Tethering Complaint Filed Against Verizon with FCC by Free Press

[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.

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.

yep seems obvious to me...strangely it's not obvious to all.

 

[BigMcGuire]

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.

yep seems obvious to me...strangely it's not obvious to all.

It is obvious if you look at it from a business standpoint. $$$.

 

[BlueSami]

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.

yea i know i look forward to paying 50$ for 2GB of throttled data.

 

[BigMcGuire]

yea i know i look forward to paying 50$ for 2GB of throttled data.

Maybe someday but I think Verizon will follow the market otherwise it will lose a lot of customers. I bet it will follow AT&T precisely.

 

[kodiak799]

I have to agree .. if Verizon loses this will be bad news for the end user .. I sure don't need my bill going up any higher

I see no logical way they'll lose though

Could be anti-competitive behavior. While these apps serve no real legit purpose other than to steal a service VZW charges for (basic logic behind Real case we discussed = no legitimate use), I could see a ruling that VZW has to allow these apps to compete with its own tethering apps. VZW would still be fully within rights to charge for tethering, but they can't prevent a user who pays for the service from using an alternative app (especially here since I don't believe the VZW app enables BTdunn). And I don't know if these other apps have added features/security vs. VZW.

If I'm understanding correctly, this merits of this case are on blocking apps, not charging for tether.

And agree with other points that VZW will just cap. I don't think it's worth it for them to try and police or prevent illegal tethering. As mentioned, they'll get paid one way or another, and for many people who don't need or use tether, we'll lose either thru lower data limits or higher prices.

 

[BlueSami]

yea i know i look forward to paying 50$ for 2GB of throttled data.

Maybe someday but I think Verizon will follow the market otherwise it will lose a lot of customers. I bet it will follow AT&T precisely.

I agree.

I was just referring to Drills logic and where he wants the industry to go!

 

[champaned_out]

so if verizon loses how is everyone so sure theyll just jack the data prices up?

and also if they do increase the data plans, what would happen to people that are grandfathered?

 

[Beardface]

Verizon wins: They can keep the other tethering apps off the Market, and auto-direct to their own paid service if you try to use them

Verizon loses: Apps show up in Market as free. Verizon tacks on $20/mo to every data plan and allows tethering on all devices.

Oh, and Verizon goes with a strict tiered plan to limit data usage regardless of the ruling.

 

[bplewis24]

I'm surprised at how incredibly ignorant people can be about this subject. If you think Verizon winning would be "good for the consumer", heaven help us all.

It's about time somebody stepped up to the plate with some litigation around this issue. Since these measures are clearly illegal, it was only a matter of time.

Brandon

 

[bplewis24]

so if verizon loses how is everyone so sure theyll just jack the data prices up?

They aren't sure. They have no idea what they're talking about.

Brandon

 

[kodiak799]

so if verizon loses how is everyone so sure theyll just jack the data prices up?

and also if they do increase the data plans, what would happen to people that are grandfathered?

They can tack on a few bucks, but more likely it will just affect the tiers.

Right now, someone with a smartphone and tether plan pays $50 a month, that's "unlimited" data plus 2 gigs of tether. So VZW could include tether, and charge you $50 for 4 gigs (or something like $30 for 2 gigs and $10 for each additional gig, tether included all the way). Basically what AT&T is doing now (though I think it's $40 or $45) with the Atrix & lapdock. The other carriers will follow suit, but it's a form of tacit collusion since there's no real incentive to break the ranks as any subscriber gain is short-lived when the other carriers adjust accordingly.

VZW isn't just going to say "you got us", come out with a great smartphone data plan and then watch all their tether revenue go up in smoke. They have people with multiple data plans paying anywhere from $60 to $110 or more, and that's not counting families with simply multiple smartphones. It's $80 for 10gigs on a mobile broadband card, so see how $30 for 2 gigs and $10 for each additional gig, all including tether, works? Maybe we'll be super lucky and it will be $5 each additional gig, or maybe they'll start us off with 5gigs for $30.

But most people don't use over 2gigs, so they'll have really no complaint. But the people who have been whining about tether all along and using it as their ISP are going to be really upset. Any way you slice it, the free ride is over, which is what some people are really crying about.

 

[kodiak799]

Verizon wins: They can keep the other tethering apps off the Market, and auto-direct to their own paid service if you try to use them

Verizon loses: Apps show up in Market as free. Verizon tacks on $20/mo to every data plan and allows tethering on all devices.

Oh, and Verizon goes with a strict tiered plan to limit data usage regardless of the ruling.

That should be obvious. People expecting some great consumer surplus here are in for a rude awakening. High-speed broadband is @ $50 a month. All the wireless data ultimately goes thru their pipes (although VZW owns some pipes, too). The cable companies aren't going to charge $3.50 per user to the carriers and sit on their thumbs while everyone drops home ISP for cheaper wireless. If we were to get truly unlimited data, the cable companies would charge at least $50 per user, and then the carriers would take at least $30, so you'd be paying at least $80 for that.

 

[phreek]

I have to agree .. if Verizon loses this will be bad news for the end user .. I sure don't need my bill going up any higher

This

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[czerdrill]

so if verizon loses how is everyone so sure theyll just jack the data prices up?

They aren't sure. They have no idea what they're talking about.

Brandon

I've gotta hear what you could possibly think would be the outcome if Verizon loses. They keep all prices the same, and say "well, it was a good ride guys, you've got us now! enjoy our network as you see fit!!!"?

 

[X_TAC23]

If this turns ugly it will be closed. Let's be civil guys and gals.