• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Does Mobile Hotspot cost me?

Ox,

You buy the phone. You can do with the phone what you wish (at your risk of course). If you use your phone as a hot spot with a non-verizon supported program that's your call. As far as data usage ulimited is unlimited. Verizon advertised and we enter into a contract w them based on this. Don't tell me it's raining while pissing on my leg!
 
driodluc said:
Ox,

You buy the phone. You can do with the phone what you wish (at your risk of course). If you use your phone as a hot spot with a non-verizon supported program that's your call. As far as data usage ulimited is unlimited. Verizon advertised and we enter into a contract w them based on this. Don't tell me it's raining while pissing on my leg!
Click to expand...

No, you entered into a contract that says Verizon can restrict your network usage however they see fit. I tether when I feel like it (which isn't often, but if I'm away from wifi and want internet on my Nook or laptop), but Verizon does have every contractual right to block 3rd party tethering apps (or their native app that you've hacked) or charge you fines for tethering.
 
mik0r said:
you're paying for an "unlimited data plan" which is limited to ~5GB/month. Go over that and Verizon will send you a hefty $1/MB bill.
Click to expand...

That is so not true. I use data on my phone only and I am regularly over 5GB. By your analogy I should have been charged 400 dollars extra last month. This is false and does not happen.
 
you're paying for an "unlimited data plan" which is limited to ~5GB/month. Go over that and Verizon will send you a hefty $1/MB bill.
Click to expand...

They charge $10/GB over your data allowance, and I believe they make you buy it in 1GB chunks. So if you have the $50/5GB plan and use 7.1 GB one month, you pay $80 for data that month.
 
Wifi Hotspot is free you just have to hack it (root the phone) and download an app and you tether for free.

the app is called wifi tether.

I've been using it for a year now flawlessly.
 
driodluc said:
Ox,

You buy the phone. You can do with the phone what you wish (at your risk of course). If you use your phone as a hot spot with a non-verizon supported program that's your call. As far as data usage ulimited is unlimited. Verizon advertised and we enter into a contract w them based on this. Don't tell me it's raining while pissing on my leg!
Click to expand...

Unlimited for the device, not for everything else that you can tether to it.:rolleyes:

Tething was free for a select few handsets to spur sales or to show off the feature. Otherwise, it is a premium option at an additional cost.

Insisting otherwise that "unlimited is unlimited" is disingenuous as it does not apply to tethering.
 
My phone is rooted. I now have both (Wi Fi Tether and Hot Spot). I assumed Hot Spot was free with the root, simply because i didnt get the warning screen i used to get when i launched the program.

Now, that they are both free, they seem to do exactly the same thing. Any advantage over another? i.e Speed?
 
mattwill said:
My phone is rooted. I now have both (Wi Fi Tether and Hot Spot). I assumed Hot Spot was free with the root, simply because i didnt get the warning screen i used to get when i launched the program.

Now, that they are both free, they seem to do exactly the same thing. Any advantage over another? i.e Speed?
Click to expand...


Hot spot is free like money in a wallet you find on the street.
 
Yes you can easily accrue charges! tmoile told us there aren't any charges....but when I called as to why I was charged over $20 on 1 bill and over $70 on the next they said they were justified chatgs. They do not tell youthat a stronger signal may come in and those other network charges will apply. And tha is where they make their additionla $money!Like I tell my kids (though tmobile tells different) there is no such thing as a free lunch.
 
This only applies to LTE, but has anyone looked at the Open Access clause that came with the C Block that Verizon bought in 2008. The same C Block that powers the LTE we use today? It talks about how Verizon is blocking Android Market apps that gives tethering abilities for either a lower cost or no cost compared to what Verizon is charging. Essentially saying that you didn't need to pay Verizon in the first place for LTE tethering. Also stated in the open access clause is that unless it's harmful to Verizon's network such as impairing network security there's no reason for Verizon to deny you access to capabilities that are native to your device.

"The potential for excessive
bandwidth demand alone shall
not constitute grounds for denying,
limiting or restricting access to the
network."
Click to expand...

So it also says that you would be able to use as much data as you'd like because they had agreed to these clauses going into the spectrum auction.

Actually this was the clause that was triggered once the C block hit $4.25 billion, iirc. Google bid it up just so these rules would be triggered then backed out so Verizon could win. I think they ended up winning the block for about $9+ billion.
 
ushneb said:
This only applies to LTE, but has anyone looked at the Open Access clause that came with the C Block that Verizon bought in 2008. The same C Block that powers the LTE we use today? It talks about how Verizon is blocking Android Market apps that gives tethering abilities for either a lower cost or no cost compared to what Verizon is charging. Essentially saying that you didn't need to pay Verizon in the first place for LTE tethering. Also stated in the open access clause is that unless it's harmful to Verizon's network such as impairing network security there's no reason for Verizon to deny you access to capabilities that are native to your device.



So it also says that you would be able to use as much data as you'd like because they had agreed to these clauses going into the spectrum auction.

Actually this was the clause that was triggered once the C block hit $4.25 billion, iirc. Google bid it up just so these rules would be triggered then backed out so Verizon could win. I think they ended up winning the block for about $9+ billion.
Click to expand...

links to back this up?
 
Thanks for the note NightAngel. This was a big news story last year regarding locked bootloaders. The Block C issue seems to come up very often and each time it seems Verizon is in the clear of the verbiage of that clause. I'm not so sure that they are violating the clause. If that were the case they could be sued for denying access to an application that's exclusive to a particular phone of theirs. That hasn't happened and I don't foresee it happening, of course, but Verizon has no obligation to allow tethering applications in the Android market. In fact, I believe Google are the ones who had those applications removed as no one can access them regardless of carrier. They also have no obligation of allowing the free tethering function that can be found in AOSP. Since Android is open-sourced they are allowed to force you to pay for their hotspot features if you want to tether legally. And even with devices such as the Galaxy Nexus, it's a pure Google experience device (meaning updates come from Google) but Google still has to comply with carriers' wishes when it comes to network use.
 
ogwilson said:
Thanks for the note NightAngel. This was a big news story last year regarding locked bootloaders. The Block C issue seems to come up very often and each time it seems Verizon is in the clear of the verbiage of that clause. I'm not so sure that they are violating the clause. If that were the case they could be sued for denying access to an application that's exclusive to a particular phone of theirs. That hasn't happened and I don't foresee it happening, of course, but Verizon has no obligation to allow tethering applications in the Android market. In fact, I believe Google are the ones who had those applications removed as no one can access them regardless of carrier. They also have no obligation of allowing the free tethering function that can be found in AOSP. Since Android is open-sourced they are allowed to force you to pay for their hotspot features if you want to tether legally. And even with devices such as the Galaxy Nexus, it's a pure Google experience device (meaning updates come from Google) but Google still has to comply with carriers' wishes when it comes to network use.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation Kevin, thought this sounded weird.
 
But how can they force you to pay to use their version of a product that is available elsewhere that does the same thing at a lower cost? Isn't that in a sense denying the user the ability to use what's available to the Android OS?
 
callmeox said:
If you go to a steakhouse and only finish 1/2 of the 18 ounce porterhouse that you ordered, will they let you trade your leftovers for desert? How about ordering more than you can finish on the "no doggie bags" 25 cent wing night at your local watering hole. Can you trade the dozen leftover Atomic Gut Bombs for a beer?
Click to expand...


Wow, you comment on the rationale of these people, yet you compare "minutes" to a steak that can not be reused. I steak gets prepared, and can not be used again...a minute is simply sitting there and costs the business nothing, as where cost is actually lost by the restaurant.

Use an analogy that actually works
 
rob316 said:
$15.00=2gb
$30.00=5gb
Click to expand...

Verizon the 2 GB is 20 dollars and the 5 GB is 30 dollars how ever if you have a Verizon grandfathered 29 dollar unlimited data plan i was informed by Verizon that having the grandfathered 29 dollar unlimited data plan for a smart phone when purchasing the hotspot feature it actually make the hotspot unlimited also if you have unlimited data the hotspot will then become unlimited because it links together as one and for the tether apps that do the same thing a majority of them you have to be rooted i have a rooted galaxy note 2 i have used the play store apps for it jrummy makes a tethering app called tether its not stealing its using your device in a different manner Verizon can not tell you to not root your device you root your device at your own risk hope the information helps have a good day
 
HMan68 said:
Wow, you comment on the rationale of these people, yet you compare "minutes" to a steak that can not be reused. I steak gets prepared, and can not be used again...a minute is simply sitting there and costs the business nothing, as where cost is actually lost by the restaurant.

Use an analogy that actually works
Click to expand...


very true
 
ushneb said:
But how can they force you to pay to use their version of a product that is available elsewhere that does the same thing at a lower cost? Isn't that in a sense denying the user the ability to use what's available to the Android OS?
Click to expand...


Verizon cannot force a person to use a version of there product the person either chooses to pay for it and use it or they go elsewhere cant force somebody to pay for it if they see they can get it for free then they are not being forced they choose what they wanted

And yes in a way it is denying the user the ability to use whats available to the android OS but on the other hand the user also has the right to go to the Google app play store and download a app that does the similar or just as much the same thing as the hotspot capability you do not have to use Verizon's version of the hostpot the choice is out there they cant force you to pay for there service it is up to the discretion of the person weather they want to pay version or pay for a Google app or download a free app also the same for rooting a phone version says rooting a phone voids the warranty reason being is Verizon does not know what rooting does or how it works so in other words if you root they cant help you fix a problem rooting is a hacking tool used to allow a android OS to read and write to the OS manufactures also void there device warranty's when a device is rooted but Verizon nor a cell phone manufacture can deny you the right to root they can only deny the right to offer you warranty service after it is rooted because it you root your device and you brick it they are not required to replace it because it wasn't a faulty device you changed something in the OS which in other words made it stop working so there not at fault that's why when you look at any site talking about rooting they say at the beginning of the thread it is your fault if you brick your device i am not liable for what you do to it Hope the Information Helps have a Wonderful Day.
 
euph_22 said:
No, you entered into a contract that says Verizon can restrict your network usage however they see fit. I tether when I feel like it (which isn't often, but if I'm away from wifi and want internet on my Nook or laptop), but Verizon does have every contractual right to block 3rd party tethering apps (or their native app that you've hacked) or charge you fines for tethering.
Click to expand...

this is very true they have every right to block what they feel is costing them or there business do hardship
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom