VZW disabling tethering apps from market

[Larry_ThaGr81]

forget that..!!!!!!! everybody tether away....!!!!!! ive paid for the data once.. im not goin to pay twice for something i have unlimited for.... sorry i dont mean to flame or troll... its just these companys dont know how else to rape us... when its bad enuff the people are just trying to mantain a roof over there heads and there still trying to bang you for something youve paid for already...

p.s im gulity of tethering but i dont go over 5 gigs with both phone and tethering together... i dont get greedy and hog up the system... but damn it i should be able to tether if i damn want to

To be honest I agree with basically your entire statement. I think it is ridiculous a company can charge you twice for the same data. Now if I had 5gigs a month to use and the 2 gig of data was if i went over, for example I pay for a tethering plan and if i use 6 gigs this month then that covers me but if I use 3 gigs next month I get my 20 bucks back. See that is fair. But the way they are doing ot now is one sided. If you are abusing it then you are the problem. But if you barely get above 4-5 gigs a month then it should not matter if I tethered 25% of a gig that month and I should not have to pay an extra 20 bucks for 2 gigs extra unless I am using it as a sole source of internet.

That's a great idea!!! It makes too much sense for Verizon to implement something like this.

 

[kodiak799]

I too would pay say 10.00 for tether but I want unlimited, it shouldn't be different that what I all ready pay.

Why in the world would VZW charge you $30-$40 for unlimited data, with tether, when comparable home broadband is $50 or so?

And, by the way, VZW and the other carriers actually pay the cable guys a nominal fee (something like $3-$5 per user) to use their pipes to actually connect you to the internet. If you do the math on average data usage, $3-$5 per smartphone is probably the equivalent per gig broadband charge.

As the average data use creeps up, you bet your bottom dollar the cable companies are trying to increase their access fee to offset home broadband users they are losing.

 

[UrbanBounca]

VZW is really doing me in here. First, they terminate one year contracts, then they go on a manhunt for tethering. I use tethering for my school work, and that's the sole reason I use it. They want to block that, then I have no use for VZW. I'll go elsewhere.

 

[Crankintopwater69]

They won't. They'll screw us over any way they can. The FTC has been derelict in its duty to prevent monopolistic abuse.

VZW is not a monopoly nor do I see what exactly they are abusing.

While I agree that tiered data plans should include free tether within the tier, VZW is unlikely to do this. What people fail to consider is all the users paying for mobile broadband. That would mean to carry the same prices VZW would have to charge something like $50-$80 for 5gigs of data, including tether. Now, if you don't tether or do so very sparingly, do you want to pay $50?

Tethering is a service which VZW (and other carriers) have successfully monetized. To expect them to give up that revenue stream isn't remotely realistic. And the alternative to include tether would necessitate higher smartphone data plans which would be awful for the majority of smartphone users who don't need tether. No thank you, I'd rather pay $30 for 5 gigs then $50 for a tethering option I don't really need.

Maybe one of the lesser carriers will do this (I think TMo does). And I'm sure VZW will welcome you to switch. But the simple reality is while many people will whine and complain, most aren't going to leave VZW's superior network because if they didn't value that service they'd already be somewhere else.

good point sir!not 2 proud to listin 2 another persons view/opinion!

 

[the86d]

I am already testing a Virgin Phone...

Can't beat that even when the phone is a POS that has to be rebooted on the daily... It works very well, and I am going to give it to my lady to try out.

I am on my way from Verizon via test phase, but the D3 looks SOOOOO promising!

 

[Larry_ThaGr81]

The claim that more data is used when tethering is true and false.

I think that's an oversimplification. If you are tethering, then you have clearly demonstrated a preference to consume data on a device other than your Droid, otherwise you wouldn't be tethering. Stands to reason that while in some cases you might tolerate consuming that data on your Droid, without the ability to tether in most cases that would be data not consumed on your Droid data plan (as you either seek out a different data source or forego it all together).

If all "data" is equal, then why are people tethering? Why do you need to consume that data on other devices? Clearly you're demonstrating a difference with your preference here, so I don't understand why people get all up in arms when VZW wants to make a distinction as well. People are wanting to use a service VZW didn't sell them, charges separately for, and I fail to see how VZW is in the wrong here.

You point is well noted here. My preference is probably different from most heavy data users. Personally that was just a example, I actually pay for Verizon's home internet service, but it just goes to prove my point in that I can connect as many devices as I want to my Verizon home router without them raising a fuss. Verizon wants to get upset and take it out on everyone because some people are abusing the network. That's just not right. They need to go after those

With all data being equal, I would have to say that people choose to tether because they need internet access when they are away from home. Why should they pay twice for the same service?

When you have a problem such as Verizon does, you attack it at the source. The source are the heavy users. Simply removing the application from the Android market isn't going to solve the problem.

Instead they need to work with Google to design an application that is required for Verizon wireless phones to have Verizon service. This application would merely monitor the data usage and which applications are using it so that they can pinpoint the tetherers. The application would then relay this information Verizon.

I bet everyone would be up in arms if internet service providers made you pay a separate $20 charge for each device that connects to the internet through their network. That's just completely absurd, why should I pay a separate charge to connect each internet capable device to the internet. Off the top of my head, I can count 14 different devices in my house that I connect to the internet not including the three smartphones we have.

But that's because the terms it was sold, nor do they have the same capacity constraints. VZW never sold their service as a broadband replacement, so I don't see the issue. Now, if they want to cap then I agree data is data, but selling unlimited data on one device vs. multiple devices is clearly different and the usage would be significantly different. When people violate that TOS, data usage increases and it changes the dynamic (i.e. the average person uses 2gigs on their data plan, but with tethering replacing broadband it could be 10-20 gigs) forcing VZW to either cap or hammer down on tethering.

And, by the way, some broadband providers are talking about capping data (150-200 gigs). Between torrents and people replacing cable with Hulu and Netflix and the like it's changing the dynamic, especially when you consider the cable provider is providing both cable and broadband. If people are trying to game the system replacing cable with broadband it shouldn't be surprising that they will make-up that loss by charging high bandwidth users more.

I actually for Verizon's home internet service, that was just a example. But I completely agree with you in that they need to figure out a way to target heavy users, not their entire data usage customer base.

I guess for me the biggest issue is how Verizon is going about solving their problem by targeting everyone and not going after the source (heavy data users).

 

[debdroid1a]

When you have a problem such as Verizon does, you attack it at the source. The source are the heavy users. Simply removing the application from the Android market isn't going to solve the problem.

Instead they need to work with Google to design an application that is required for Verizon wireless phones to have Verizon service. This application would merely monitor the data usage and which applications are using it so that they can pinpoint the tetherers. The application would then relay this information Verizon.

They don't need an app for that. They can all ready tell the difference. They do with me, as I pay for it. The two separate devices (my netbook and my cell phone) show up as separate data usages.

 

[Larry_ThaGr81]

I bet everyone would be up in arms if internet service providers made you pay a separate $20 charge for each device that connects to the internet through their network. That's just completely absurd, why should I pay a separate charge to connect each internet capable device to the internet. Off the top of my head, I can count 14 different devices in my house that I connect to the internet not including the three smartphones we have.

What an absolutely ridiculous comparison. Abso-freakin-lootley ridonkulous comparison.

When you pay for internet in your household, thats what you're paying for, the internet to your house. Doesn't matter how many instances you have connected, you are paying for it to your house.

When you are paying it on your cell plan, you are paying it to that one cell device. Only one. Nowhere in the contract does it give you any wiggle room to do otherwise. If you have a family plan, does your $30 per month count for all the devices? No, just one device. You pay that $30 for that ONE device to be hooked up to their data, and thats unlimited data for that ONE device. If you hook anything up to that device and hack it in a way that you do it for free you are doing so against the terms of your contract. If you're on that said family plan, every single device that uses 3G or 4G will need to pay that $30.

Stop trying to cry and complain. You know what you're doing. You're not entitled to anything, and its the entitled attitudes like this that are causing this kind of crackdown to happen. In the TBolt forum we had some schmuck on there saying how he tethers 20GB a month using his device as his internet, hooking up a laptop, desktop, and TV to the device. And we wonder why Verizon is doing this.

Lol! The second sentence was clever. I can live with it or without it. But as you said yourself when I pay for home internet I'm paying for it to my house. When I pay for smartphone internet I'm paying for it to the smartphone and if my smartphone decides that it wants to share its internet with my laptop, then so be it. The smartphone is the device creating the bridge, the laptop is just traveling along it.

Verizon needs to target the right people. I used to tether with my OG, but I upgraded to the TB and haven't even had the desire to root let alone tether.

 

[debdroid1a]

When you have a problem such as Verizon does, you attack it at the source. The source are the heavy users. Simply removing the application from the Android market isn't going to solve the problem.

Instead they need to work with Google to design an application that is required for Verizon wireless phones to have Verizon service. This application would merely monitor the data usage and which applications are using it so that they can pinpoint the tetherers. The application would then relay this information Verizon.

They don't need an app for that. They can all ready tell the difference. They do with me, as I pay for it. The two separate devices (my netbook and my cell phone) show up as separate data usages.

[Agh can't edit...]

And it's not just my smart phone. I tethered with my eNV2 and Verizon could tell the difference between my phone and netbook data usage.

 

[xmguy]

forget that..!!!!!!! everybody tether away....!!!!!! ive paid for the data once.. im not goin to pay twice for something i have unlimited for.... sorry i dont mean to flame or troll... its just these companys dont know how else to rape us... when its bad enuff the people are just trying to mantain a roof over there heads and there still trying to bang you for something youve paid for already...

p.s im gulity of tethering but i dont go over 5 gigs with both phone and tethering together... i dont get greedy and hog up the system... but damn it i should be able to tether if i damn want to

To be honest I agree with basically your entire statement. I think it is ridiculous a company can charge you twice for the same data. Now if I had 5gigs a month to use and the 2 gig of data was if i went over, for example I pay for a tethering plan and if i use 6 gigs this month then that covers me but if I use 3 gigs next month I get my 20 bucks back. See that is fair. But the way they are doing ot now is one sided. If you are abusing it then you are the problem. But if you barely get above 4-5 gigs a month then it should not matter if I tethered 25% of a gig that month and I should not have to pay an extra 20 bucks for 2 gigs extra unless I am using it as a sole source of internet.

Exactly. I would be more than happy to do the official tethering if the way it was set up was an allotment, with no matter as to if you were using the phone or tethering. When you hit your limit, that was it, you'd pay more. I'd be perfectly fine with that, in all honesty. I just checked my account last night and hell, I rarely hit 1 to 2 gb per month.

Here here!! I agree. Allow customer to pay a small bit more to tether up to say a gig or two. Then as you said charge more if you go over. Then people will only use for useful things. Not P2P or Netflix. Since it would eat it in a few minutes. I rarely tethered myself.

 

[GDP]

I don't see a problem with what Verizon is doing. If you don't like it you are free to switch carriers

Sent from my SCH-I500 using DroidForums

 

[random190user44]

Well, interesting if Wireless tether and barnacle are still out there, because they require root (which probably less than 5% of users have done). But if you want to take a chunk out of abuse, the non-rooted people abusing pda.net is a good starting place.

Also, all data is not the same. If you switch user agent on your phone to computer and tether, the same webpages are going to download more data. Screen size does matter - more pixels = more data. I know, for example, that a netflix movie on a smartphone is compressed to like 150megs, but the same movie on a PC is compressed to only like 2gigs.

So, aside from consuming much more data, naturally, when you take away the natural constraint of screen size, that PC is going to take more data in cases of movies and some webpage content/flash. Now, I FULLY agree if data plans are capped then VZW shouldn't care - tethering should be included, or even techinically if your usage is reasonable (say <5gigs overall). But there clearly is a problem with unlimited data EXCLUSIVELY on your phone and now using much more data than reasonable because you're tethering other devices. It's like one person going to an all you can eat buffet and then bringing their 5 children eating off the same plate, the latter consumes more.

Anyway, do I applaud this move? Yes and no. I'll reserve judgement. I want to occasionally be able to tether in a pinch, very reasonable and minimal usage. If they just target those using this as a home broadband replacement, then I'm all for it. And, sorry, but 2 gigs (for $20) is both ridiculously overpriced and pretty useless. They obviously do that solely to get people needing more to bump to a min. of $50 for 5gig data card (nothing in between or scaled). So I see the logic but it's not very consumer friendly.

No need for a data card with an LTE smartphone and they need to develop plans to reflect that.

You made a very good case. I agree with you entirely. I would be one of those users who uses his laptop with very reasonable and minimal usage in terms of data. Less than 2gb per month user.

Also, bigger screen does not mean more data. But I'm just being a little technical. You said bigger screen size plus more pixels equals more data. You could load the mobile site on a laptop, and use just as much data as the mobile site on your phone, regardless of the screen res.

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

 

[Larry_ThaGr81]

The reason why I believe this can happen is because if enough people are "stealing" their service and they can't stop it, it may be worth their while to try and make some money off it by making it cheaper so some of those tetherers will pay instead of prosecuting their customers and driving them away. Sort of what happened with the music industry.

They can stop it, and believe me, they will find a way, and once they do, anyone and everyone that is using it will be screwed. You could see the charges showing up on your account unannounced, you could see the cease and desist pop up messages, you could see them fining you, or heck, you could see them terminate your service early (including an early termination penalty) for a breach of contract and 'stealing' their data regardless of your plan. Who knows, but something is coming. They wouldn't just do this now if they weren't about ready to start some kind of massive crackdown.

At this point, if you keep tethering, you're just asking for it.

No worries here with tethering here. I actually pay for MiFi since I need it for work.

Additional data charges showing up on the phone bill yes. Fining you as a customer, they aren't the government, so no. Terminating your service, they could but they are in the business to make as much money off of us as possible and it would as you put it be ridunkulus for them to terminate potential revenues that would easily surpass what they could get off of a early termination fee considering that most users in this boat would be paying a minimum of at least $55 and some change a month and that's with a discount. Most users are probably paying at least $70 a month without any kind of discounts.

 

[Larry_ThaGr81]

All I know is, when Verizon goes to only exclusively tiered data plans, they should allow tethering at no additional charge and no bandwidth throttle as long as you are within your allotted data limit.

That's what needed to be said up in here. I would totally be game for that as I wouldn't be paying much if anything.

 

[silverfang77]

Isn't VZW going to slap bandwidth caps on 4G, like 2 GB or something? I don't see how tethering will be very appealing with such limits in place.