Tethering Complaint Filed Against Verizon with FCC by Free Press

[czerdrill]

People aren't getting hammered for using too much data for the very reason that it was advertised as "unlimited." But what about that recent news from Verizon, when the iPhone 4 was released on the VZW network, that people who use too much data will be "slowed" down? That alone threatens people who use too much "unlimited" data. Hence why I believe it is a farce.

youre still not going to get charged. they didn't advertise 100% uptime, unlimited speed. they promised unlimited data, without tethering, and no one has ever gotten charged for going over (even the people who have illegally tethered).

Good point. I think you have a stronger leg to stand on than I do about this. You've convinced me. I guess that's why I snapped up the Thunderbolt with 2 years of "unlimited" data. I just hope I don't ever get punished for using that unlimited data someday. Paranoia on my part I guess.

while throttling sucks, the speed of your connection was never a guarantee. vzw cant charge ppl for data overages on unlimited plans (unless they have some way to prove you tethered), and as we know, they havent even pursued anything like that. removing the tethering apps and data tiers are just a cheap and effective way for them to stop people from abusing their network, or bypassing paying for services that were agreed to by both sides.

 

[czerdrill]

LOL yea English wasn't my strong point!

But i guess Statistics wasn't yours!

K guess not. We done here?

Sure.:heart:

But i would still like ANYONE to show me the stats stating that tethering is eating up everyones bandwidth.

irrelevant. it doesn't matter if it uses 1KB or 50GB...you agreed to pay extra to tether, and that's that. they dont need to prove that it hurts their network...

 

[czerdrill]

For those who have a problem with your Verizon Contract... I'll highlight the appropriate segment for you...

Verizon Wireless Terms & Conditions

Additional Plan Information
Required Equipment
NationalAccess or Mobile Broadband–capable device
Required Minimum Term, Activation Fees, and Early Termination Fee
• Month-to-month, one- or two-year contract term required per line
• Activation Fee: $35 per line
• Activation fees may vary or be waived for business customers that have a Major Account Agreement with Verizon Wireless.
• Early Termination Fee: Up to $175, or up to $350 if you purchased an advanced device, per line for one- or two-year contract terms. Customers activating on month-to-month terms are not eligible for monthly access fee discounts.
• In the Canadian Broadband and Canadian Enhanced Services Rate and Coverage Areas, usage will be charged at a rate of $0.002 per KB or $2.05 per MB.
• In the Mexican Enhanced Services Rate and Coverage Area, usage will be charged at a rate of $0.005 per KB or $5.12 per MB.
• In the Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, China, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Guam, India, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Netherland Antilles, Northern Mariana Islands, Palestinian Authority, Saipan, and South Korea, St. Maarten Enhanced Services Rate and Coverage Areas, usage will be charged at a rate of $0.02 per KB or $20.48 per MB.
You must add I-Dial to your account to roam in many destinations. To add I-Dial to your account and for more information on Wireless Data Roaming internationally, call (800) 922-0204 or visit www.verizonwireless.com/naroaming. Only select Rate and Coverage areas support EVDO.
Taxes, Surcharges, and Fees
• Taxes, surcharges, and fees, such as E911 and gross receipt charges, vary by market and as of December 1, 2009, add between 5% and 37% to your monthly access fees and airtime charges.
• Monthly Federal Universal Service Charge (varies quarterly based on FCC rate) is 14.1% on interstate and international telecom charges.
• Monthly Regulatory Charge (subject to change) is up to 2¢ per line.
• Monthly Administrative Charge (subject to change) is 6¢ per line.
• The Federal Universal Service, Regulatory, and Administrative Charges are Verizon Wireless charges, not taxes. For more details on these charges, call (888) 684-1888 .
Important Customer Information
For more information, refer to the Customer Agreement or speak with a Sales Representative. Service is subject to the Customer Agreement, which you should read before activating service. Plans not available in all areas. Credit approval required. Billing, shipping and end–user address must be within the Verizon Wireless licensed and service areas where the wireless phone number is issued.
Mobile Broadband / NationalAccess
Subject to VZAccessSM Acceptable Use Policy, available at http://www.verizonwireless.com/datausage. To make sure you have coverage in newly expanding markets, from the VZAccess Manager, go into "Options" and click "Activation," while in the National Enhanced Services Rate and Coverage Area every three months. This may alter your Rate and Coverage Area. You are responsible for maintaining virus protection when accessing service. NationalAccess/Mobile Broadband is for individual use only and is not for resale.
Charges for Quick 2 Net® or dial–up calls will be based on the cell sites used and time of day at the telephone switching office that carries your call, which may be different from the time of day shown on your device. Rates do not apply to credit card or operator–assisted Quick 2 Net or dial–up calls, which may be required in certain areas. Usage rounded up to the next full minute. Charges start when you first press CONNECT or the call connects to a network on Quick 2 Net or dial–up calls. Time may end several seconds after you press DISCONNECT or the call otherwise disconnects. For Quick 2 Net or dial–up calls, we only bill for those calls that are answered (which includes Quick 2 Net or dial–up calls answered by machines). Quick 2 Net or dial–up calls to "toll–free" numbers are toll–free; you will be billed airtime.
Data Plans and Features: Permitted Uses. You can use our Data Plans and Features for accessing the Internet and for such uses as: (i) Internet browsing; (ii) e-mail;(iii) intranet access (including accessing corporate intranets, e-mail and individual productivity applications made available by your company);(iv) uploading, downloading and streaming of audio, video and games; and (v) voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
Data Plans and Features: Prohibited Uses. You may not use our Data Plans and Feature for illegal purposes or purposes that infringe upon others' intellectual property rights, or in a manner that interferes with other users' service, that violates trade and economic sanctions and prohibitions as promulgated by the Departments of Commerce, Treasury or any other U.S. government agency, that interferes with network's ability to fairly allocate capacity among users, or that otherwise degrades service quality for other users. Examples of prohibited usage include: (i)server devices or host computer applications that are broadcast to multiple servers or recipients such that they could enable "bots" or similar routines (as set forth in more detail (ii) below) or otherwise denigrate network capacity or functionality; (ii)"auto-responders," "cancel-bots," or similar automated or manual routines that generate amounts of net traffic that could disrupt net user groups or e-mail use by others; (iii) generating "spam" or unsolicited commercial or bulk e-mail (or activities that facilitate the dissemination of such e-mail);(iv) any activity that adversely affects the ability of other people or systems to use either Verizon Wireless' services or the Internet-based resources of others, including the generation of dissemination of viruses, malware, or "denial of service" attacks;(v) accessing or attempting to access without authority, the information, accounts or devices of others, or to penetrate, or attempt to penetrate, Verizon Wireless' or another entity's network or systems; or (vi) running software or other devices that maintain continuous active Internet connections when a computer's connection would otherwise be idle or any "keep alive" functions, unless they adhere to Verizon Wireless' requirements for such usage, which may be changed from time to time.
Customers who do not have dedicated Mobile Broadband devices cannot tether other devices to laptops or personal computers for use as wireless modems unless they subscribe to Mobile Broadband Connect.
You may assess and monitor your own data usage during a particular billing period, including during the Return Period under your Worry Free Guarantee, by accessing My Verizon online, or by contacting Customer Service.
Approximate Data Usage Examples: Basic information and examples showing the approximate data usage for several common Internet activities appear below.


The speed of the Verizon Wireless data network is measured in Kilobits (kb) per second. However, the amount of data transmitted over the Verizon Wireless data network is measured in Kilobytes (KB), Megabytes (MB) or Gigabytes (GB). Examples Application Approximate Size E-mail (1 text page without attachments) 3 KB Word Document (5 text pages) 70 KB Typical Web Page lookup1 400 KB Low Resolution Digital Photo 500 KB PowerPoint Presentation (20 pages text & light graphics) 3 MB Note: The above examples are just estimates, based on approximate size assumptions. Actual file sizes and user experiences will vary.
1Graphically intense pages or pages with video can exceed 3MB.
The Data Plans or Features are for individual use only and you may not offer them for resale.
We further reserve the right to take measures to protect our network and other users from harm, compromised capacity or degradation in performance. These measures may impact your service, and we reserve the right to deny, modify or terminate service, with or without notice, to anyone we believe is using Data Plans or Features in a manner that adversely impacts our network.
We may monitor your compliance, or other subscribers’ compliance, with these terms and conditions, but we will not monitor the content of your communications except as otherwise expressly permitted or required by law. See www.verizonwireless.com/privacy.
Connecticut Customers: If you have any questions about your bill or concerns about your service, please call Customer Care at: (800) 922-0204 or dial *611 from your wireless phone. If you are a Connecticut customer and we cannot resolve your issue, you have the option of contacting the Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC): Online: www.state.ct.us/dpuc Phone: (866) 381-2355 ; Mail: Connecticut DPUC, 10 Franklin Square, New Britain, CT 06051.
Last Update 01/21/10


Terms & Conditions

Feel free to go to the page if you don't believe me. Anyone who tethers for free right now is violating their TOS, and you don't even have an argument to justify it.

you mean if i bring my family to the buffet with two forks and a spork that i cant share my meal with my neighbor back home?? the horror!

 

[npro1464]

This is a loss either way. If Verizon wins, then they continue their campaign to crush illegal tethering. If Verizon loses, then our bills will go up, the caps will come in and they will start to throttle us like crazy.

Verizon has the right to charge for this service. We all should be more worried about net neutrality and AT&T gobbling up the competitive landscape. Free Press should piss off.

 

[czerdrill]

This is a loss either way. If Verizon wins, then they continue their campaign to crush illegal tethering. If Verizon loses, then our bills will go up, the caps will come in and they will start to throttle us like crazy.

Verizon has the right to charge for this service. We all should be more worried about net neutrality and AT&T gobbling up the competitive landscape. Free Press should piss off.

free press is representing the entitled youth of america who feel they deserve an ISP when they sign up for smartphone data and have no understanding of the concept of business. unfortunately those type of ppl rarely piss off, and fight for their irrelevant cause to the death.

 

[BlueSami]

Terms & Conditions

Feel free to go to the page if you don't believe me. Anyone who tethers for free right now is violating their TOS, and you don't even have an argument to justify it.

you mean if i bring my family to the buffet with two forks and a spork that i cant share my meal with my neighbor back home?? the horror!

Again you need to compare apples to apples.
THis is EXACTLY how home internet connections used to be. Then everyone starting getting routers and sharing their connection at home. Look at what we have today. A great infrastructure that is always growing. Wireless WILL go this way everyone wants wireless to be that way.

 

[czerdrill]

Terms & Conditions

Feel free to go to the page if you don't believe me. Anyone who tethers for free right now is violating their TOS, and you don't even have an argument to justify it.

you mean if i bring my family to the buffet with two forks and a spork that i cant share my meal with my neighbor back home?? the horror!

Again you need to compare apples to apples.
THis is EXACTLY how home internet connections used to be. Then everyone starting getting routers and sharing their connection at home. Look at what we have today. A great infrastructure that is always growing. Wireless WILL go this way everyone wants wireless to be that way.

LOL if it goes this way, you will be paying $120/month for smartphone data, because essentially you'll have an ISP...that'll give you ppl something else to whine about.

 

[steveninspokane]

So what's the difference... Your bill goes up because VZW loses, or your bill goes up because you have to pay to tether.

My opinion is this, that if they are going to charge for hotspot, then give the people who use it to check their whatever once every few months a separate rate. Or better yet prepaid bandwidth, Sell us a GB of tethering that doesn't expire that we can use whenever.

There's always a solution, but no one listens to the little guys.

 

[Beardface]

Terms & Conditions

Feel free to go to the page if you don't believe me. Anyone who tethers for free right now is violating their TOS, and you don't even have an argument to justify it.

you mean if i bring my family to the buffet with two forks and a spork that i cant share my meal with my neighbor back home?? the horror!

Again you need to compare apples to apples.
THis is EXACTLY how home internet connections used to be. Then everyone starting getting routers and sharing their connection at home. Look at what we have today. A great infrastructure that is always growing. Wireless WILL go this way everyone wants wireless to be that way.

Sure... it will go that way... And you'll be paying $100 a month in data alone for the right to do so.

Just because something can be done doesn't mean it will be free.

 

[BlueSami]

you mean if i bring my family to the buffet with two forks and a spork that i cant share my meal with my neighbor back home?? the horror!

Again you need to compare apples to apples.
THis is EXACTLY how home internet connections used to be. Then everyone starting getting routers and sharing their connection at home. Look at what we have today. A great infrastructure that is always growing. Wireless WILL go this way everyone wants wireless to be that way.

LOL if it goes this way, you will be paying $120/month for smartphone data, because essentially you'll have an ISP...that'll give you ppl something else to whine about.

Dude your funny.
Heres the deal 4G is on its way in.
Technology (almost by definition) get cheaper by the day. more towers go up more bandwidth to consume.
how many towers does Verizon build a year. and they will keep building forever. tech gets cheaper so you can use more bandwidth therefore your data will be priced how the market decides.
maybe i stated that wrong but you get the point.
soon you will have 5g with 10-20mbps then 6g and so on.

 

[BlueSami]

you mean if i bring my family to the buffet with two forks and a spork that i cant share my meal with my neighbor back home?? the horror!

Again you need to compare apples to apples.
THis is EXACTLY how home internet connections used to be. Then everyone starting getting routers and sharing their connection at home. Look at what we have today. A great infrastructure that is always growing. Wireless WILL go this way everyone wants wireless to be that way.

Sure... it will go that way... And you'll be paying $100 a month in data alone for the right to do so.

Just because something can be done doesn't mean it will be free.

10 years ago when you were paying what 30$ a month for dial up at 56k did you think you would be able to pay 60$ for 30mbps? but look at where we are today,
You guys aren't thinking long term.

 

[czerdrill]

Again you need to compare apples to apples.
THis is EXACTLY how home internet connections used to be. Then everyone starting getting routers and sharing their connection at home. Look at what we have today. A great infrastructure that is always growing. Wireless WILL go this way everyone wants wireless to be that way.

Sure... it will go that way... And you'll be paying $100 a month in data alone for the right to do so.

Just because something can be done doesn't mean it will be free.

10 years ago when you were paying what 30$ a month for dial up at 56k did you think you would be able to pay 60$ for 30mbps? but look at where we are today,
You guys aren't thinking long term.

so just to be clear, we will eventually have unlimited wireless with unlimited tethering for all of our devices for under $120/month? that's what you're saying?

 

[BlueSami]

Sure... it will go that way... And you'll be paying $100 a month in data alone for the right to do so.

Just because something can be done doesn't mean it will be free.

10 years ago when you were paying what 30$ a month for dial up at 56k did you think you would be able to pay 60$ for 30mbps? but look at where we are today,
You guys aren't thinking long term.

so just to be clear, we will eventually have unlimited wireless with unlimited tethering for all of our devices for under $120/month? that's what you're saying?

Nope because their are people like you who will just settle and take whatever they give you.

but seriously you don't believe we could come to a point where companies are making money and you don't have to get a second job just to have "unlimited"data. (or at least a reasonable amount.) i mean Comcast cap is like 250? I've never ever been close to that

 

[czerdrill]

10 years ago when you were paying what 30$ a month for dial up at 56k did you think you would be able to pay 60$ for 30mbps? but look at where we are today,
You guys aren't thinking long term.

so just to be clear, we will eventually have unlimited wireless with unlimited tethering for all of our devices for under $120/month? that's what you're saying?

Nope because their are people like you who will just settle and take whatever they give you.

but seriously you don't believe we could come to a point where companies are making money and you don't have to get a second job just to have "unlimited"data. (or at least a reasonable amount.) i mean Comcast cap is like 250? I've never ever been close to that

lol yes it's people like me that are preventing companies from giving away their service and hemorrhaging money...:icon_eek:

i find it hard to imagine a point where wireless companies are offering unlimited data, sorry. doesn't seem logical...all the companies are moving to tiers...not the other way around.

 

[cb2000a]

This is a loss either way. If Verizon wins, then they continue their campaign to crush illegal tethering. If Verizon loses, then our bills will go up, the caps will come in and they will start to throttle us like crazy.

Verizon has the right to charge for this service. We all should be more worried about net neutrality and AT&T gobbling up the competitive landscape. Free Press should piss off.

The solution is simple. Tiered data plans...they are coming. Those that use data will pay more. It's done this way in most of the world.