Mobile Hotspot and Unlimited Data Plan

Mobile Hotspotting free until June 15 - that's all good and thank you.

Feelings of foreboding ... my "unlimited data plan" will not include mobile hotspotting (my #1 reason for dumping AT&T's iPhone) and I will incur yet another additional monthly charge for this feature...?

How is this not "data" and if I am going to get ... sex'd ... for another monthly charge, how much will this add-on feature be?

TIA...

--mike

Accepted answers

AZSALUKI

i believe it's $20/month for up to 2 gigs of data shared to other devices. your phone gets the unlimited data.....not every pc, laptop, and other smartphone that accesses it. it would be nice if it were free unlimited everything....but that's just not realistic. we would all drop our home and work internet plans and would just feed off of our smartphones. it would crush the network and kill profits. this has been their pricing structure for a while.

All comments

AZSALUKI

mshallop

That makes sense, unfortunately.

Caveat utilitor.

Thanks...

PJNC284

Why would you think it'd be any different? None of the so called "unlimited" plans on any of the carriers have included the mobile hotspot feature afaik. The Pre/Pixi Plus were the only exception and that was because Verizon couldn't give the stupid things away.

Ann154

Even Sprint, PJNC284?

mshallop

b/c data is data. aside from the price gouging common to all carriers for texting, one may still opt to pay a premium price for unmetered texting.

data is data and a carrier plan offering "unlimited data" with no visible caveats, eg: "except for mobile hotspotting which, although it will still access the same data content from the same data sources, but we're going to charge you extra for it b/c you're pipelining said data to a device you're not paying us for" is, at best "creative marketing". If I choose to pay a premium price for "unlimited data", then it should be unlimited data - how I choose to use, distribute, or access it is my business.

It's not a hard concept to understand.

[Edited to comply with Terms of Service]

PJNC284

Ann154 wrote:
Even Sprint, PJNC284?

Sprint also charges a mobile hotspot fee of $30. The difference is that at least with sprint, that option offers unlimited tethering as long as you aren't roaming iirc.

Plus we don't pay for "unlimited data" we pay for "unlimited email and web for Smartphones". That's the gotcha. And it doesn't make business sense for a carrier to include tethering on unlimited plans. You're pretty much opening up the network to be abused. Look at the 50-100GB+ numbers that some are getting with the free trial. My stand is that they should just go tiered and include tethering. You pay for 2GB, you get 2GB of data PERIOD. Doesn't matter whether it's on the phone or a tethered device. Not any of this silly 2GB data plan on the phone + additional 2GB plan for tethering. Then it's just money money money.

mshallop

I can agree to that...if it were offered.

But another $20 or $30 per month for similar functionality isn't going to get me to open my checkbook. Death by a Thousand Cuts pricing - geh.

It was moderated out of my earlier post so I'll make a generic statement - there are alternatives to Mobile Hotspotting which are price competitive and easily achievable.

doublesnaggle

There are many ways to tether. No unlimited hotspot? Watch me.

gina7289

2 gigs for $20 is not going to be the plan only for 3g. There creating a new 4g specific plan. The update is removing the hotspot. It says in the free promotion that the 2gig plan won't be the new plan quoted from tech support as well as the store. It's the only current plan but for 3g

gina7289

They have blocked use of apps that tether i think

lnwalker50

I bought the HTC Thunderbolt today. (9/4/2011) I called Verizon customer service and inquired about the mobile hotspot feature. I was told that because I have the unlimited data plan, the hotspot was included in the 4G data plan. I can hook up to 5 devices to it. We will wait and see after I get the new phone.

gina7289

U have to pay $30 on top of the $29.99 for ur standard data plan. They probably ment there both unlimited plans so the data will be combined when u look at what u used. That is how it is for me and I have his phone. All new plams will be combined together but the hotspot is not free

TheSteelman

I agree.

Your Smartphone only has one means of sending or receiving data. If your using your phone to connect you iPad to the Internet, then you can't use your phone at the same time.

I don't see why Big Red can't supply us with unlimited phone / hot spot data for one price.

Luckily, I still have a grandfathered 3G unlimited data plan for $30, but if Verizon said give us $10 and you can have hot spot as well, then maybe I would compromise and pay up.

I don't see any reason to fork over $20 for just 2 GB of data.

Wildman

The issue is no matter what a user is given they always want more... I have read of users bragging about using 80+ gigs of data using hotspot and tethering methods verse them using 5-10 gigs on using data from the device only, I cant say this enough the contract is for data for the device and not for any device.., there is no way you can believe this increase of data use would not effect the network traffic especially if they give it free to all users this will exceed the network bandwith and Verizon will have to update network to hadle the traffic and I guess this gets done at no charge..

I was in europe and if you seen what they offer as a data package you wouldnt complain, 30.00 there still only get you 128 - 500mb a month if you are lucky and they use mobile hotspots in cafes and stores for all data usage and you are charged through fees to allow access through this.

No matter what some wont be happy until everything is modified and taken away before you understand how good the US has it compared to other location. Do you not get that the teir plans was put in place because they got tired of hearing the complaint that you pay for unlimited data so you shoudnt be charge to allow everyone and anyone use the data as you see fit?

Even when you get home broadband the modem does not suppply access to more than one device, if you want to hookup another pc you pay for home networking to get a router to allow access to the other pc or you can go to the store and buy a router yourself and set up your own network which usually the service perviders throttles connection because you dont pay the extra fee monthly to them.

The whole point is you pay extra to get access to more than one pc no matter what you think... Pluse I do not see the option to tske your connection with you anyware and always have access, that is a converiance that cost..

Also check out some of the new changes coming to Sprint.... http://www.androidcentral.com/leaked-sprint-playbook-shows-big-changes-coming-premier-program-return-policy-and-more-and-you-wont