IOWA
Mr. Logic Pants
That's who they hired for marketing, but who knows. Verizon should clarify.
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And here we go...Share Everything plans
- Thread starter Clementine_3
- Start date
That's who they hired for marketing, but who knows. Verizon should clarify.
AntimonyER
CHANGED FROM AF ADDICT MIKESTONY
Phandroid has a link to the training manuals, Unfortunately I can't see them through my firewall at work.
IOWA
Mr. Logic Pants
Here, I dropbox'd it. It's not big, about 1 megabyte so you can probably download it with your phone if DB is blocked too.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ywx86rzrwr2vxf1/Share_Everything_TRG_Indirect.pdf
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ywx86rzrwr2vxf1/Share_Everything_TRG_Indirect.pdf
AntimonyER
CHANGED FROM AF ADDICT MIKESTONY
Yeah, I managed to look it up on my phone. I have decided I am going to do a thread in here on it, and Sticky it, explaining the details based on the training manual.
cmybliss
Android Enthusiast
For some reason the thank button is missing from tapatalk, so, thanks!
AntimonyER
CHANGED FROM AF ADDICT MIKESTONY
Haha! Yeah I saw the thread in the suggestion box notifying the Admin about that. There are a few quirks we are seeing, but better than being down completely
I don't mind Verizon offering this new "Share Everything" plan as an OPTION. And for current customers, it seems that it IS just an option FOR NOW (according to the training manuals). But how discerning will we have to be in the future to make sure we stay off of this new plan? How long will we be able to avoid it?
For new customers, this new FORCED plan SUCKS for anyone who does not need unlimited voice and texts. But that's the whole point, isn't it? Verizon knows that voice and texts are diminishing, so they are FORCING everyone to pay for unlimited voice and texts (and Mobile Hotspot) no matter if you need them or not! "But it's an increased VALUE", says Verizon. ONLY for those who really need unlimited voice and texts.
Here's my breakdown for CURRENT plan versus SHARE EVERYTHING:
CURRENT:
5 Lines with 2 Smartphones and 3 basic phones
Voice Share plan 700 minutes = $50
5 Lines (line charges) = $10 x 5 = $50
250 Texts on 2 lines = $5 x 2 = $10
Unlimited Data on 2 lines = $30 x 2 = $60
TOTAL BILL = $170
SHARE EVERYTHING:
5 Lines with 2 Smartphones and 3 basic phones
2 Smartphones line charge = $40 x 2 = $80
3 basic phones = $30 x 3 = $90
Share Data Plan = (Assuming 2GB per Smartphone, so 4GB might be enough) = $70
TOTAL BILL = $240
So not only would I be giving up Unlimited Data on both of my Smartphone lines, I would end up paying $70 more per month!!! Yes, I know each of my phones would now have unlimited voice and texts, but I don't need that. The 3 lines with basic phones are just voice-only (my mom and junior high kids who only use for voice calls).
NO THANKS VERIZON! What I'll probably end up doing is upgrading my wife's phone at subsized prices and switching her to the 2GB/mo tiered data plan. And when I upgrade this fall, I'll likely just buy my phone unsubsized and keep my unlimited data.
But again, having this Share Everything plan as the ONLY OPTION for new customers (and probably forcing it on current customers eventually) is an atrocity and I hope it bites them hard. Force everything on us to not only *maintain* profits, but to exploit us for MORE profit. It's not enough that they just try to adjust the plans to maintain current profits since voice and data are getting used less. They used it as an OPPORTUNITY to increase profits even more by forcing customers with unwanted features. They're trying to advertise this new plan as a way for customers to save money by sharing data. And if they just had made the option to share data, that would have been great! But instead, they're ALLOWING you to share data at the expense of spoon-feeding everything else to you in this ridiculously priced "line charge" of $40/smartphone and $30/basic phone. The latter is particularly offensive, especially for those with extra lines for "emergencies" or just light voice usage.
For new customers, this new FORCED plan SUCKS for anyone who does not need unlimited voice and texts. But that's the whole point, isn't it? Verizon knows that voice and texts are diminishing, so they are FORCING everyone to pay for unlimited voice and texts (and Mobile Hotspot) no matter if you need them or not! "But it's an increased VALUE", says Verizon. ONLY for those who really need unlimited voice and texts.
Here's my breakdown for CURRENT plan versus SHARE EVERYTHING:
CURRENT:
5 Lines with 2 Smartphones and 3 basic phones
Voice Share plan 700 minutes = $50
5 Lines (line charges) = $10 x 5 = $50
250 Texts on 2 lines = $5 x 2 = $10
Unlimited Data on 2 lines = $30 x 2 = $60
TOTAL BILL = $170
SHARE EVERYTHING:
5 Lines with 2 Smartphones and 3 basic phones
2 Smartphones line charge = $40 x 2 = $80
3 basic phones = $30 x 3 = $90
Share Data Plan = (Assuming 2GB per Smartphone, so 4GB might be enough) = $70
TOTAL BILL = $240
So not only would I be giving up Unlimited Data on both of my Smartphone lines, I would end up paying $70 more per month!!! Yes, I know each of my phones would now have unlimited voice and texts, but I don't need that. The 3 lines with basic phones are just voice-only (my mom and junior high kids who only use for voice calls).
NO THANKS VERIZON! What I'll probably end up doing is upgrading my wife's phone at subsized prices and switching her to the 2GB/mo tiered data plan. And when I upgrade this fall, I'll likely just buy my phone unsubsized and keep my unlimited data.
But again, having this Share Everything plan as the ONLY OPTION for new customers (and probably forcing it on current customers eventually) is an atrocity and I hope it bites them hard. Force everything on us to not only *maintain* profits, but to exploit us for MORE profit. It's not enough that they just try to adjust the plans to maintain current profits since voice and data are getting used less. They used it as an OPPORTUNITY to increase profits even more by forcing customers with unwanted features. They're trying to advertise this new plan as a way for customers to save money by sharing data. And if they just had made the option to share data, that would have been great! But instead, they're ALLOWING you to share data at the expense of spoon-feeding everything else to you in this ridiculously priced "line charge" of $40/smartphone and $30/basic phone. The latter is particularly offensive, especially for those with extra lines for "emergencies" or just light voice usage.
OfTheDamned
The Friendly Undead
I understand why a lot of people are getting upset about these plans, but you have to remember that those of us with low minute usage and high data usage are not the target audience here (or we are the target depending on your view of things).
The majority of cell phone customers use more talk and text than they do data. The majority of cell users are not on the lowest minute plan that companies offer. The most common minute plan (according to reps) is the 1400 minute plan that Verizon offers and most people have the $30 text plan. Add to that that there quite a number of users on tiered data plans already and it shows that these plans ARE offering value for quite a number of people despite what blogs and forums say.
Current plans
2 smartphones: 1400 minutes + text + 2 tiered 2GB data plans = $180
3 smartphones: 1400 minutes + text + 3 tiered 2GB data plans = $210
2 smartphones + 1 dumbphone: 1400 minutes + text + 2 tiered 2GB data plans = $190
2 smartphones + 2 dumbphones: 1400 minutes + text + 2 tiered 2GB data plans = $200
4 smartphones: 1400 minutes + text + 4 tiered 2GB data plans = $240
New plans
2 smartphones: 4GB data package = $150 ($30 less)
3 smartphones: 6GB data package = $200 ($10 less)
2 smartphones + 1 dumbphone: 4GB data package = $180 ($10 less)
2 smartphones + 2 dumbphones: 4GB data package = $210 ($10 more)
4 smartphones: 10GB data package = $240 (Same price)
You also have to take into account that there are plenty of people out there that do not use even 2GB of data so often the limited (what we view as limited) data packages that are offered are too much. Plus, once you start getting into the higher minute plans it is an even better deal for most people.
I talked to a bunch of normal (not to imply that the rest of you aren't normal) users about this yesterday and thy are thrilled. They all want more minutes and don't care about the data that much. None of the people I spoke to are on a 700 minute plan either. They all wanted unlimited (just like xyz carriers offer) plans so they could talk to anyone at any time without worrying about their minutes.
The majority of cell phone customers use more talk and text than they do data. The majority of cell users are not on the lowest minute plan that companies offer. The most common minute plan (according to reps) is the 1400 minute plan that Verizon offers and most people have the $30 text plan. Add to that that there quite a number of users on tiered data plans already and it shows that these plans ARE offering value for quite a number of people despite what blogs and forums say.
Current plans
2 smartphones: 1400 minutes + text + 2 tiered 2GB data plans = $180
3 smartphones: 1400 minutes + text + 3 tiered 2GB data plans = $210
2 smartphones + 1 dumbphone: 1400 minutes + text + 2 tiered 2GB data plans = $190
2 smartphones + 2 dumbphones: 1400 minutes + text + 2 tiered 2GB data plans = $200
4 smartphones: 1400 minutes + text + 4 tiered 2GB data plans = $240
New plans
2 smartphones: 4GB data package = $150 ($30 less)
3 smartphones: 6GB data package = $200 ($10 less)
2 smartphones + 1 dumbphone: 4GB data package = $180 ($10 less)
2 smartphones + 2 dumbphones: 4GB data package = $210 ($10 more)
4 smartphones: 10GB data package = $240 (Same price)
You also have to take into account that there are plenty of people out there that do not use even 2GB of data so often the limited (what we view as limited) data packages that are offered are too much. Plus, once you start getting into the higher minute plans it is an even better deal for most people.
I talked to a bunch of normal (not to imply that the rest of you aren't normal) users about this yesterday and thy are thrilled. They all want more minutes and don't care about the data that much. None of the people I spoke to are on a 700 minute plan either. They all wanted unlimited (just like xyz carriers offer) plans so they could talk to anyone at any time without worrying about their minutes.
IOWA
Mr. Logic Pants
The problem with this is people like us are always at the forefront of the trend. You also have to look at the generation gap. People my generation and younger are only using more and more data.
OfTheDamned
The Friendly Undead
I won't argue with you there, but you have to keep in mind that people like us are not Verizon's (or other carriers) main revenue stream. We are the ones that pay virtually nothing for our service, but consume the most. We find loopholes (Google Voice, Groove IP) and exploit them. We (general term) get around paying extra for tethering and consume massive amounts of data doing so. We really use our phones for all their worth and cost the carrier more.
So while it is true that we do set the trends, many of us started using more data to avoid some other charge as a loophole. Kids have started to us IM instead of sms in many cases because their parents don't want to pay the extra for sms when they are required to have data for the same price. When everyone has unlimited sms and talk I have a feeling family data consumption will go down a bit.
That is another thing to keep in mind, we are required to have data. How many people do you think would have a data plan if it wasn't required? I bet you there are plenty of people out there that would just stick to wifi and skip the $20, $30, $40, etc extra charges for such things. I know we love them, but not everyone cares to have one. I know a few T-Mobile customers that don't have them at all. I know people that have iPhones and the 3g is so slow in my area that they don't ever use it.
Data plans were originally for blackberries and Treos. Back then you viewed a few webpages and received email. The unlimited data plans weren't a big deal for carriers because the most you could hope to consume was a Gig if you were really busy and those cases were pretty rare. As phones have progressed the data consumption has gone way up. So much so that iPhone data usage came close to crippling At&ts network. Carriers started reinforcing their networks with better equipment and things got better. Once they realized that data was the new source of use by customers they started putting tiered data plans in place to offset the cost of having people like us as customers and to pay for all the new equipment they put in place. Now, they have figured out that calling and texting doesn't cost them a thing, but data is costing them a lot. It is doing so even more since they are building up their networks with even faster speeds. So now we are looking into the future were LTE is going to allow people to do everything over what used to be considered just data lines. So the carriers that are working towards this see that talk and text really will cost them nothing, but that guy watching Netflix for 5 hours a day and listening to Pandora for 6 hours a day is going to cost them an arm and a leg in the not to distant future. So they adapt and they change what they are offering. Unlimited on some things and tiered on other. It is a reversal of the way things used to be, but it is a sign of the times and how people are starting to use their devices. They've been pushing people into smartphones for a while now. You don't see basic phones in most stores anymore. They have everyone connected to data and it is time to make the switch.
So data is to minutes to what minutes used to be to data. We all know that texting costs a carrier absolutely nothing, but nobody freaks about paying $30 extra for that a month. They do it because people like to text. Some used to pay $0.45 a minute to talk on cell phones and $0.25 extra for long distance plus a fee of $45 a month that gave you no minutes at all. If you left your local calling area you were paying almost $1 per minute to make a call. Back then the phones cost $3500 each and were installed in your car. If you actually took inflation int account most of those prices would be doubled today. Now, you can buy a very nice smart phone for $200 that will do just about anything you want and that comes with a plan that allows you to use it and talk to anyone anywhere at anytime. The point is that things change based on how people do things. We are all hooked into smartphones now and we should have all known that we were going to have to pay for this stuff at some point.
With none of this am I saying that I want to pay more or that I agree with Verizon's new plans. I'm just pointing out the evolution and the inevitability of this situation. If you want to have cheap phone service then there are always alternatives to Verizon. Boost, Cricket, etc will sell you a phone and you get unlimited everything for about $40 to $50 a month. MetroPCS even has 4G in some areas and that is $60 unlimited per month. No contracts and use what you want. The problem is that most of us use Verizon because we like the solid nature of the network and appreciate the fact that our phones will work just about anywhere anytime we need them to. We like friendly customer service reps (even when they lie
) We like 4G LTE speeds and love seeing that little needle on speedtest hit 20Mbps. Unfortunately having some of the best connectivity and the fastest speeds costs more. It costs more for the carrier and while they may be a great company they aren't a charity so those costs will always be passed on to the customer.Remember, they have the ability to please some of the people some of the time and all of the people none of the time, but no way of please all of the people all of the time. Nobody does. What they have chosen to do is please the majority at this point. The minority (Us) may be upset about it, but if you really think about it the majority doesn't even know this issue exists. Since most people don't pay attention to cell phone plans until it is time to change something on the one they are already on. So some will save money and be happy while other with spend more and be unhappy, but others will spend more and still be happy and some will do nothing and feel absolutely no difference at all.
BTW, sorry for the book.
Of course, I certainly understand Verizon's desire to flip-flop the business model in order to make sure they aren't losing profits when people drop text plans and lower their voice minutes. And that IS the trend. You might find anecdotal evidence from customers that are "thrilled" at having unlimited voice and texting, but the trend is towards LESS voice and texting and MORE data. Instead of adjusting just the data prices, however, they are cramming unwanted voice and text costs into the line charge for each phone, regardless of whether we want it or not.
So as I said earlier, I think it's great that they offer this new plan as an OPTION for those who might actually benefit from more voice minutes and texting. But to make it the ONLY option for new customers (and eventually the only option for current customers, I'm sure) is where they have offended. What about those who might only have 1 smartphone on their share plan and just want a few basic phones for their kids? Instead of paying $10/mo for an additiona line, they now have to pay $30/mo.
Currently, you have the options for voice, text, and data. With the new plan, you only have options for data. That's the problem. Currently, you can choose different tiers of voice depending on your usage. Currently, you can choose different tiers of texting (or choose not to have texting at all). Currently, you can choose different tiers of data for each line. With the new plan, you are being FORCED into unlimited voice and texting whether you want it or not.
Now I will avoid this new plan as long as possible, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth knowing that my bill will likely eventually go up by $70/mo or more with LESS data than I have now. I am all for businesses trying to maximize profits and protect a business model, but what they have done is taken advantage of customers by offering fewer choices (in the name of simplicity).
OfTheDamned
The Friendly Undead
I'm not sure I agree with you about lower talk and text being the trend. Sprint, T-Mobile, Cricket, Boost, TracPhone, MetroPCS, etc. just about all of them have moved to unlimited calling and texting models. While some of them are offering lower limit 1000 minute plans as well (which I still think Verizon should do), they are normally a $10 or $20 savings to the customer. I have yet to see anything that says there will be no other options after June 28th. It could be the case, but I haven't seen anything.
I do agree with you that options are being taken away, but it doesn't change the fact that for most customers the only option is becoming how much data they need/want. With most people, this will be fine as they don't use much data. Those of us that do are bound to be upset about it.
As I said before, they can't please everyone and it doesn't look like they intend to try. The majority of the people they are upsetting though aren't the main ones that they are worried about. While it may be anecdotal evidence I have heard it every single time I walk into a store, "X company is offering unlimited talk and text at the same or lower price." If I'm hearing that often how often are the reps hearing it? If the reps are hearing it, don't you think that the corporate folks are too? None of this came out of the blue and it isn't like they were trying to figure out a way to make everyone mad.
Options are always available though. Switching to another carrier is one that many don't seem to want, but keeping your existing plan for as long as possible is one that looks to be pretty popular. With how quickly they changed the tiered data to shared data you may just end up with completely different plan options by the time you are ready to upgrade anyway.
In the end, I view this about the same way I do gas prices. I can get really mad about the price of gas, I can choose to buy a more fuel efficient car, I can change the way I drive so that my current car is more fuel efficient or I can quit driving all together. None of this will change the price of gas or the fact that most of us require a car to get around. About the best thing I can do is figure out when and were I can offset the extra expense.
cmybliss
Android Enthusiast
I think the possibility of a fairly quick change to the new pricing structure is very real. A rep I chatted with the other day seemed to imply as much. (although I do take a lot of what reps say with a grain of salt). What I do know for sure, is that there are a ton of people calling in to complain. If customers aren't happy and leave, VZW looses.
OfTheDamned
The Friendly Undead
It is a consumer based market when it comes to cell phones and service. If you don't offer people what they want they tend not to pay you for the services.
If nobody every cared about unlimited talk and text they wouldn't be offering it. If the way people used their phones didn't change we'd all still be paying $0.50 a minute for calls too. I have a feeling that they will bow to the pressure eventually and start offering lower minute shared data plans as well. Let's not forget that these plan ideas came from somewhere though. People may be complaining about them now, but I remember people talking about having them a year ago and saying how great it would be. Most were thinking about how they were paying for X amount of data when their SO was only using Y amount and that it would save them money. That doesn't change the fact that they supported the idea originally. They just didn't expect Verizon to flip everything around on them.
On the plus side, they could have started offering just one plan for unlimited everything at $200 per line. Isn't everyone happy they didn't go completely crazy?
IOWA
Mr. Logic Pants
Na, this is clearly a fiscal strategy. With data speeds about to take off and latency dropping to all time lows, this makes VOIP over LTE via third party applications more than possible. With network neutrality breathing down their necks (but not quite implemented) Verizon (and soon to follow ATT) is cutting the head off the snake because they realize their own product has the potential to make voice and sms completely obsolete.
OfTheDamned
The Friendly Undead
Trust me when I tell you that VOIP over 4G has a long way to go from being as good as a regular network call. Will it get the job done? Sure, but it will remind you a lot of analog calls. VOIP over LTE is the same as when sms was introduced. Someone figured out how to send small packets of info through cell signal and the sms age was born. Then they marketed it to every teenage girl in the country and put a price tag on it. It made no difference that it didn't cost them an extra penny to do it. Now everyone young and old is texting and sexting like crazy. The carriers know the potential of what they have and it was even talked about before LTE was introduced to the public. They've been planning it since day one. Still, pure LTE networks are little down the road and one of the reasons Verizon isn't willing to accept any new phones that aren't at least part way LTE. There is still a few years before the service properly covers the country for them to make the full switch though. Just like the switch from to CDMA from TDMA there has to be that transition period before it can properly happen. It is obvious that they are working hard to do it though.
As for Net Neutrality, I think that is one of the reasons tethering is becoming apart of the deal. I don't think it is an issue with VOIP though. They have a number of ways to block VOIP apps in the market for customers, but they don't. It also isn't widespread enough for them to really be concerned...yet. If there really is an NN issue somewhere in all of this then we are screwed anyway because Google and VZW are bosom buddies on the subject.
As far as the other carriers go, where some lead other follow. I'm sure we will see this type of setup being adopted by other carriers before too long. Especially when some of them finally get LTE off the ground.
You give Verizon too much credit by suggesting these new plans are a response to customer demand. While shared data is something customers have been asking for, what Verizon has actually done is wrapped forced voice, text, and mobile hotspot features with some pretty paper and a nice little bow and called it "simplicity" and "value". Read the training manual PDF: the manipulation is as clear as day. What customers REALLY wanted was to save a little money by sharing data. What Verizon actually DID was give you the "option" of sharing data by removing every OTHER option and forcing you to choose the highest priced voice and text plans. In this way, only the customers who were already choosing the highest plans for voice, text, and data will save money - everyone else will spend more. Let's be clear: what they are reacting to is the customer's desire to save money by lowering voice minutes and texts. They are responding to iMessage, Google Voice, and other ways customers can try to save on their bills by forcing us to pay for features we don't want.
And this wouldn't be so bad if the overall bill stayed about the same. Verizon isn't satisfied by merely protecting existing profits - they are bent on increasing profits even more by tricking customers into thinking they are getting more "value". If you really WANT everything, then there very well could be value in the new plan. But having it as the ONLY option means that only a select few customers will have their needs met. Only those who were already choosing the highest voice, text, and data plans will benefit from this.
The bottom line is that removing options and called it "increased value" is nothing less than sleight of hand.
OfTheDamned
The Friendly Undead
Really think about that though. In some form every carrier offers unlimited talk and text plans. Some are really high priced and some are low. The carriers tend to price them based on network coverage. Poor coverage usually equals low cost plans and higher plans are typically because of better coverage. Some carriers only offer the one plan as well. Someone has yo want this or nobody would be paying for it.
I can't and won't speak for all customers, but I assume that everyone wants to save money. If that was what Verizon was trying to do then they would mark everything equal and you would only pay for what you use. Customers don't see the value in that though. So they package things and offer you x amount of this with y amount of this and z amount of this. None of it has every been to save anyone money. They have never tried to do that. They offer you a package deal with a price that is attractive enough for you to buy it. They want people paying for more than they use so they can make more money. The company wants this, the shareholders want this and to a certain extent, whether they realise it or not, the customers also want this.
I'm sorry, but putting yourself in the place of every customer Verizon has doesn't work. I understand that you want low minutes and high data, but you don't make up the total customer base. Nobody with a 700 minute plan does. The most common family plan is the 1400 minute plan and just about anyone using that or a higher plan is going to save money or break even. So it isn't a select few that are getting value, it really is a huge group. Why do you think the tiered texting plans went away? Most people were using none of them or the higher limited plans. Most people with cell phones make calls with them. You have to know this.
I get the fact that this isn't what some wanted, but just because some don't doesn't mean there aren't plenty of others that do. Time will tell though. If Verizon starts losing customers they will see they messed up. I just don't see that happening.
Of course they want to make money, that is always the goal and I understand that.
I have 1400 minutes, no text, 3 smartphones and 2 dumbphones. For me, the new plan would be $46 more. I lose $6 in discounts and the base fee is $40 more. My 3 smartphones have unlimited data so I would be getting less for more, just what Verizon is hoping for.
At some point I will probably have to switch though, I could buy 1 or maybe 2 new phones at full price to keep the unlimited but 3 is really pushing it. No matter how I do the math I am one of the folks who gets screwed.
It's the dumbphone lines that are doing it, $30 each for those 2 lines to use less than 20 talk minutes a month combined and 0 texts. $60 for 20 minutes of talk is just not a bargain.
Again, that is my situation, the new plan may work much better for the masses...just not for me.
OfTheDamned
The Friendly Undead
I was waiting for someone to come along and prove me wrong. 
To be fair, I did say "just about". Yep, those dumbphones are killers in these scenarios. Unless they are using a bunch of Verizon to Verizon minutes right now, you could always switch those to a prepaid plan to save money overall with the new plan. Also, if I'm understanding the reps correctly, your family plan won't change unless the primary line does an upgrade. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th should be able to get new phones each year and it wouldn't affect the plan. If that is the case, you could make one of those 20 minute lines the primary and not have to worry about it.
No, what I want is to avoid a $70/mo increase in my monthly charges. And for now, I can do that. But I'm forced onto this new plan, that's exactly the increase I would see. You and I can both talk anecdotally all day about whether customers are using less or more voice and texts, but I can provide a plethora of recent articles from the last year or two that demonstrate the former. Young people are calling less, and when they do call, it's quick little phone calls that use very few minutes. And instead of text messaging, they are using services that use data for instant messaging instead (or group messaging services).
You're missing the point, though. I have no problem with Verizon adjusting their business model to protect profits and remain viable (not that they're actually hurting in ANY way right now). And I have no problem with the introduction of these new plans for those who might benefit from them (despite our disagreement on whether the majority of customers would or would not benefit from them). It's not just that they flip-flopped the business model with a focus on data: if that was the case, they would do the most transparent thing and just raise data prices.
You ultimately proved my point for me: they have eliminated CHOICE. Those who would see a substantial increase on their bills will be funding those who want "unlimited everything". And AT&T will likely be following suit because the US mobile landscape is an oligopoly.
I have read that only the primary will lose unlimited data and that any line will lose unlimited at subsidized update time. I guess we will have to see which is really correct when it comes out and people start actually testing the system.Also, if I'm understanding the reps correctly, your family plan won't change unless the primary line does an upgrade. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th should be able to get new phones each year and it wouldn't affect the plan. If that is the case, you could make one of those 20 minute lines the primary and not have to worry about it.
And look at you go! I had not thought about switching the primary line around! If it turns out that the secondary lines can upgrade and keep unlimited I may just have to play it that way. I would lose the discount on data but it may be worth the $6. in the long run.
Or, at least just buying 1 full price phone every couple of years is better than nothing.
OfTheDamned
The Friendly Undead
Hey, I'm all for that too. Mine will only be a $40 increase, but an increase is an increase and I'd prefer to avoid it. With the exception of At&t every other carrier I've looked at can offer a cheaper plan even before discounts, but none of them offer the same coverage in my area or the areas I and my girlfriend have to travel.
I just read a very good article talking about that in the wake of the Verizon plan announcement (if I can find it I'll post it). The overall premise of the article was data usage over talk and text. In the comparison they compared a few hundred customer's usage from Verizon, T-Mobile, Boost and MetroPCS. The part I found really interesting dealt with how much talk, text and data the individuals consumed was primarily based on what services were offered to them at what price. On all but Verizon, sms was widely used. On all but Verizon, talk was widely used. On Verizon only data was used more than the others. Now, this could have been because of the data speeds, the unlimited data or customers trying to avoid paying for other services (more minutes and sms), but it was very interesting. Even on Boost and Metro where the data was unlimited talk and text were used more often than anything. The point was that plenty of people have turned to data (since it was unlimited) to avoid texting and talking. Now that that is metered we may see usage switch as well. Of course it could also mean that data on other carriers sucks so bad that nobody wants to use it.
Of course it is an oligopoly (I love saying that word, it sounds like a Star Wars character) to a certain extent. It has been for an incredibly long time. It isn't just in the US though, it is in just about every country.
As far as Choice goes, they've been eliminating it slowly, but surely over time. Most carriers don't give you too much choice anymore with plans and some don't with the phones they offer. As I've said, just about every carrier is switching to the all you can eat model. As Iowa and I were discussing it has been in the works since LTE was first announced. There is no denying it. As for now, the only choice they are offering is to switch or hold on to your plan as long as you can. Eventually, just like the switch from TDMA to CDMA there will come a time when they tell you that you are out of options and you have to choose one of the current plans they offer or go find different service. Unlimited data couldn't last forever, not at the rate people have been consuming it. Will things change? Maybe, maybe not. The only thing we know for sure is that prices will continue to rise and the offerings from carriers will continue to change.
OfTheDamned
The Friendly Undead
You gotta love a good loophole.
Of course none of that means anything if they decide to force people out of unlimited data.
Right. I'm not in a panic to do anything anyway. The smartphone lines are not due for upgrades for a while yet, both the dumbphones are but I'm not upgrading them...no need since they are barely used.You gotta love a good loophole.
Of course none of that means anything if they decide to force people out of unlimited data.
I have time to see how this all plays out...