Verizon Nailed with a $1.25 Million Fine by FCC; Must Stop Blocking Tethering Apps

[shockracer]

All I have to say is

LMAO..............LMAO..............LMAO.............LMAO!

I'm hoping the FCC finds more on Verizon to knock them back some pegs, so they learn to respect!

 

[josh1980]

I would go out on a limb and say they did that knowing they were about to lose this FCC case.

There's no limb at all! Verizon has known this for a while. You don't just agree to a $1.25M fine over night because you can. I'm sure they've known about this for a very long time. They may even be holding off on releasing ICS updates for some phones(I own a Bionic) because they were waiting for this announcement so they could just release ICS without the hotspot feature being an extra fee.

What is completely crazy to me is that Verizon's fine is equivalent to 62,500 people paying for 1 month of tethering($20). So Verizon did something that was wrong, and they STILL get to profit from it. I want to see Verizon have to pay back their customers that were inappropriately charged for the service on top of the fine.

 

[cs3]

When will this be in effect?

Does this even apply people still on the unlimited data plans, or will we excluded?
If unlimited data users are excluded, how will Verizon do so?

 

[JoeyJ]

Am I missing that part in this statement that says unlimited data users can still be denied? I know its in the op but is my phone not connected in this "c block" that Verizon uses?

Edit: c block seems to be 4G anyways I'm still ob 3g

 

[MissionImprobable]

As said above VZ will benefit from this anyway since data plan customers will have to pay for overages which will happen easily running your pc data through the phone. Perhaps that's why they initiated this when they did, knowing they were going to lose in the long run anyway.

 

[wseyller]

When i first had seen the headline i thought WIN. But after reading the rest of the story and the actual outcome it really isn't that great of a win. Verizon knew all of this. They expected it. Shared data plan...they will argue until blue in the face that it is better than unlimited though most of us know they are full of crap. I'm telling you right now that verizon got the better end of the stick. They are laughing right now at the 1.25 million that they have to dish out.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[geekabilly]

Am I missing that part in this statement that says unlimited data users can still be denied...

I am missing that too

 

[rherron]

I am missing that too

Me too.

 

[jaybogg]

I am missing that too

+1

I did read a few weeks ago in VZW's terms of service something to the effect that unlimited plans weren't covered. I wondered at the time why the distinction...Now I know.

I see this clause I read as...Either there is a clause in the ruling/fine (probably volumes of paper) not covered in the FCC press release...Or Verizon's attempt to strong arm the last of the people who have unlimited plans in light of their impending fine/ruling they knew was coming. The way the press release reads, it seems they would be setting themselves up for another fine unless it is in fact covered in the fine print of the ruling.

Of course, VZW could change their throttling policy to start at say 2GB:biggrin:, and make the throttling so restrictive it it would virtually put us on a limited plan although they still call it unlimited...just a thought

 

[B0B0]

Awesome, so now they should go after iFail corp. They don't let any, or rather didn't (when I was an ipple fan boi) allow third parting tethering apps. You had to get into cydia to tether.

 

[czerdrill]

So, to use the most overused cliched argumentative example on Droid Forums, I suppose this means we can eat at the entire buffet for one price. :biggrin:

Haha nice but not really. they can still throttle or charge you if you're on unlimited, and their shared plans don't charge for tethering anyway.

Good moral victory but doesn't really change much.

In fact as some have mentioned, vzw might now actually start going after ppl who tether on unlimited plans.

The fcc basically ruled that if you pay for tiers you get what you pay for and can't be charged extra for using your allotted data. But the buffet is still not eat until you put us out of business

 

[TisMyDroid]

Am I missing that part in this statement that says unlimited data users can still be denied? I know its in the op but is my phone not connected in this "c block" that Verizon uses?

Edit: c block seems to be 4G anyways I'm still ob 3g

Last paragraph... " In addition, the company recently revised its service offerings such that consumers on usage-based pricing plans may tether, using any application, without paying an additional fee."

Unlimited plan is not a "usage based pricing plan."

Sent from my DROID RAZR Maxx using Droid Forums

 

[ghenson08]

Wifi apps now

Does anyone know of any wife tether apps for non-rooted HTC phones? Specificially Dinc2?

 

[lloydstrans]

I read the decree, the link is in the OP. Verizon acted on a letter of investigation, no case. Verizon effectively staved off a broader investigation for a paltry 1.25 million.
YES UNLIMITED HAS TO PAY TO TETHER. NO, WERE NOT GOING TO SEE UNLOCKED PHONES. PERIOD. IT'S THERE FOR THE READING, FREE, NO SPECULATION.
I'm off to root.

 

[johnomaz]

Why isn't AT&T getting hit with this too? I tried to install FoxFi on my Dad's Note and it was blocked from the market. I got it on my AT&T S3 because I had it on my account from my DroidX so I saw it in my past installed Apps, but trying to search it gave nothing. It was easily side loaded but still, why isn't AT&T fined too?