Verizon initiates 'network optimization' to throttle bandwidth of heavy data users

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by johnmcboston View Post


    Well, as soon as you start throttling the top 5%, they drop off and there's now a new top 5%... Use this to throttle everyone ;-)



    One would think they would throttle the top 5% for 24 hours, not for an entire month. Their current plan will end up throttling way more than 5% simultaneously because they keep giving new groups of 5% a month-long throttle.
  • Reply 42 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Hudson1 View Post


    What if there were no hypothetical questions?



    If you think VZW is doing nothing to increase capacity, then say so and give some evidence to support it.



    I do not think that "Verizon is doing nothing to increase capacity". Sorry if I was unclear.
  • Reply 43 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Smallwheels View Post


    Why aren't there any law suits against these telecommunication companies? When people sign a contract for unlimited data and can't get unlimited data then that is a breech of contract. Why aren't people going to their states attorney generals offices and filing complaints?



    Throttling people to a slower speed is not allowing unlimited data. It is choking their ability to get unlimited data, because at the slower speed they won't be able to get the same amount of data they otherwise could receive.






    I'm fairly certain that the contract specifies that data speeds are not guaranteed. That likely forecloses the possibility of lawsuits.



    And to say that slower data = limited data is just twisting words. Your scenario would apply, but only to a customer who otherwise downloads at the maximum theoretical speed 24/7/365. I'd be willing to bet that no such customers even exist. For every other customer (i.e., every cuistomer), slower speeds = more time, and not less data.
  • Reply 44 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ivabign View Post


    I think it is common knowlwedge that if your service provider changes something material on your contract, you can break it without having to pay the ETF. Is there any way this could qualify?



    Sure it is still unlimited data - but the spirit of the offer is different.



    Any lawyers here?



    Yes this is grounds to get out of your contract but all the carriers except sprint have limits on their plans. Sprint may not have the phone you want. Seems that they have figured a way to increase sales without keeping up with infrastructure speeding to match.
  • Reply 45 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Smallwheels View Post


    ...



    At home I use sixty-five to eighty gigabytes of data each month. I use Skype, Netflix, and several different music streaming sources. I'll be moving into an RV next year. Even if I cut my usage in half as a mobile user it wouldn't come close to that 2 GB maximum.



    ...



    You are the kind of customer the wireless internet service providers don't want. Frankly, I don't want to be a customer of a wireless provider that allows usage like that. If we all used 65 to 80 GB per month of data then the cost to us might be $300/month. I don't need or want a limitless internet at that price.
  • Reply 46 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Obsidian9 View Post


    I'm so screwed. My billing cycle just ended yesterday, I used 7.14 GB of mobile data this month. VZW will no like me.



    I have no problem with Verizon throttling people like you. I also have no problem if they slow down your internet.



    I mean seriously, how does someone even use 7GB a month? Lame.
  • Reply 47 of 96
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Hudson1 View Post


    You are the kind of customer the wireless internet service providers don't want. Frankly, I don't want to be a customer of a wireless provider that allows usage like that. If we all used 65 to 80 GB per month of data then the cost to us might be $300/month. I don't need or want a limitless internet at that price.



    What he said ^
  • Reply 48 of 96
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    I have no problem with Verizon throttling people like you. I also have no problem if they slow down your internet.



    I mean seriously, how does someone even use 7GB a month? Lame.



    Not taking sides here but it only seems like yesterday I heard similar comments about 7 MB and believe it or not I recall 7 KB being considered a measurable amount of data
  • Reply 49 of 96
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by silverpraxis View Post


    I thought the US gov't was trying to remove regulation from industry, and if they can't do that, defund regulatory agencies that act as watchdogs of consumer protection. And all this in the name of growth and 'jobs creation.' This is what you get when such an agency has no teeth or the gov't sends an industry insider to the chair of that agency. Otherwise, we'd have free text messaging by now, there never would've been unlimited plans issued in the first place, and the largest mobile providers wouldn't have price collusion (nevermind the fact there are only 2 of them).



    Finally, why doesn't Verizon just be the better person and give some arbitrary threshold before throttling. If they say top 5%, all they are doing is discouraging their own customers from using the products they purchased. If they put a cap of 2, 3, 4, or 5 GB before throttling, at least the customer would know what they can use before they'd get throttled and wouldn't have to wringe their hands every time they want to use their phone. Or better yet, build a 4G network that's worth upgrading to a tiered data plan. And for the sake of all things holy, put more than one or two tiers in the plans!!! This whole 2GB for tier 1, 4GB w/ tethering for tier 2, and oh there's no tier 3 plan is a bunch of bananas, excuse my language. :-P Some people (not me) want/need to use more data, let them pay for it. If you charge $70 a month for 10GB, you'll make more money off those users. And then I won't have to hear them complain about how they're getting throttled for using their jailbroken iPhones to illegally tether to a network and now they can't play WoW over 3G anymore.



    Oh sorry



    /rant



    I think you were agreeing with me?
  • Reply 50 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ConradJoe View Post


    First they came for the top 5%, but I did not speak out, because I am not in the top 5%...



    This is not only total nonsense, it's disgusting. You should be ashamed to use a Holocaust reference in such a casual way.



    Speaking out against Fascists and losing your life over it are in no way the same thing as a reasonable data cap for selfish a-holes.



    Unlimited plans encourage a-holes who then abuse said plan without a thought about anyone but themselves. There are several such idiots posting in this very forum today.



    If people were all nice and brought up properly and thought of their neighbours to a reasonable degree, then unlimited plans would truly be unlimited. Unfortunately we are living in an age of selfish jerks and low morals so there will never be truly unlimited plans in our future.



    Get over it, and get over yourself.



    The people you reference, who died in Germany during WWII, had more morals in their little fingers than any of the data hogs whining on this forum today have in their whole body.
  • Reply 51 of 96
    muppetrymuppetry Posts: 3,331member
    Much of this discussion just illustrates the basic flaw in the concept of an unlimited data plan in a data transport infrastructure that cannot possibly handle the data flow rates that can be generated by the end users. None of this would be an issue, and it would be much fairer, if everyone just paid for their usage. Ideally, market forces would dictate installed bandwidth and price per data unit.



    If the LightSquared fiasco ever gets fixed then maybe we will see some movement in the right direction.
  • Reply 52 of 96
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ivabign View Post


    I think it is common knowlwedge that if your service provider changes something material on your contract, you can break it without having to pay the ETF. Is there any way this could qualify?



    The contract is to protect the carrier, not you. If they break the contract then the initializing party is voiding it and you can switch carriers/phones without paying an ETF, but I'm pretty sure there is specific wording that allows them to do what they are doing without invalidating the agreement.
  • Reply 53 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    This is not only total nonsense, it's disgusting. You should be ashamed to use a Holocaust reference in such a casual way.



    Speaking out against Fascists and losing your life over it are in no way the same thing as a reasonable data cap for selfish a-holes.



    Unlimited plans encourage a-holes who then abuse said plan without a thought about anyone but themselves. There are several such idiots posting in this very forum today.



    If people were all nice and brought up properly and thought of their neighbours to a reasonable degree, then unlimited plans would truly be unlimited. Unfortunately we are living in an age of selfish jerks and low morals so there will never be truly unlimited plans in our future.



    Get over it, and get over yourself.



    The people you reference, who died in Germany during WWII, had more morals in their little fingers than any of the data hogs whining on this forum today have in their whole body.







    First of all, the people who died in WWII had infinitely varying amounts of morals. Some were saintly, some were horrible, and the average ones was average.



    Secondly, there is nothing immoral about using all the data that you want, if the plan you purchased allows you all the data you want. This is not some situation where limited amounts of natural resources are available, nor is it a zero sum game, nor is the bandwidth a community-owned good.



    This is a commercial situation where customers pay for services, and have no obligation to other customers. Instead, it is up to the vendor to serve its customers in the manner it promised. The vendor has the obligation to the customers. No customer has any moral obligation to forego the services he bought and paid for.



    You seem here to choose the side of the authority figures rather than the victims. I can only guess where your loyalties would have lain in 1930's Europe. Surely not with the ones who were said to be ruining the economy for everyone else?
  • Reply 54 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by muppetry View Post


    Much of this discussion just illustrates the basic flaw in the concept of an unlimited data plan in a data transport infrastructure that cannot possibly handle the data flow rates that can be generated by the end users.



    If what you say is true, then IMO, the data transport infrastructure needs to be improved.
  • Reply 55 of 96
    Give it up folks. Verizon is playing us like suckers. This crap was created in the corner office because these schmucks have to find new ways of squeezing money from the consumer.

    Dude, think about all the people that watch tv.MILLIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! have you heard of the tv folks throttling sh** up?
  • Reply 56 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mwhiteco View Post


    My daughter won't have any problem as she used less than 1 gig and that included her month of hot spotting thank goodness. It seems like a little bate and switch saying unlimited use then if you use it they get upset because you use it. Just saying.



    It is unlimited. They never said anything about speed so they are in the clear on that
  • Reply 57 of 96
    muppetrymuppetry Posts: 3,331member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ConradJoe View Post


    If what you say is true, then IMO, the data transport infrastructure needs to be improved.



    I agree, but that being a demand-driven process, it will always lag.



    I think that the main reason that the providers like to promote unlimited plans is because that way, most customers actually end up paying hugely inflated data rates but somehow feel they are getting a good deal.
  • Reply 58 of 96
    OMG what can Verizon do to increase their capacity?



    Buy T-Mobile!
  • Reply 59 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Flash_beezy View Post


    What happen to the days of verizon mocking AT&T for havin a incompetent network before the vz iPhone?





    Chumps..A so called "superior" network shouldn't have a bandwidth problem..



    It faded away just around the same time that Sony stopped mocking Microsoft's limited backward compatibility on the Xbox 360.
  • Reply 60 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    Why not simply state the facts clearly what ever they are?



    Because these companies are run by professional liars.
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