[Follow-Up] Online Petition to Stop Verizon From Killing Unlimited Data

[kevsgroove]

The problem with this logic is that Verizon, and all the other carriers for that matter, brags about how fast they are and encourage the data usage with just about every commercial. They tell you about all these amazing things you can do on you phone. Surf the net, watch movies and TV shows, stream music etc. Now on top of that a lot of the newer phones are HD compounding the problem. When you start doing all that 4 gigs of data doesn't seem like a lot any more. So from one side they are telling you how great the service is and then in the background they are hamstringing it.

Its basically like being handed the keys to a Ferarri, but begin told you can only drive it around the block.

I beg to differ. The logic above is quite sound. While it's true that Verizon and others are touting the benefits of 4G and companies are producing HD devices, each provider knows that their profits are driven by fees charged on data usage. The more data used, the higher the fee. Unlimited has been fantastic and I hope it never ends, however, the providers are in business to make money. The questions that beg to be asked are: Will current users already on 4g be able to maintain their unlimited package as long as their plan doesn't change? Will current 4G customers be allowed to keep their current package after their contract expires, if/when they upgrade to a newer 4G device? Or, does this only apply to new customers, and current 3G customers when they upgrade to 4G.

Only time will tell.

 

[jntdroid]

Higher costs eventually get passed on to consumers. You can't keep eating high costs forever. If you do, profit margins fall and shareholders get angry. Less profits also mean less capitol to invest in new technology and network upgrades. If you mismanage a company long enough, you fail as a business.

People seem to forget this (well all of your post, but definitely this) - Verizon has spent more than any other wireless company, by far, on expansion/creation/etc. of their 4G/LTE network. It's been a huge expense and is by far the largest and best LTE network, even if it has the occasional hiccup since it's so "new". Plus, it's not like it's a straight line flow down to the customers. The wave of profitability, so to speak, ebbs and flows - but in order to keep the shareholders happy, that "wave" has to maintain some sort of stability. When shareholders are happy, it's better for the company as a whole b/c the stock price will maintain some stability as well - kind of the circle of corporate life, if you will.

Is there greed involved at times? I'm sure there is - any time money is involved with human nature, there will be some greed. But that doesn't mean it's a massive conspiracy to screw over the customers so some executives can expand on their $1m mansions. Verizon is too big of a company with too much invested in the future to NOT look at the big picture on this.

 

[jntdroid]

Driving a Ferrari has zero affect on other Ferrari drivers. It also has zero affect on Ferrari's bottom line after you've purchased it (well very little anyway).

Verizon's data is used by their entire customer base, and is their #1 commodity, and will continue to be in the future as more and more people are using their LTE network.

 

[huskur]

I beg to differ. The logic above is quite sound. While it's true that Verizon and others are touting the benefits of 4G and companies are producing HD devices, each provider knows that their profits are driven by fees charged on data usage. The more data used, the higher the fee. Unlimited has been fantastic and I hope it never ends, however, the providers are in business to make money. The questions that beg to be asked are: Will current users already on 4g be able to maintain their unlimited package as long as their plan doesn't change? Will current 4G customers be allowed to keep their current package after their contract expires, if/when they upgrade to a newer 4G device? Or, does this only apply to new customers, and current 3G customers when they upgrade to 4G.

Only time will tell.

Analogy is correct. You buy the Ferrari from Verizon and you can go as fast as you like for as long as you like. Drive across country with the unlimited data. Then they tier you. Now you get a Ferrari with 10 gallons of gas for the same price and if you don't want to pay more you have to stretch your fuel for 30 days. Sad....VZW is a multi-million dollar per month profit company. There is a small greed factor IMO. What are you going to do? Jump to sprint and have sorry coverage and then 12 months from now they do the same thing. Believe me...they will be on the bandwagon also.

You know...its a good idea for Verizons sake. I have wifi unlocked here at work.....just had a brainstorm. I can make a little side cash if I lock it down and charge $5/mo. to each person that wants to get on. Then at the end of 30 days I change the password and then and it starts over....hhhmmmm (i would never do that...just sayin')

 

[xxwabbit]

Since I bought a 4g device, does that make me a 4g customer?

 

[metalspring]

Since I bought a 4g device, does that make me a 4g customer?

If you have unlimited data it will end upon your next upgrade whether you have 4g or not

 

[xxwabbit]

Thanks for the clarification. So I shouldn't expect 4g service in my area by then? The closest 4g service is 2.5 hours away. I live in a town of 2000 or so. Upgrade is in Jan of 2014. I'm pretty happy with my 3g service as it's pretty strong here and as fast as my dsl. Maybe I could downgrade to a 3g device such as my trusty old d1?

 

[metalspring]

Thanks for the clarification. So I shouldn't expect 4g service in my area by then? The closest 4g service is 2.5 hours away. I live in a town of 2000 or so. Upgrade is in Jan of 2014. I'm pretty happy with my 3g service as it's pretty strong here and as fast as my dsl. Maybe I could downgrade to a 3g device such as my trusty old d1?

Activating a non 4g phone might require a data plan change which could mess things up

 

[mysticalmalissa]

Signed

 

[akhenax]

Signed. Need about 36,000 more sigs.

 

[cobravnm13]

Signed. At least we're standing up for ourselves and not whimpering away with our tails tucked between our legs.

Sent from my 3rd reincarnation of the ever-so-lovable Droid

 

[kevsgroove]

Thanks for the clarification. So I shouldn't expect 4g service in my area by then? The closest 4g service is 2.5 hours away. I live in a town of 2000 or so. Upgrade is in Jan of 2014. I'm pretty happy with my 3g service as it's pretty strong here and as fast as my dsl. Maybe I could downgrade to a 3g device such as my trusty old d1?

Again, taken from Droid Life:

Verizon Officially Clarifies the End of Unlimited Data One More Time – Echoes Our Thoughts From Earlier – Droid Life

• Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans. If a 3G or 4G smartphone customer is on an unlimited plan now and they do not want to change their plan, they will not have to do so.
• When we introduce our new shared data plans, Unlimited Data will no longer be available to customers when purchasing handsets at discounted pricing.
• Customers who purchase phones at full retail price and are on an unlimited smartphone data plan will be able to keep that plan.
• The same pricing and policies will be applied to all 3G and 4GLTE smartphones.

So just as we said earlier – this doesn’t affect you if you are on a contract as of today or up until they launch shared data tiers. If you renew after shared plans go live though, and take on a discounted or subsidized phone, you will have to choose a shared data tier and come off of unlimited. If you want to continue on month-to-month after your contract is done with your same old phone and/or upgrade at full retail to a new one, you get to keep your current unlimited plan. Verizon can’t void your current contract and push you into a tier, again, as we said earlier.


You should be okay, as long as the next phone is not a discounted upgrade nor any plan changes are made.

 

[RyanPm40]

Yeah... but why pay $300 more for a phone than you have to? That's ridiculous. And let's not forget the new $30 fee on top of any phone upgrade from Verizon.

 

[King_Bean]

Well I plan on paying full retail anyway so I don't have that contract hanging over me if/when I want to change my phones to another carrier. So the new update doesn't bother me as much but it still sucks. However, I can see where unlimited is maybe unsustainable but make the limits higher. Make 5gb cost what the 2gb plan does and go up from there, with 4g it is alot easier to breeze thru data caps...

This is my only problem with tiered data plans. If they had a cap for people who use 6gb or less per month, I'd be fine with that.

 

[HorsePony]

Ummm... its not the 20GB people that are furious over this, its the people who use maybe 3-5 GB a month, who have been with Verizon for over a decade (like myself) and feel like the company is showing absolutely no loyalty to longtime customers, and in fact, doing everything imaginable to royally piss off the dedicated loyal customers that have stuck with them through the thick and thin. This is crap.

THIS is the reason I am mad.
THIS is the reason I signed the petition.
THIS is the reason I will jump off Verizon if this plan goes through.
THIS is the reason that e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e here who posted "signed" needs to spread this link through their Twitter/Facebook/Google+ and get this awareness up! This petition only needs 50K signatures? You know how many Verizon customers there are out there? 50K is chump change.

BLOW THAT PETITION THROUGH THE ROOF, PEOPLE!