We're screwed. 2GB is the threshold for so called "network optimization/throttling"

[JimmyHat]

Another aspect i forgot to mention is ive fully embraced cloud computing which takes up considerable bandwitdh. For instance, whenever i shoot a photo or a video it automatically uploads it with my syncing software.

That's it. As we all move to the cloud, data usage and bills are going to skyrocket. Unfortunately, there will not be any alternatives. Even the pre-paid options are going to be owned by huge players.

The latest round of new Bionic users should start getting their bills under the 2GB regular cap.

But I'll bet the people under the 2GB cap are not reading these forums.

 

[QuasiNerd]

Yikes. Not sure what is so upsetting about the data usage of others, but people tend to view their own actions as "normal", with anything outside that box being unacceptable or weird.

That being said, could you weirdos with the low data usage quit trying to make me look bad?

 

[UncleMike]

Yikes. Not sure what is so upsetting about the data usage of others, but people tend to view their own actions as "normal", with anything outside that box being unacceptable or weird.

That being said, could you weirdos with the low data usage quit trying to make me look bad?

It's not upsetting. It's just that when the usage variance from one user to another is order of magnitude, each sees the other's use as "out of normal range". But I remember getting my first cell phone, and thinking of 120 minutes per month as some sort of bottomless pit - how would I EVER use that much? I'm sure at the time there were people with 1000 minute plans getting hit with overage charges on a regular basis.

As for making you look bad... I apologize. I'll do my best to not screw up the curve.

 

[vzwuser76]

If anything, I would look into suspending service on the existing line, and see if that would maintain the grandfathered status on the unlimited data plan. If so, suspend that line and go for the agent line.

Just a note in case you weren't aware.

You can only suspend service for somewhere around 3-6 months. After that you have to either startup your service again or cancel your line. And those months that service is suspended don't count towards prorating your ETF. Meaning the amount of the ETF will be figured by how many months your line was active for.

Just wanted to mention that so you don't get a surprise if you tried to do that.

P.S. I always thought a way to show a cell carrier we're displeased with what they're doing would be to have a large group of customers suspend their service at the same time. They coud go to a prepaid carrier who's not owned by the postpaid carrier during the time their line is suspended. Since they don't bill you while your line is suspended that'd be a way of getting their attention. Of course knowing them they'd just remove that option so you couldn't do that again.

 

[TheGuitarBoss]

There was a time you could stream youtube or other video on 3g without all the buffering. When the 4g phones started coming out for Verizon, the 3g phones started dropping in price. The price drop ended up putting alot of new 3g phones on the grid that has dramaticaly slowed down 3g speeds in most areas.

Yes, I got a play for free. And my old droid x2 for 100.

 

[Sevreth]

Why is it we have to be "taxed" $10/gb if we go over 2gb? Why can't verizon just slow the "data hog's" speed to emphasize the need to manage your usage?

Most folks can't afford the 50/month for 5gb.

-Sev

 

[Markmon]

Well, I'm not going to write a long post; most issues are already covered in this thread.

I am amazed that 2gb is now considered a "data hog." Since my 3g speed has always been slow, I'm not concerned about streaming etc... Basically, I use my phone for navigation (non satellite view), email and browsing.

After tracking my usage, I was AMAZED at how much data is consumed by browsing. And that's with plug ins OFF.

I'm sure we're all familiar with verizon's "data calculator." Using that calculator, if I put in 250 web pages per day, and NOTHING else, the verizon estimate is about 1.5gb per month. Not bad.

But when I started checking each individual web page, I was surprised that the average page is around 1mb, give or take a bit. Remember, this is with plug ins turned off.

So, if you go by verizon's calculator, and used 250 pages per day, you would reach 2gigs in about 5 days. I'm sure most people wouldn't use that many pages a day; just using that as an example of how "off base" verizon is when it comes to realistic data estimates. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that by just causal browsing, one could easily blow past their "data hog" limit.

The solution; I'm sure this is old news to most people, but I finally discovered opera mini browser (which now has a feature that allows you to view the amount of data saved.) ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! All I can say is, try it for yourself. There is no reason why verizon couldn't integrate an "opera type" control somehow in the settings menu. While opera does help with web browsing, it can't do anything for market browsing. I just did a 5 minute search on the market; looked at about 6 apps (didn't even download anything) and I racked up 7mb! Tell me verizon can't create a more simplified market. Oh wait; they HAD one of those, but replaced it with this "improved" market, that's not a bit more functional than the old market. If congestion is such a problem, there are MANY ways they could trim off some of the fat.

Well, I could go on for hours, but I'm tired of typing. Hope that suggestion can help.

 

[dirkbonn]

There's an Android widget called "Data Usage" that you can put on one of your home pages that tracks your data usage. It is slow to update however, about every 3 or 4 days. I use it and it shows that I use between .5GB and 1GB of data every month.

I don't use anywhere near 250 web pages a day. I maybe average 3-5 pages per day. I do text some, an email or 2, play with GPS in satelite view, and check the market a couple times a day. So, I'd consider myself a light data user.... I can't imagine 250 pages per day. Heck at 1 page per minute that's over 4 hours each and every day. And if you should spend a couple minutes reading each page, then you're up to 8 hours surfing the web. Just curious but what do you do that requires you to access 250 web pages per day?

Verizon says their research shows that 95% of their smartphone users use under 2GB of data per month. That's the reason they have gone to tiered data plans. If you're grandfathered into an unlimited plan, It would be a good idea for a high data users to keep it.

Just posting my thoughts.... I do have some sometimes...... haha.... hey!!!! no smart comments from the peanut gallery!

Best of luck to everyone,

 

[UnplugMe]

5GB is not a lot of data, do the math. 100MB a day is 3GB per month in a 30-day month. Most of the short videos I watch are in the neighborhood of 40MB each.
I do a lot of online shopping. If I watch 3 (5-10 min ea) videos per day that's roughly 120MB, then add in pop-up ad videos that are probably several MB ea. You're looking at roughly 150MB per day, that's 4.5GB without streaming any tv shows, siriusxm, or movies. Streaming one movie would probably use at least 3GB of data, from what I can find in a google search.

I don't watch movies, I don't watch tv, I barely ever stream siriusxm even though I pay for the dang thing, and I average 4-5GB per month.

I don't live in an area where there's wifi, and frankly I can't afford to add wifi here, ontop of regular cable, phone, cell phone, etc. Anyway, why should I have to pay for wifi to use instead, when I'm paying for a data plan?

This is just corporate greed, they're looking for any excuse to jack prices. And I believe they're lying about the usage stats.

 

[IOWA]

5GB is not a lot of data, do the math. 100MB a day is 3GB per month in a 30-day month. Most of the short videos I watch are in the neighborhood of 40MB each.
I do a lot of online shopping. If I watch 3 (5-10 min ea) videos per day that's roughly 120MB, then add in pop-up ad videos that are probably several MB ea. You're looking at roughly 150MB per day, that's 4.5GB without streaming any tv shows, siriusxm, or movies. Streaming one movie would probably use at least 3GB of data, from what I can find in a google search.

I don't watch movies, I don't watch tv, I barely ever stream siriusxm even though I pay for the dang thing, and I average 4-5GB per month.

I don't live in an area where there's wifi, and frankly I can't afford to add wifi here, ontop of regular cable, phone, cell phone, etc. Anyway, why should I have to pay for wifi to use instead, when I'm paying for a data plan?

This is just corporate greed, they're looking for any excuse to jack prices. And I believe they're lying about the usage stats.

It may be corporate greed but we have every right to not use thier services.

 

[dirkbonn]

It may be corporate greed but we have every right to not use thier services.

100% correct. You vote with your pocketbook.

The way a Wireless service like Verizon works is they first make the rules that customers will play by. If not enough people choose to play by Verizons rules, then Verizon can change the rules. Again, the customer decides if he wants to play by those rules. Either enough customers decide to play by Verisons rules.... or.... they don't. If enough play to satify Verizon, then those rules will most likely stay. If enough don't play by those rules, Verizon has the option to change the rules and the customer again decides whether or not to play and the scenario starts once again.

So here we are. The rules are different for some because they are "grandfathered" into unlimited data..... but new customers or old customers change thier data plans may loose their "grandfather" status and go to tiered data plans and then have to decide whether or not to play by the then current rules....

And so it goes...... the ultimate decision is yours, Verizon is not holding a gun to your head.

Best of us to all of us....

 

[bcltoys]

I ran my data count to 4gb last month just to see if they would throttle me and now in place's were I have for the last three year's got 2400kbps average now as of the first 10 day's of this month maybe 300kbps so they are enforcing it. I have since this morning turned of 3g for the rest of the month. At night prime time they have me shut down to 56k. Verizon say's it's only on high volume tower's mine is not, never more then 15 mac-user's during prime time so as far as i'm concerned Verizon is full of shit.

 

[dirkbonn]

It's ultimately going to be a "Pay-to-play" game. If you're a "light" data user, you will be able to play for $29.99 per month. However, if you're a medium through heavy data user, you will have to pay for your heavier use of bandwidth.

Kinda like a restaurant... if you're a light eater, it doesn't cost you as much to eat a a heavy eater. The exception..... all you can eat restaurants.... Wireless has one of those..... it's called Sprint. Have at it. Oh, Sprint doesn't work for you? Not Verizons problem. Welcome to the real world.....

Best of luck to all of us.....

 

[IOWA]

It's ultimately going to be a "Pay-to-play" game. If you're a "light" data user, you will be able to play for $29.99 per month. However, if you're a medium through heavy data user, you will have to pay for your heavier use of bandwidth.

Kinda like a restaurant... if you're a light eater, it doesn't cost you as much to eat a a heavy eater. The exception..... all you can eat restaurants.... Wireless has one of those..... it's called Sprint. Have at it. Oh, Sprint doesn't work for you? Not Verizons problem. Welcome to the real world.....

Best of luck to all of us.....

Verizon and them are setting a bad precedent for themselves. This kind of billing only opens themselves to a lawsuit for requiring a data plan, since now there are different tiers of billing. It's only a matter of time before you'll be allowed to buy and use smartphones without data plans... which is what many people want.

 

[dirkbonn]

Verizon and them are setting a bad precedent for themselves. This kind of billing only opens themselves to a lawsuit for requiring a data plan, since now there are different tiers of billing. It's only a matter of time before you'll be allowed to buy and use smartphones without data plans... which is what many people want.

This may be true, but when that happens, you'll see the the subsidized (aka discounted) phone prices go away. Without the ability to recoup the phones cost through 2 year contracs, the cost of the phone will have to rise. That'll be something else for people to complain about..... like "It's just a money grab...." (If it's so easy, get a group together, start your own wireless service provider, and retire a multi-Billionaire in a few years)

I don't really see a lawsuit happening. Many people and lawyers are sue happy today and if someone had thought there was a buck (and by buck I mean million$) to be made, they would have done it by now. After all, the required data plans have been around for years.

In addition, the big wireless players aren't holding guns to peoples heads to make them sign contracs. There are wireless providers that let you go month to month with no data plan requirements like mobi and cricket.

Again I say, best of luck to all of us......

 

[CHIP72]

Verizon and them are setting a bad precedent for themselves. This kind of billing only opens themselves to a lawsuit for requiring a data plan, since now there are different tiers of billing. It's only a matter of time before you'll be allowed to buy and use smartphones without data plans... which is what many people want.

To be frank, your complaints about Verizon's policies are ridiculous and just rants because Verizon has put in place plans you don't like. With MANY products - gasoline, home heating/cooling (regardless if its natural gas, electricity, or something else), food, etc, - if you use more of the product, you pay more to use more. Has any utility company in the U.S. been sued because they charge more to people who use more of the service/product than to people who use less of the product/service? You know how most people who have higher-than-desired utility bills or pay more for gasoline than they want or can afford do? They reduce their usage in some way! You can't tell me you absolutely MUST use Netflix all the time on your roughly 4" screen smartphone, or even that you need to use your smartphone for literally 8 hours a day. Now if you want to complain that Verizon and other carriers don't have some sort of unlimited data plan that only the massively heavy users will reach at some fairly high price - say $80/month for unlimited data - I can agree with that argument. But complaining about getting throttled on data when you are paying only $30/month when almost everybody is using much less data than you, AND increasing numbers of people are buying smartphones, meaning data is becoming more of a premium, AND the carrier is improving its network so that you can have a better user experience (4G LTE) is inane.

If you really believe it's a matter of time before people are allowed to buy smartphones without data plans, you must be delusional or think everyone is living in the 1960s Soviet Union or China. This is a little like saying that TV cable bills wouldn't increase in the 1980s when more people got cable (analogous to increasing numbers of smartphone users) and when the cable providers added more channels (semi-analogous to wireless carriers increasing the coverage or capabilities of their networks). The trend is going in the exact opposite direction - the wireless carriers know they can make money off of data plans (much like they can off of voice plans) because more and more people are getting smartphones and more and more people are using data on those smartphones. You also do realize that carriers are probably selling the smartphones themselves at a loss for contract purchases, right? Do you think the carriers are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts so that you can have a smartphone? Hell no - they are doing this so they can get you (and other people) to buy a highly desirable product at an enticing price and make up the deficit by making money on the voice/data plans. This really isn't that much different than what razor manufacturers and video game companies have done for years - they sell the razors or console units at a loss knowing you need to buy replacement cartridges or games (which they sell at a significant profit) to avoid making those razors or game consoles strangely shaped paperweights or door stops. What IS more likely in the future with smartphones IMO is carriers will offer data/no-voice plans at prices only slightly higher than data plans with voice because many people in the future (and heck today) almost exclusively use their smartphones for data and hardly use the calling feature.

The whining in this thread about Verizon's speed (but not data) caps for a small number of users who use an excessive amount of data has been over the top IMO.

 

[IOWA]

To be frank, your complaints about Verizon's policies are ridiculous and just rants because Verizon has put in place plans you don't like. With MANY products - gasoline, home heating/cooling (regardless if its natural gas, electricity, or something else), food, etc, - if you use more of the product, you pay more to use more. Has any utility company in the U.S. been sued because they charge more to people who use more of the service/product than to people who use less of the product/service? You know how most people who have higher-than-desired utility bills or pay more for gasoline than they want or can afford do? They reduce their usage in some way! You can't tell me you absolutely MUST use Netflix all the time on your roughly 4" screen smartphone, or even that you need to use your smartphone for literally 8 hours a day. Now if you want to complain that Verizon and other carriers don't have some sort of unlimited data plan that only the massively heavy users will reach at some fairly high price - say $80/month for unlimited data - I can agree with that argument. But complaining about getting throttled on data when you are paying only $30/month when almost everybody is using much less data than you, AND increasing numbers of people are buying smartphones, meaning data is becoming more of a premium, AND the carrier is improving its network so that you can have a better user experience (4G LTE) is inane.

If you really believe it's a matter of time before people are allowed to buy smartphones without data plans, you must be delusional or think everyone is living in the 1960s Soviet Union or China. This is a little like saying that TV cable bills wouldn't increase in the 1980s when more people got cable (analogous to increasing numbers of smartphone users) and when the cable providers added more channels (semi-analogous to wireless carriers increasing the coverage or capabilities of their networks). The trend is going in the exact opposite direction - the wireless carriers know they can make money off of data plans (much like they can off of voice plans) because more and more people are getting smartphones and more and more people are using data on those smartphones. You also do realize that carriers are probably selling the smartphones themselves at a loss for contract purchases, right? Do you think the carriers are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts so that you can have a smartphone? Hell no - they are doing this so they can get you (and other people) to buy a highly desirable product at an enticing price and make up the deficit by making money on the voice/data plans. This really isn't that much different than what razor manufacturers and video game companies have done for years - they sell the razors or console units at a loss knowing you need to buy replacement cartridges or games (which they sell at a significant profit) to avoid making those razors or game consoles strangely shaped paperweights or door stops. What IS more likely in the future with smartphones IMO is carriers will offer data/no-voice plans at prices only slightly higher than data plans with voice because many people in the future (and heck today) almost exclusively use their smartphones for data and hardly use the calling feature.

The whining in this thread about Verizon's speed (but not data) caps for a small number of users who use an excessive amount of data has been over the top IMO.

All i have to say about this post.... #comprehensionfail.

You missed what i was saying completly.

Also, please define "excessive data".

 

[Shadowtech]

It's funny you want to argue that no utility company has been sued for charging based on usage, and compare it to Verizon. Well here's the thing.. cell phone service nor Verizon are a utility service. But let's go ahead and make them one and stick them with all the extra crap that comes along with it like providing service over an ENTIRE area like the power company has to do. Then there's the regulations put into place to make it accessible to everyone, which would drop initial pricing.

But that whole conversation is pointless since they're not a utility company. Cell service is a luxury item, you don't need it, you want it. It makes life easier, but is not a necessity. The issue here is that cell companies know this as well, so they get away with pretty much charging whatever they want for it. You want to play, they make you pay.

The biggest issue people have here, is not the fact that they have to deal with a data cap. It's the fact that the data cap is way too low. 2GB is absolutely idiotic as I have stated before. Could you imagine your home ISP setting that limit? Yea, some do have limits, but you're talking maybe 25GB at the lowest, a lot are 200GB if not completely unlimited, and you're paying the same or less than the cell data plan costs. The only thing (usully) that influences prices on a real ISP, is if you want faster speeds. Cell speeds (aside from 4G) don't even come close to a home connection, so we're paying the same for slow speeds AND less data.

Everyone wants to blame it on upkeep, etc, but show some real numbers. If upkeep was that big of an issue, these companies wouldn't be posting billions in profit margins every year. Fact is, there is little upkeep, aside from total equipment failure. Once the infrastructure is in place, it's pretty much pure profit. There are plenty of reports out there that outline all of this and show how much everything costs, so I won't get into it. Bottom line is they're not imposing this limit because it hinders the network, or because the data costs them money. They are doing it because they can, ad it will keep the shareholders happy. Setting the limit to even 10GB would keep more people happy and have almost zero difference in efficiency than the 2GB cap.

 

[IOWA]

It's funny you want to argue that no utility company has been sued for charging based on usage, and compare it to Verizon. Well here's the thing.. cell phone service nor Verizon are a utility service. But let's go ahead and make them one and stick them with all the extra crap that comes along with it like providing service over an ENTIRE area like the power company has to do. Then there's the regulations put into place to make it accessible to everyone, which would drop initial pricing.

But that whole conversation is pointless since they're not a utility company. Cell service is a luxury item, you don't need it, you want it. It makes life easier, but is not a necessity. The issue here is that cell companies know this as well, so they get away with pretty much charging whatever they want for it. You want to play, they make you pay.

The biggest issue people have here, is not the fact that they have to deal with a data cap. It's the fact that the data cap is way too low. 2GB is absolutely idiotic as I have stated before. Could you imagine your home ISP setting that limit? Yea, some do have limits, but you're talking maybe 25GB at the lowest, a lot are 200GB if not completely unlimited, and you're paying the same or less than the cell data plan costs. The only thing (usully) that influences prices on a real ISP, is if you want faster speeds. Cell speeds (aside from 4G) don't even come close to a home connection, so we're paying the same for slow speeds AND less data.

Everyone wants to blame it on upkeep, etc, but show some real numbers. If upkeep was that big of an issue, these companies wouldn't be posting billions in profit margins every year. Fact is, there is little upkeep, aside from total equipment failure. Once the infrastructure is in place, it's pretty much pure profit. There are plenty of reports out there that outline all of this and show how much everything costs, so I won't get into it. Bottom line is they're not imposing this limit because it hinders the network, or because the data costs them money. They are doing it because they can, ad it will keep the shareholders happy. Setting the limit to even 10GB would keep more people happy and have almost zero difference in efficiency than the 2GB cap.

Pretty much hit the nail on the head there. It is a luxury item, for now. But what happens when wireline phone service goes the way of the dodo? Enter regulation. Especially with publicly owned items like spectrum. NOT to mention the amount of spectrum they are currently squatting on.

Bottom line: Carriers see their cash crops fading and fading fast, especially text messaging, and data is the new text messaging.

Yeah, we have the right not to use these services. But what happens when ALL cell phones require a data plan (and it's getting that way, fast) and wireline is no longer an option?

 

[3devious]

I look forward to the day when wifi becomes truly ubiquitous and we can ditch cellphones completely.

Verizon used to make fun if AT&T for not being able to support their subscribers' usage while claiming that its CDMA network is "highly scalable." Their moves may be motivated by greed, but I chose to attack their viability when I was negotiating with them. It was easy for me to cast them in a light of weakness given their current actions, market statistics and data about CDMA wireless capability.

You just need to know how to hit them where they live.

 

[tommy_ed]

what really gets me is that verizon is capping/throttling down its loyal contract customers, while at the same time still offering unlimited internet to pre-pay customers. complete bullshit

 

[dirkbonn]

Pretty much hit the nail on the head there. It is a luxury item, for now. But what happens when wireline phone service goes the way of the dodo? Enter regulation. Especially with publicly owned items like spectrum. NOT to mention the amount of spectrum they are currently squatting on.

Bottom line: Carriers see their cash crops fading and fading fast, especially text messaging, and data is the new text messaging.

Yeah, we have the right not to use these services. But what happens when ALL cell phones require a data plan (and it's getting that way, fast) and wireline is no longer an option?

Even when landlines are no more, there still won't be regulation of the wireless industry. There's to much competition between multiple wireless carriers.

You will only get price regulation when a company has a monopoly, like Electric companies and (for those of you that remember) the old Ma Bell when they were the only phone company around. Competition is what keeps prices down so no regulation needed. If one companies prices get to high, another company will do it better and cheaper, and the company with the higher prices either lowers thier prices to a competitive level or all thier customers leave and they go out of business.

Also the unlimited data plans are going away (except for Sprint) and I would bet money they will eventually jump on the bandwagon. Across the board, one price for all, unlimited data plans work when the usage of data was in its infancy. One-price-for-all makes for an easier sell and it works at the begining. But later, the companies see some high data users getting a free ride on the backs of the average data users. So as the industry matures we get tiered data plans... where you pay for what you use, which is where we are now. Like buying gas for your car,if you use only a little gas each day driving 3 miles back and forth for work, it doesn't cost as much as the guy who drives 25 miles each way to get to work.

Well, enough "soap boxing" for today.

Best of luck to all of us.....

 

[IOWA]

Even when landlines are no more, there still won't be regulation of the wireless industry. There's to much competition between multiple wireless carriers.

You will only get price regulation when a company has a monopoly, like Electric companies and (for those of you that remember) the old Ma Bell when they were the only phone company around. Competition is what keeps prices down so no regulation needed. If one companies prices get to high, another company will do it better and cheaper, and the company with the higher prices either lowers thier prices to a competitive level or all thier customers leave and they go out of business.

Also the unlimited data plans are going away (except for Sprint) and I would bet money they will eventually jump on the bandwagon. Across the board, one price for all, unlimited data plans work when the usage of data was in its infancy. One-price-for-all makes for an easier sell and it works at the begining. But later, the companies see some high data users getting a free ride on the backs of the average data users. So as the industry matures we get tiered data plans... where you pay for what you use, which is where we are now. Like buying gas for your car,if you use only a little gas each day driving 3 miles back and forth for work, it doesn't cost as much as the guy who drives 25 miles each way to get to work.

Well, enough "soap boxing" for today.

Best of luck to all of us.....

Correction: There is TOO LITTLE competition amongst wireless carriers. Especially after ATT gobbles Tmo

 

[madashell2]

Well, I personally have had enough of Verizon. I signed up for an unlimited usage plan at 3G speed. Now I am on this optimization BS and can barely do a thing. I am left with a glorified cell phone.

In addition, they did not inform me personally that they were doing this to me - or when. One day, I went to use my phone and the speed was slower than a snail.

Also their customer service stinks! I've spent almost ten days on the phone with customer service and the techs trying to get this N.O. off my phone.

First of all, I was told that if I go to a metered plan my speed will be better, so I switched to a metered plan. Within one hour no speed change so I called back an the tech told me there would be no change in speed. He switched me back to the unlimited plan.

Then TWO supervisors told me the network optimization BS would come off my phone in 30 days. It started at the beginning of November. Guess what? It's still on my phone! They both told me they would check with the N.O. team and call me back the next day. They didn't call!

Today I talked with yet another tech supervisor who told me it is never coming off.

Well, Verizon, you just lost a customer!

I have six months left to go on my current plan but I don't care. This is disgraceful service - both network service and customer service!

I was told so many different scenarios, it's clear one half of Verizon doesn't know what the other half is doing - and nor do they care about satisfying the customer. This is one of the reasons why I am leaving them - the main reason being I am paying for a PDA plan that is now useless to me. No more!

I'm not even sure I will get a PDA with the next carrier either. Why bother!

Note: They did try to convince me to buy a 4G phone, saying there is no network optimization with those. I replied why would I pay $500 for a new phone after Verizon screwed me - and why would I do it only to find myself in network optimization one year down the road when the 5G phones come out. Total bull!

 

[madashell2]

Correction: There is TOO LITTLE competition amongst wireless carriers. Especially after ATT gobbles Tmo

It's the same old story throughout America. The corporations are much too big and they do what they want, when they want regardless of the customer or contractual obligations - and they get away with it.