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AT&T Throttling heavy data users?

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Old 02-17-2017, 12:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Mizouse
Unlimited 2G roaming???

Do new phones even support 2G anymore?
iPhones still work on 2G. Perfect for when going to China.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203124

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202909

China Mobile 2G network

You can use these iPhone models with China Mobile’s 2G network:
  • iPhone 7 (Model A1660, A1780)
  • iPhone 7 Plus (Model A1661, A1786)
  • iPhone 6s (Model A1691, A1700)
  • iPhone 6s Plus (Model A1690, A1699)
  • iPhone 6 (Model A1586, A1589)
  • iPhone 6 Plus (Model A1524, A1593)
  • iPhone SE (Model A1723, A1724)
  • iPhone 5s (Model A1518, A1528, A1530)
  • iPhone 5c (Model A1516, A1526, A1529)
If you bought one of these iPhone models overseas, you can use China Mobile’s 2G network:
  • iPhone 5s (Model A1530)
  • iPhone 5c (Model A1529)

China Unicom 2G network

You can use these iPhone models with China Unicom’s 2G network:
  • iPhone 7 (Model A1660)
  • iPhone 7 Plus (Model A1661)
  • iPhone 6s (Model A1691, A1700)
  • iPhone 6s Plus (Model A1690, A1699)
  • iPhone 6 (Model A1586, A1589)
  • iPhone 6 Plus (Model A1524, A1593)
  • iPhone SE (Model A1723, A1724)
  • iPhone 5s (Model A1518, A1528, A1530)
  • iPhone 5c (Model A1516, A1526, A1529)

China telecom 2G network

You can use these iPhone models with China Telecom’s 2G network:
  • iPhone 7 (Model A1660)
  • iPhone 7 Plus (Model A1661)
  • iPhone 6s (Model A1700)
  • iPhone 6s Plus (Model A1699)
  • iPhone 6 (Model A1586)
  • iPhone 6 Plus (Model A1524)
  • iPhone SE (Model A1723)
  • iPhone 5s (Model A1533)
  • iPhone 5c (Model A1532)
Old 02-17-2017, 12:41 PM
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So ATT doesn't support single line?
Old 02-17-2017, 12:41 PM
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What about places other than China. I got those same results when I googled it.

i have ZERO plans ever on going to China.
Old 02-17-2017, 12:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Doom878
So ATT doesn't support single line?
You mean 1 line that's unlimited? Yes, it's $100.

Originally Posted by Mizouse
What about places other than China. I got those same results when I googled it.
GSM World Coverage Map- GSM Country List by frequency bands

i have ZERO plans ever on going to China.
Too much smog?
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Old 02-17-2017, 01:19 PM
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Nah not just smog. More like rude AF mainland Chinese people.
plus so much sketchy fake stuff out there. Not sure what's safe to eat.

ohh and crowded as hell.
Old 02-17-2017, 02:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Mizouse
Hmmm I'm still on the grandfathered unlimited data plan under a family plan with 3 users.

been wondering since I read the news if this is worth it.
I had unlimited back then with Cingular/AT&T (like 2010), but after monitoring my monthly usage, I noticed I was wasting money on unlimited. I was skating by on 200mb/month, so I decreased my limit to save money

Went to Verizon to try a Galaxy Nexus, ended up being the worst smartphone I've ever had. By the time I went back to AT&T, they already ditched unlimited. Who knew I'd use so much data now, and I don't stream movies or anything.

Originally Posted by AZuser
Looks like Tmobile still has them all beat. And Tmobile coverage has improved too.

https://opensignal.com/reports/2016/...obile-network/

Sprint looks to be less expensive $ wise during their 1st year promo pricing, but if you factor in taxes and fees, it's probably same price as Tmobile or maybe even a little more.

Plus, Tmobile has a few extra features others don't like free 1 hour of data usage and unlimited texting on flights via GoGo, unlimited 2G data roaming for rest of world, Tmobile Tuesday, and taxes/fees included in their price (what you see is what you pay).
Wow I should have priced shopped. I'm on a family plan, so it's still cheaper for me to be on AT&T, but I will consider T-Mobile in the future
Old 02-17-2017, 02:25 PM
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Read that wrong, Verizon is still cheaper... hmm
Old 02-17-2017, 02:35 PM
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I reset my cell usage every billing cycle. Currently at 12GB used since the 25th of Jan.

Old 02-17-2017, 03:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Costco
Read that wrong, Verizon is still cheaper... hmm
Cheaper than AT&T for 1 line ($100 AT&T vs $80 Verizon) and 3 lines ($180 AT&T vs $162 Verizon), but same for 2 lines and 4 lines.

But Tmobile still least expensive overall, unless I'm missing something.

If you just need 1 line, Sprint (even after adding taxes/fees) might be least expensive or about the same as Tmobile, but Sprint also gives you less features.

Old 02-17-2017, 03:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Mizouse
Nah not just smog. More like rude AF mainland Chinese people.
plus so much sketchy fake stuff out there. Not sure what's safe to eat.

ohh and crowded as hell.
Don't you want to go see the great wall and stand right where Matt Damon fought all the evil monsters and saved all our fellow ?

Old 02-17-2017, 04:16 PM
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Originally Posted by AZuser
Cheaper than AT&T for 1 line ($100 AT&T vs $80 Verizon) and 3 lines ($180 AT&T vs $162 Verizon), but same for 2 lines and 4 lines.

But Tmobile still least expensive overall, unless I'm missing something.

If you just need 1 line, Sprint (even after adding taxes/fees) might be least expensive or about the same as Tmobile, but Sprint also gives you less features.

My bad, I was thinking out loud and only comparing Verizon and AT&T. I thought about jumping to T-Mo a while back, but noticed my buddies having issues with coverage in certain areas... but that was a while ago.
Old 02-28-2017, 12:47 AM
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Looks like AT&T have revised their unlimited plan. Instead of $100 a month for 1 line and no tethering, it (Unlimited Plus) is now $90 a month with 10GB of tethering.

4 Unlimited Plus lines run $185 now vs $180 before.

https://arstechnica.com/information-...-of-tethering/

AT&T lowers unlimited data price to $90, adds 10GB of tethering

AT&T also creates a cheaper "unlimited" plan that's throttled to 3Mbps

2/27/2017

AT&T is feeling the heat of competition and as a result has lowered the price of its unlimited data plan from $100 to $90 a month, also improving it by adding 10GB of high-speed tethering data. AT&T today also announced a $60-per-month option for customers who are willing to accept slower speeds of no more than 3Mbps.

Until recently, AT&T only sold its $100-per-month unlimited smartphone data plan to customers who also subscribed to DirecTV or U-verse TV. After unlimited data announcements from Verizon and T-Mobile USA, AT&T made its unlimited plan available to any customer but initially did not change any of its annoying limitations. Unlimited data users thus couldn't use their phones as mobile hotspots to get Internet access for other devices.

Today's announcement cut the monthly price from $100 to $90 and renamed the plan "Unlimited Data Plus." Customers will get 10GB of high-speed tethering each month. After the 10GB is used, tethering speeds are reduced to 128kbps. There were no changes to this plan on the HD video front: the best video quality is still disabled by default, but customers can watch video in HD by disabling the "Stream Saver" option, AT&T told Ars.

AT&T also created an "Unlimited Choice" plan that costs $60 a month and also has no data caps and overage fees. However, this plan doesn't include any tethering capability, and video is always reduced to about 480p resolution or a maximum bandwidth of 1.5Mbps. Overall speeds on the $60 plan are reduced to a maximum of 3Mbps, whereas the more expensive plan provides "our fastest speed."

The $90 and $60 prices require customers to get paperless bills and make automatic payments with a bank account or debit card, as credit card payments are not eligible for those prices. Without the autopay discount, the price rises $5 for single-line plans and $10 for multiline plans.

Unlimited data plans don't have any data caps or extra fees for using too much data, but they're not entirely without monthly limits. With both the $90 and $60 plans, customers may see slower speeds for the rest of the month after they use 22GB on a line, but speeds will only be slowed "during times of network congestion." This is similar to the policies of other carriers, although T-Mobile sets the limit at 28GB.

AT&T has special pricing for customers who bundle mobile plans with DirecTV or U-verse TV. Unlimited Plus customers will get a $25 monthly credit on TV packages. This also applies to the DirecTV Now online streaming service, which starts at $35 a month. As a result, you can get a single line of unlimited data with DirecTV Now for $100 a month.




But not to be outdone, Tmobile made some changes to their Unlimited plan too.

You can now get 3 unlimited lines for $100 (all taxes and fees included). Was $140 before.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/02/27/...one-up-atandt/

T-Mobile upgrades its unlimited plan again to one-up AT&T

New and existing customers with two lines can now get a third for free.

Feb 27, 2017

T-Mobile added HD video streaming and 10GB of LTE hotspot tethering to its unlimited One plan earlier this month, possibly as a response to Verizon's new unlimited data plan. Yes, the mobile carrier wars have been intense lately, and they're getting even hotter. Just hours after AT&T announced it was also adding 10GB of tethering data to its unlimited plan, T-Mobile fired back with another tweak to its One plan. Now, new and existing customers with two lines can get a third for free.

Starting March 1st, customers will be able to snag three lines for $100 (with fees and taxes included) on a One, Simple Choice or Simple Choice No Credit plan. And don't worry, if you've already got three or more lines, you can tack on another for free, according to the @TMobileHelp Twitter account. The promo doesn't have an end date yet, but customers who get in on it now will be able to keep their free line for as long as they're on an eligible T-Mobile plan.

Last edited by AZuser; 02-28-2017 at 12:50 AM.
Old 02-28-2017, 01:48 AM
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need to wait this one out a bit. moms 2 year contract is coming up around christmas time.

I believe shes the last one in our family still on a contract.
Old 04-28-2017, 11:26 AM
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Originally Posted by Costco
My bad, I was thinking out loud and only comparing Verizon and AT&T. I thought about jumping to T-Mo a while back, but noticed my buddies having issues with coverage in certain areas... but that was a while ago.
tmobile still doesn't have coverage no matter where you.
Old 04-28-2017, 12:42 PM
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Anyone get their check yet? I got $15 2 days ago.
Old 04-28-2017, 12:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Melissacura
tmobile still doesn't have coverage no matter where you.
I suppose that's true if you live out in the boonies. But TMobile has been closing the gap with Verizon : https://opensignal.com/reports/2017/...obile-network/

State of Mobile Networks: USA (February 2017)

Analysis

The war between T-Mobile and Verizon over network performance has taken a new twist. In our latest round of tests, Verizon has regained lost ground in 4G speed, bringing it even with T-Mobile. Meanwhile T-Mobile has continued to narrow the gap with Verizon in our 4G availability rankings, putting the Un-carrier within a stone's throw of matching Verizon signal for signal. In no report has the clash between the two operators been so heated. Either Verizon or T-Mobile won or shared every single national award in our report.

In our third State of Mobile Networks report for the U.S., OpenSignal parsed 4.6 billion measurements collected by 169,683 smartphone users in the fourth quarter of 2016 to gauge the 3G and 4G performance of national operators AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. We also examined 4G speed and availability in 36 of the biggest cities in the U.S.

A tightening race over 4G reach

Verizon has long been proud of its network reach, and its dominance in 4G availability continued in our latest tests. Rather than track geographic coverage, our availability metric measures the proportion of time our users can access a particular network. In Verizon's case, our testers were able to find an LTE signal 88.2% of the time, earning it once again our award for best 4G availability. For the last year, however, T-Mobile has been climbing up our rankings. In our last report, T-Mobile surpassed AT&T, and in our most recent tests T-Mobile has closed the gap separating it from Verizon to within 2 percentage points. Users were able to connect to the T-Mobile network 86.6% of the time, while we measured AT&T's 4G availability at 82.2%.

And TMobile is constantly building out their network. They're buying almost $8 billion worth of new low frequency spectrum to address holes in rural areas and improve overall coverage:

https://arstechnica.com/information-...ork-across-us/

T-Mobile dominates spectrum auction, will boost LTE network across US

4/13/2017

T-Mobile USA was the biggest winner in an auction that shifted licenses in the 600MHz spectrum band from TV broadcasters to the cellular industry.

T-Mobile will pay $7.99 billion for 1,525 licenses spread throughout the country, according to the results announced today. T-Mobile boasted in a press release that it won 45 percent of the spectrum in the auction, amounting to "31MHz nationwide on average, quadrupling the Un-carrier’s low-band holdings."

Low-band spectrum is particularly important for covering long distances and penetrating obstacles such as building walls, which have long been problems for T-Mobile's network. The new spectrum should also help T-Mobile in rural areas, where it lags behind AT&T and Verizon in network quality. T-Mobile generally performs well in metro areas.

"With this purchase, T-Mobile now has significantly more low-band spectrum per customer than any other major provider and nearly triple the low-band spectrum per customer than Verizon," T-Mobile said.

Here's a map that illustrates what T-Mobile expects its actual LTE network coverage will look like at the end of this year, combining deployments from existing spectrum and the spectrum it just acquired:



We'd expect that to improve in 2018 and beyond, as T-Mobile won't be able to deploy all its new spectrum this year.

If people thought TMobile coverage was crap, Verizon and AT&T wouldn't be losing customers to TMobile. Why would people move to TMobile, pay for their service, but not be able to use it?

T-Mobile Earns a Victory Lap - Barron's

T-Mobile remains the bright spot in the wireless industry

April 25, 2017

If there’s a bright spot in the wireless business these days, it’s shining solely on T-Mobile.

Less than a week after a dismal earnings report from Verizon, T-Mobile was in a more celebratory mood. T-Mobile added 798,000 post-paid subscribers in its latest three month period; Verizon lost 307,000 during that time.

“We estimate that we captured over 250% of the industry’s postpaid phone growth this quarter,” T-Mobile CEO John Legere told investors on a conference call Monday night. In his usually frank manner, Legere added: “And, as you’ve seen, Verizon reported a disaster of a quarter with nearly 300,000 postpaid phone losses, despite all the hype around the launch of their unlimited plan.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/t-mobil...rld-1493071904

T-Mobile Is the Envy of the Wireless World

April 24, 2017

T-Mobile TMUS -0.84% US on Monday reported first-quarter earnings that blew past analysts’ expectations, saying it added 1.1 million subscribers, including 798,000 of the industry’s most valuable postpaid phone customers. Its wireless service revenue climbed 11.4% over the previous year.

While that represented a slowdown in T-Mobile’s subscriber growth, it stood in contrast to Verizon Communications’ results last Thursday when it posted its first-ever quarterly net loss of wireless subscribers.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-t-co...ers-1493153512

AT&T Continues to Lose Subscribers

April 25, 2017

AT&T Inc. continued to shed wireless and television subscribers in the first quarter of the year.

AT&T’s wireless business, its main moneymaker, lost 348,000 mainstream wireless phone customers, marking a return to the large losses characteristic of the past two years after an easing in the previous period. Phone additions are considered important because they are the most lucrative mobility accounts, and customers with postpaid phone accounts tend to stay longer.

Last edited by AZuser; 04-28-2017 at 12:52 PM.
Old 04-28-2017, 01:42 PM
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I know 2 people who switched to T-Mo with brand new iPhones. They hate it after leaving ATT. Problems with calls inside buildings and data not as fast. They haven't switched back because their contract and they're cheaper than ATT. I think T-Mo is getting subscribers because their marketing is on fire. Legere pushes out some popular ideas. I can't even name the other CEO's off the top of my head.
Old 04-28-2017, 02:06 PM
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I'm contemplating too on switching to tmo, mainly due to their cheaper unlimited plan which includes unlimited 2g overseas.

quick look on the website, for 3 lines it'd be $140/month, more than $100 cheaper than what I'm paying with at&t and grandfathered unlimited.
Old 04-28-2017, 03:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Doom878
I know 2 people who switched to T-Mo with brand new iPhones. They hate it after leaving ATT. Problems with calls inside buildings and data not as fast. They haven't switched back because their contract and they're cheaper than ATT. I think T-Mo is getting subscribers because their marketing is on fire. Legere pushes out some popular ideas. I can't even name the other CEO's off the top of my head.
TMobile doesn't have contracts anymore though. Maybe they're on a device payment plan (DPP)? If so, they could have paid off the device and left, or they could have cancelled service within 30 days for full refund of service and device cost. Maybe they didn't know?

Before making the switch they should have had ATT unlock their phones, if they weren't already, and then bought a pre-paid TMobile SIM kit with $30 plan from Walmart to test out network and see if it works for them. If it didn't, they would have had their ATT account to go back to. Less hassle than cancelling ATT service, porting number to TMobile, trying service for 30 days and if you're not happy with it, cancel service and port number back to ATT. Plus, no dings to credit from them running credit checks.
Old 04-28-2017, 03:14 PM
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Contract/Phone financing (it is a contract). Semantics. Yeah some people don't realize within 30 days that it sucks, or they're lazy, or whatever. Trust me they don't know what unlocking a phone means
Old 04-28-2017, 05:57 PM
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I use TMob and I don't have service at my home. If not for wifi calling, I wouldn't use them.
My wife uses AT&T, and based on our experience traveling around the country, AT&T coverage is light years ahead of TMob. It's not even close.
Old 06-15-2017, 07:05 PM
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Interesting deal for those willing to switch carriers

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Old 08-22-2017, 04:30 PM
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/verizon...ans-1503432618

Verizon to Throttle Video Quality, Revamp Unlimited Data Plans

Aug. 22, 2017 5:01 p.m. ET

Verizon Communications Inc. said it would start limiting video quality for all customers across its network, months after the No. 1 U.S. carrier by subscribers launched unlimited data plans.

The video throttling technique, which is also employed by rival carriers, came alongside new data plans that effectively raise the price of Verizon’s current unlimited data offer. The company said it would limit video qualities for both users of its unlimited plans as well as customers with monthly amounts of data.

Verizon said starting Wednesday it will sell an unlimited data plan that doesn’t stream videos in high definition, starting at $75 a month for one line, alongside an unlimited plan with HD quality video, starting at $85 a month for one line. (Both prices include discounts for enrolling in automatic payments and paperless billing.)

When Verizon brought back unlimited data plans in February, the company offered unlimited data, including HD quality video, for $80 a month for one device. Both T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp. had been targeting Verizon’s customer base with unlimited offerings, but both only allowed for lower quality video streaming.

For Verizon customers on unlimited data plans without the HD video option, the content will be streamed at 480p DVD resolution on phones and 720p on tablets. The company said it will limit video quality for all legacy customers as well as those with the HD video unlimited plans to 720p for phones and 1080p for tablets.

“We’re doing this to ensure all customers have a great experience on our network since there is no significant difference in quality on a smartphone or tablet when video is shown at higher resolution,” the company said on its website.

While the reduced quality will significantly reduce the load on Verizon’s network, it is unlikely most customers will notice the lower video quality. Typical smartphone screens aren’t large enough to show a major difference. Video throttling won’t occur on Wi-Fi connections.

Verizon says its network is performing well. Rather than spend billions to acquire rights to additional airwaves, in recent years it has installed more cellular antennas closer to the ground with a smaller footprint, so that fewer customers connect to each one, lowering congestion.

Most unlimited plans come with a soft-cap that reduce speeds on congested cell sites after using about 22 gigabytes or more data during a billing cycle. But customers with the lower-cost unlimited Verizon plan will be “de-prioritized” at all times, meaning customers could face reduced speeds at any time. Verizon says those reductions vary widely but shouldn’t be noticeable.

Walt Piecyk, an analyst at BTIG research, said the latest changes raised questions about Verizon’s network. “Is Verizon’s price increase a sign of dwindling network capacity or a path to revenue growth?” he wrote in a research report.

T-Mobile has also raised prices slightly recently. Taken together, the moves might signal the wireless industry isn’t as competitive as people think, Mr. Piecyk said.
Old 08-22-2017, 04:41 PM
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Is there a single top tier telecommunications or ISP that isn't scummy?

Good thing I didn't hop on Verizon yet. What they did was equivalent to "here's a fast sports car, the gas is on us, but we fixed the rev limiter to top out at 4000"
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Old 08-23-2017, 06:56 AM
  #65  
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I smell lawsuit
Old 08-23-2017, 07:23 AM
  #66  
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they are all idiots
Old 08-23-2017, 09:28 AM
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Originally Posted by Doom878
I smell lawsuit
Verizon's not afraid. They've paid off Ajit Pai, who now heads FCC, handsomely. Any doubts as to why Verizon is so strongly against net neutrality should now be laid to rest.
Old 08-23-2017, 10:40 AM
  #68  
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Just got this email. So Ill take the extra 5GB of tethering
Dear customer,Thanks for being an Unlimited customer. To show our appreciation, we’d like to tell you about two ways we’re making your plan even better.First, we are introducing a different kind of rewards program called Verizon Up. How is it different? It’s super simple and gives you rewards you’ll actually want. The way it should be.Verizon Up offers rewards that range from everyday treats like music subscriptions to
once-in-a-lifetime experiences like VIP passes to exclusive concerts and sporting events. To enroll, just download the My Verizon app.Second, as part of our new Unlimited plan choices, we are introducing Beyond Unlimited. This plan has all the benefits of your current plan, plus an increase to 15GB of Hotspot usage at 4G LTE speeds. So you can do even more with your unlimited data across all your devices.And because you’ve been with us from the beginning, we’re upgrading your plan to include the additional Beyond Unlimited plan benefits at no additional cost. We’ve already updated your plan; there’s nothing you need to do!So, enjoy your new upgraded unlimited plan and Verizon Up rewards on the network that just keeps getting better. RootMetrics, the largest independent study, just ranked Verizon the nation’s #1 network. Now 8 times in a row. Because there’s no such thing as “good enough” in our vocabulary.Thanks again for the opportunity to serve you.Sincerely,Ronan DunnePresident, Verizon Wireless
Old 08-23-2017, 12:52 PM
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^ My personal data and privacy is worth more than 5GB

https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/2/16...ta-select-oath

Verizon’s new rewards program lets it track your browsing history

Aug. 2, 2017

Verizon has a new rewards program out this week, called Verizon Up, which awards users a credit for every $300 they spend on their Verizon bill that can be redeemed toward various rewards.

Customers will be able to get rewards such as “Device Dollars toward your next device purchase, discounts on an accessory, or partner rewards,” along with other surprise offerings and first-come, first-serve ticket opportunities, which all seems like a nice occasional thing to get for regularly paying your cellphone bill.

But, as noted by Brandon Robbins on Twitter, the new program comes with a pretty big catch: you have to enroll in Verizon Selects, a program that allows the company to track a huge chunk of your personal data. That includes web browsing, app usage, device location, service usage, demographic info, postal or email address, and your interests. Furthermore, that data gets shared with Verizon’s newly formed Oath combination (aka AOL and Yahoo), plus with “vendors and partners” who work with Verizon. Which is kind of a long list of people who have access to what feels like a fairly significant amount of your data.


Old 08-23-2017, 03:17 PM
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Meh I rather have the 5GB
Old 08-23-2017, 03:27 PM
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Privacy is a facade now. Analytics are on basically every popular website and free app.

We've paid a heavy price for things that are "free" or "unlimited" in ways other than currency. But that doesn't mean we should give up more.
Old 08-23-2017, 03:28 PM
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Kind of scares me to be honest. I'm shopping for something on Amazon, then when I hop on Instagram five seconds later, the first ad is literally the exact same thing I was looking at on Amazon.
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Mizouse (08-23-2017)
Old 08-23-2017, 04:39 PM
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Dude the creepiest thing for me is that I would literally THINK about something I'd want to buy. Low and behold I see it as a suggested item on Amazon or Facebook
Old 09-12-2017, 11:06 AM
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Still not as good (IMO) as the free Netflix subscription for TMobile One customers.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-t-to...ers-1505226248

AT&T to Give Free HBO to More Wireless Customers

Move follows T-Mobile’s recent offer to give free Netflix accounts to subscribers on its some data plans

Sept. 12, 2017

AT&T Inc. said it would offer free HBO service to more of its wireless subscribers, as video streaming giveaways become the latest front in the fight for cellular customers.

On Tuesday, the cellphone giant said customers on its midmarket Unlimited Choice wireless plans will get HBO free starting Friday. The company has offered free HBO to subscribers on its more expensive Unlimited Plus plans since earlier this year.

“This is how we move down market,” Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said at an industry conference, noting that any plan that keeps communications customers from leaving makes the overall business more profitable.

Rival T-Mobile US Inc. recently said it would provide free Netflix Inc. accounts to subscribers on its unlimited family data plans.

AT&T is promoting HBO content even as it awaits regulatory approval for its proposed takeover of Time Warner Inc., which owns HBO as well as CNN, sports-heavy Turner channels and movies from the Warner Bros. studio.

Mr. Stephenson said AT&T will run Time Warner’s media business as a “self contained” unit insulated from the needs of its new corporate parent.
Old 09-20-2017, 06:41 PM
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Let's see who's first to copy them.


https://newsroom.t-mobile.com/news-a...n-increase.htm

Attention Un-carrier wannabes! Fast & unlimited can co-exist. Here’s how.

September 19, 2017

Over the last year, data usage on T-Mobile’s network has skyrocketed! It’s up more than 50%, and at the same time, average LTE speeds – according to multiple third parties – have stayed the fastest in the country. In fact, T-Mobile has actually gotten faster in the last year – 25% faster based on Speedtest data.

Case in point: we just launched Netflix On Us! Everyone is asking me what kind of traffic volumes we are seeing and if the network can handle additional traffic. Big surprise: customers LOVE Netflix! We stream over 1 million hours of Netflix every day! How is the network holding up? This week our LTE network averaged over 30Mbps. #nosweat

By all logic, our network should be slowing down – just like Verizon and AT&T’s well documented network slow downs (this last one is from Verizon’s own community forum). But, T-Mobile’s unlimited just keeps getting better.

AND, on top of that, today, I’m happy to announce that starting tomorrow we’re increasing T-Mobile’s prioritization point from an already-industry-leading 32GB to a whopping 50GB! Meanwhile, Verizon and AT&T sit at a meager 22GB, meaning Un-carrier customers can use more than 2x the data before prioritization kicks in. Now, 50GB of data usage means a T-Mobile customer is basically the top 1% of data users, and to put it in context, you could stream a full 2 hours of Netflix every single day – that’s 30 SD movies – and never even reach that point! You’d still have roughly 8GB to go.

As background, we use prioritization for T-Mobile customers to manage network traffic and ensure a small number of the very most active users on our network don’t negatively impact everyone else so everyone can have a great experience. Often confused for a “throttle” or “cap,” prioritization is different. It doesn’t cap how much you can use, and someone would only notice it when TWO things happen: the customer has already consumed a ton of data in the month (50GB) AND they are in an area of the network is that currently experiencing congestion. When T-Mobile customers who use the most data hit these prioritization points during the month, they get in line behind other customers who have used less data and may experience reduced speeds. But this impacts them only very rarely, like when there is a big line, and it resets every month. If you have a lot of congestion in your network (I’m looking at you, Verizon & AT&T), these lines can be long and deprioritized customers can be waiting a long time.

So, how does T-Mobile keep giving customers more and keep getting better, faster, stronger as data demands increase? What are we doing differently to handle unlimited data so much better than those two wireless behemoths? Well, let me share a few of the secrets behind running America’s best unlimited network (ahem, pay attention, carriers!):

1) To go faster, move faster

We’ve built our entire team to move quickly, which is why every meaningful network innovation in the last three years has come to Un-carrier customers first. All that new tech translates into lots of customer benefits – increased voice quality, higher reliability, lower latency, better experience – as well as increased speed. We don’t wait for technology to come to us, we go out and get it!

2) Always be planning ahead

Today’s traffic was something we planned for the day we built our LTE network. We weren’t the first with LTE, so we knew we had to be the best. We knew LTE would unleash a whole new wave of data, led by video and VoLTE. So we built our LTE network from day 1 with these goals in mind.

Today, we’re already planning for 2020 and rolling out 5G ready stuff. That’s a huge deal because it means, when 5G is ready for customers, we can light it up with a software-upgrade without having to physically upgrade cell sites again. Basically, we’ll flip a switch, and boom – 5G.

3) Shut up and listen

Listening to customers and solving their pain points is what the Un-carrier movement is all about. For the network, listening to customers means monitoring our network performance obsessively every minute of every day. That is why we built a massive Big Data platform to collect as much network data as possible. This listening data tells us which improvements to prioritize and where to focus them.

Crowd data is essential to all of this because it tells us what real people are experiencing on the network in real situations with their devices in near real-time. And, when you’re obsessed with delivering the best customer experience, like we are, that’s what really matters!

Our Un-carrier mantra – “We won’t stop” – is doubly true of our network team. We won’t stop listening and taking action! And, we won’t stop increasing our network capacity and capability for our customers!
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