Bye bye grandfathered unlimited data

smokedkill · Jun 12, 2012

I just got done reading an article from USA Today that was talking about how users who have grandfathered data will be forced to select one of Verizon's shared family plans or tiered plans if or when they go to upgrade their device.

I really despise Verizon for this and will be heading to sprint if I have to give up unlimited data. If they think they will make more money from this move, I suggest everyone leave Verizon and show them the error in their ways.

And just wait, they are trying to eliminate unlimited data for home internet also and the head of the FCC supports limited data. Online gaming and video will suffer and our country will wonder why businesses will struggle. Who's going to let their kids play online games when they have to watch their data usage. Bad news for companies like Sony who have the PS3 and online gaming and bad news for online video streaming companies like Netflix.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA

CurGeorge8 · Jun 12, 2012

In the end though, I really can't see Verizon being too negatively affected by all of this. The heavy duty users will either pony up the extra cash (because of Sprint's shoddy coverage) or leave and bog down another carriers network.

I have unlimited data right now, and I rarely go over 2GB and I've never been over 4. I stream music pretty often, use fox-fi for thether, and spend a good bit of time on my phone.

Does it suck? Yea. Will it get me to switch? Probably not. I guess it depends on what the pricing structure looks like. I'm intrigued by the idea of the shared data plans too.

wpbear · Jun 12, 2012

Cut off will be June 27th 1159pm to keep it for one last contract.

New plans are expensive! http://solutions.vzwshop.com/shareeverything/pdf/verizon_share_everything_plan_details.pdf

nobreak1970 · Jun 12, 2012

I love Verizon...I have 2 lines on my account (both Bionics) one has the 10GB plan and my wife has the 6GB + mobile hotspot and our monthly bill is around $215/month. Plenty of data for that price.
Peace.

smokedkill · Jun 12, 2012

Your on xda, and still paying for the hotspot service? We're the reason Verizon started offering the tethering service in the first place once they realized we were already doing it for free.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA

nobreak1970 · Jun 12, 2012

Believe me I love FoxFi. My wife is a by the book type person.
She uses the hotspot feature for work as a necessity. No matter how many times I tell her that I'm 99% sure she wouldn't get caught using FoxFi she comes back and says that what if they do? I need this for work! I then just sigh.

smokedkill · Jun 12, 2012

I think if they are going to force limited data plans on us, at least give an exemption for apps such as Netflix. You will eat your plan up real fast just by streaming a couple movies.

Also include services such as slacker radio and Pandora into the exemption.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA

HorsexD · Jun 12, 2012

So if we have grandfathered unlimited data (we been on verizon for years) do we keep it as long as we dont upgrade or buy phones off contract (like ebay)?

projektorboy · Jun 12, 2012

HorsexD said:
So if we have grandfathered unlimited data (we been on verizon for years) do we keep it as long as we dont upgrade or buy phones off contract (like ebay)?

This is precisely how to keep unlimited data.

If Verizon sells you a subsidized phone, that's where they get to force you into a new contract.

If you buy a phone at full retail price from Verizon, or buy a used phone from a place like eBay or Swappa your unlimited data is safe.

Even if you're sitting on something like a Samsung Fascinate, you can go on Craigslist and buy a Razr Maxx, head to a Verizon store, and get a free SIM card to continue service on the Razr Maxx. Nothing on your plan changes except a line item or two for $0.00 indicating that you have 4G Unlimited instead of 3G Unlimited.

nullness · Jun 12, 2012

projektorboy said:
This is precisely how to keep unlimited data.

If Verizon sells you a subsidized phone, that's where they get to force you into a new contract.

If you buy a phone at full retail price from Verizon, or buy a used phone from a place like eBay or Swappa your unlimited data is safe.

Even if you're sitting on something like a Samsung Fascinate, you can go on Craigslist and buy a Razr Maxx, head to a Verizon store, and get a free SIM card to continue service on the Razr Maxx. Nothing on your plan changes except a line item or two for $0.00 indicating that you have 4G Unlimited instead of 3G Unlimited.

This is wrong. That is how it used to work before, now if you attempt to activate a new phone you will be forced to choose new plan options before they will activate it, regardless of where you got your phone. Welcome to the new Verizon.

smokedkill · Jun 12, 2012

I will probably be forced off of Verizon at some point. I am already paying $245 a month for 2 androids with unlimited talk, text, and data with insurance and a $3/month slacker radio subscription.

While the data limitations would be no concern to my girlfriend, I am at 5.341gb for the month, with another week left in the month. They are already getting enough money from us every month.

With the changes, I will be forced to cancel my slacker subscription because I use it mainly while driving and won't be able to do that anymore. I don't mind paying $3 a month for being able to listen to music I like while driving. This is an example of why limited data plans have an economic impact on other companies.

I don't know, but I think $245 a month is enough. Is business really that bad for them that they have to try to push for $300 a month? This is why corporate America is seen as greedy.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA

mike t · Jun 12, 2012

Does this include prepaid also?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA

silversonic1 · Jun 12, 2012

The shared data plans are a complete rip anyway. From what I read, they charge you for the pool, than the first device, than the second device. That means that I would pay the same I pay now for my plan's two devices and only get 4GB of data for the two of them to share. I know exactly what I am going to do when I get my next upgrade; I won't upgrade.

smokedkill · Jun 12, 2012

nobreak1970 said:
Believe me I love FoxFi. My wife is a by the book type person.
She uses the hotspot feature for work as a necessity. No matter how many times I tell her that I'm 99% sure she wouldn't get caught using FoxFi she comes back and says that what if they do? I need this for work! I then just sigh.

I understand your point. Your wife sounds like someone who should be paying for it since its for work.

Its the average user whom I think its overpriced for. I don't use it myself too often, but I did pay $10 for easy tether so I can hook up through USB and share my data with my computer when I need to. Since I don't typically need other people using my data, I rarely use wifi tether since it kills your battery faster.

I don't just oppose limited data based on my data usage though. I look at the bigger picture. It will slow down technology growth and may put some businesses out of business. Any business that uses bandwidth will be impacted. Customers will be less willing to pay for services that they could be charged twice for using (the service and the data overage charges, Netflix, slacker radio, etc). Even app developers will be impacted because people will be less willing to download as many apps to try out.

Some flashers may impacted as well. Some of us download the roms directly on to our phones. Our data plans would be eaten up a lot just by keeping up to date with the roms.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA

jmath679 · Jun 12, 2012

Sadly when I first found out about shared family plans I thought it would save me money but it seems to get an amount of data equivalent to what the three basic data packages on my account have i will have to pay a good bit more.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

projektorboy · Jun 12, 2012

nullness said:
This is wrong. That is how it used to work before, now if you attempt to activate a new phone you will be forced to choose new plan options before they will activate it, regardless of where you got your phone. Welcome to the new Verizon.

Okay then. Debunk this article which contains an official statement from Verizon

http://www.droid-life.com/2012/05/1...d-data-says-exactly-what-we-already-told-you/

ronaldheld · Jun 12, 2012

What to do.... I don't think Sprint is an option. Go to AT&T? Is it worth paying list price just to keep unlimited data? Since I am not upgrading soon, I will have the benefit of lots of examples.

smokedkill · Jun 12, 2012

ronaldheld said:
What to do.... I don't think Sprint is an option. Go to AT&T? Is it worth paying list price just to keep unlimited data? Since I am not upgrading soon, I will have the benefit of lots of examples.

AT&T was the first to eliminate unlimited data. They are worse than Verizon. At one point in time, they had their phones locked to where you could only install apps from the android market. They stopped that when Amazon released their own app store and their users couldn't install the Amazon app store, or any of the apps from it.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA

nullness · Jun 12, 2012

projektorboy said:
Okay then. Debunk this article which contains an official statement from Verizon

http://www.droid-life.com/2012/05/1...d-data-says-exactly-what-we-already-told-you/

That article is a month old...read more recent statements from them.

medic233 · Jun 12, 2012

If you are in a Sprint 4G area, go for it.
I had to have an Airave device just to make a phone call.
Sprint changed their billing, I opted out with no etf's(a moto photon and a nexus s4g, about one month old), went to Verizon, signed on, came home, had full bars of 3G, and a week later they flipped the switch and I now have 4G.
I sent an open signal text to my old Sprint rep showing her the 4G and strength. WHat else could she do?

Bye bye grandfathered unlimited data

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