RIP Contracts

[saratoga172]

What? I can hotspot all I want on my unlimited VZ.

When I had VZW Unlimited the hotspot functionality wasn't part of the plan. It was $30 for the unlimited data then I could pay another $30/mo for unlimited hotspot.

There are ways around that like jailbreaking or rooting your devices. If they caught you though they could cancel service. Might have changed since I had the service. Been a couple years now.

 

[Artdeco]

I think they're worried the FCC will take them on if they mess with the unlimited plans en mass, they'll figure out a way to pick us off one by one.

Smartest thing they can do is offer free phones to us or something like that. I actually renewed mine when they screwed up and allowed a Note 3 upgrade, so I'm still under contract with my unlimited plan till October or so.

Closest deal is unlimited on Sprint, but it's Sprint, sigh...

 

[pete6032]

I have unlimited data on Sprint. But I only use between 1-2 GB per month so it's not a good perk for me.

 

[tnt118]

What? I can hotspot all I want on my unlimited VZ.

Verizon doesn't typically allow the built-in hotspot to function on an unlimited plan unless you pay for their service. Usually have to root and/or load an alternative app to do so. If it's been working for you, that's awesome, but unfortunately not how it usually works.

 

[NutBucket]

I've not heard of anyone getting kicked off unlimited for tethering recently. I suppose as long as it isn't abused it's a non issue. FoxFi works fine on the Note4.

 

[Yuriman]

I had an unlimited plan some years back when it was paid for by my employer, but now that I'm paying for things myself, I'm very much happier paying $17 per month and subsidizing my data usage with the abundant free WiFi that exists practically everywhere. Rather than stream music and audiobooks, I load them up in advance, and I don't stream videos unless I'm on WiFi. Without these things my data usage <200MB.

For me, that's worth saving $1-2000 per year (per line!).

 

[NutBucket]

I don't mind paying for it. What ticks me off is how they've changed their minds and want us to pay more for less.

 

[s44]

I've not heard of anyone getting kicked off unlimited for tethering recently. I suppose as long as it isn't abused it's a non issue. FoxFi works fine on the Note4.

C-Block rules prevent VZ from doing anything about it in the LTE era.

No idea what the software situation is, but that seems like an iPhone limitation... I haven't run stock ROMs for more than a week.

 

[Artdeco]

C-Block rules prevent VZ from doing anything about it in the LTE era.

No idea what the software situation is, but that seems like an iPhone limitation... I haven't run stock ROMs for more than a week.

You have to be jailbroken, but it works like a charm. I've tethered a lot over the years with a jailbroken or rooted phone, never a peep from VZ, and with the FCC being consumer friendly lately, I don't think they dare to do too much to unlimited customers.

 

[FearoftheNight]

Unlimited VZ here as well, I'm sure they have a genius think tank working to figure out how to get us to abandon those contracts.

Do you know if we can still sell our unlimited lines? what's the going rate if so?

 

[NutBucket]

If they really do away with contract lines I doubt they will let you do a liability transfer after the 13th. The value of your unlimited lines may have gone up

 

[NutBucket]

C-Block rules prevent VZ from doing anything about it in the LTE era.

No idea what the software situation is, but that seems like an iPhone limitation... I haven't run stock ROMs for more than a week.

I thought that was only true for tiered data lines....

 

[ImpulsE69]

remember reading an article shortly after at&t and sprint finally started matching more of the tmobile moves where it talked about verizon was happy to let phone users know they cost more (i.e., cause "they're better").

Sadly, around here, they are, at least where I need service. All the other carriers are hit or miss.

 

[NutBucket]

Even in a big market like Los Angeles they're better (but T-Mo) has closed the gap. However in fringe areas VZW rules supreme.

 

[Artdeco]

Verizon needs to add capacity in LA, it's hell using your phone anywhere there are tourists or any kind of event

 

[NutBucket]

Haven't been out much in the last year as we have an infant. But, seems to me all carriers here have that issue.

 

[saratoga172]

In Dallas Verizon and att work great pretty much everywhere. I've noticed large events (30k+ people) att seems to have trouble while other carriers like T-Mobile and sprint work normally.

T-Mobile and sprint just don't have the coverage down here to stick with them. Tmo has crappy building penetration and random drop spots. Sprint just had crappy coverage and slow speeds where there is coverage.

Having used all 4 here id rate them:
Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, sprint

I only stick with att because they're close and I can get a much better price.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

In Dallas Verizon and att work great pretty much everywhere. I've noticed large events (30k+ people) att seems to have trouble while other carriers like T-Mobile and sprint work normally.

T-Mobile and sprint just don't have the coverage down here to stick with them. Tmo has crappy building penetration and random drop spots. Sprint just had crappy coverage and slow speeds where there is coverage.

Having used all 4 here id rate them:
Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, sprint

I only stick with att because they're close and I can get a much better price.

Exactly this for me. T-Mobile is great 90% of the time but then there are these random dead spots that just completely drop service and it's annoying. I pay two lines, $100, unlimited everything right now. I use about 15-17GB shared a month. I was price checking Verizon and it would cost me $170 for 20GB shared and two lines..

 

[dontl00katme]

Is this going to affect phone prices? I don't live in the USA but from what I understand people nowadays don't really know how much they are paying for their phones right?

 

[Insomniator]

Still seems like a lot of money for meh amount of Data. My VZW unlimited is $79 a month after my work discount. What does $80 give me on a new plan, 4GB? Its a joke.

 

[cronos]

Still seems like a lot of money for meh amount of Data. My VZW unlimited is $79 a month after my work discount. What does $80 give me on a new plan, 4GB? Its a joke.

You're saying it like this is a surprise. It's a grandfathered plan that hasn't been available for several years. Nothing can beat unlimited. Of course everything else they come up with afterwards will look like a joke to you.

 

[saratoga172]

Is this going to affect phone prices? I don't live in the USA but from what I understand people nowadays don't really know how much they are paying for their phones right?

I doubt it. The carriers are still offering phone subsidies in the way of phone financing. Verizon has the Edge program, AT&T has Next and T-Mobile I think is Jump. Can't recall what Sprint is doing. In a sense this still ties people to the carrier and I'd almost say moreso than traditional contract plans. Now you're on the hook for the entire cost of the phone up front if you switch carriers.

What I'm really hoping is this brings down the price of plans more. We really should be able to have $50/mo plans with at least 5gb of data without having to pay an additional $20/mo usage fee for a smartphone or whatever bs reason carriers have for wanting to charge more.

Where phone pricing comes into play is we have reached a point now where I think they are fast enough for most people that we'll see more budget conscious phones being released.

 

[saratoga172]

Exactly this for me. T-Mobile is great 90% of the time but then there are these random dead spots that just completely drop service and it's annoying. I pay two lines, $100, unlimited everything right now. I use about 15-17GB shared a month. I was price checking Verizon and it would cost me $170 for 20GB shared and two lines..

Feel your pain. I tried T-Mobile for 2 months and finally switched. Service was great out in the open but as soon as I went into a building or sitting in my office at work my service dropped to 1-2 bars of 4g. Great service at home but I use wifi at home so I only really need call service there. Most other places I don't use wifi so that makes a difference for me.

It's a shame because they really have a great plan going. It's also a shame you can't get similar service on other carriers without paying an arm and a leg. We should be able to get single lines of service with reasonable data for $50/mo.

 

[Anubis]

Still seems like a lot of money for meh amount of Data. My VZW unlimited is $79 a month after my work discount. What does $80 give me on a new plan, 4GB? Its a joke.

this is exactly why ill prob never get off unlimited unless forced to at gunpoint

mine is ~70/mo for unlimited on VZW

 

[jaydee]

So is it a given that if you have a grandfathered unlimited plan, this doesn't affect that? Can you still switch phones and keep unlimited data (non-subsidized of course)?