to use more.

[#10]

Yes I read that this morning. But they fixed the online ordering I am sure as to now not allow it. Lucky people from the weekend. I am happy for them.