Dear Verizon

[clavin]

Why would I want to switch my 3g for 4g?  The only possible answer is so that I can use up my 5GB plan FASTER in the month and pay you more?  Where is the logic in that?  Seriously, please realize that if your going to offer faster speed a 50 dollar 10GB plan at least would be a start!!!!

Sheeesshhh.. what a downer.  5GB cap is pathetic.  What would be wrong with at least a 8 or 10 GB for 50.... An average family living in the middle of nowhere CAN"T afford that kind of $$$

[rcschnoor]

Good news is that you shouldn't have to upgrade for at least several years if you do not want. The 3G network is supposed to be operational at least until the end of 2013.

[clavin]

I think your missing my point.  I would LOVE it if 4G was available for me now.  I'm not against faster.  Sure, I'm very happy/impressed with the upgraded specs, but what does FASTER do for any NORMAL situation except get me to go over my cap faster???  It's almost silly.  We've got faster for you for the same 5GB???  Man, I'm sorry, with all due respect, but who in the board room logically thinks offering the same GB's for only 10 bucks less is going to help anyone?  Don't give me more speed give me more GB's PLEASE!!!!  In this economy I can't afford 80 bucks... Sorry, just a country hillbilly.  Verizon doesn't understand how frustrating it is living in the country not having the OPTION for DSL or Cable.  And having to check your USAGE every other day!  I'm not some rich businessman that can now, take my internet on the fly and cash in on some new way of "doing business".  I believe you guys could DOMINATE the market by offering 50 bucks with LOTS more GB's before the other companies step in... I believe you will regret it if you don't, down the road.  50 bucks for 10+GB's for starters.  My humble opinion...

[jupiter837]

I hear ya Calvin. I know exactly what your saying. And I for one don't really care about the speed. I am happy with my 3g speed. They talked about plans like DSL plans, where you could  get a slower speed but download more. I loved that idae. I would gladly pay $50 a month for 1.5mbps for 30gbs a month, or something like that. And I really doubt I would use anywhere close to that, but i just wouldn't worry about going over my cap all the time. With the backkaul they'll have with 4g they could offer a plan like that easy. I figure others would buy it too.

[Grothka]

I just want to remind everyone that the mobile broadband was not made to be used as the main source of internet connection for people, it's there so you can have internet wherever you go. That being said though, it would be nice to have higher level plans offered... but the increased speed is in no way worthless without it (yea you can get to it faster, but you can also do what you want to do online and then get on withyour life faster too).

[clavin]

Grothka do you work for Verizon?  Almost ALL inventions are modified or used for even BETTER purposes in the future.  Hmmmmm.  Lets follow that logic.   Lets start with TELEPHONES.  How about this statement...  "Well Clavin, a phone was NEVER invented for the purpose of being wireless"...  Golly Gee, I guess your right.  Everyone GET RID OF YOUR CELL PHONES, they weren't intended to be used wirelessly!  Sorry for the sarcasm, but you obviously don't live in a rural area like A LOT of Americans that can't get any other reasonable form of internet.  All I'm saying is give us a reasonable amount of GB's!  5 GB's  a JOKE, especially on a faster 4G format.  Google it!  Someone already was able to blow through there 5gb's in 32 MINUTES!  Obviously, that is extreme, but the point is the same.  Again, I wouldn't be bitter most likely if I had an OPTION.  Come on Verizon, how about consider us country folks as an exemption of some sort if we can't get your wired service??? PLEASE...  Yes, I'm bitterly dissapointed because for 2 years I've read up on it thinking, for sure they would up the GB's, it would be logical....NOT.

[jupiter837]

Grothka, Verizon are the ones talking about downloading HD movies, streaming HD tv, Stream movies, video confernece, ect. They are the ones who have billed 4G as being the most advanced network there is, but after saying all this put a 5gb cap on it.  Which makes it only faster than than the 3g network, but other than that not much different.  There is nothing wrong with network management, I understand the need for caps, or some form of throttleing.  But what they are offering is a very fast sports car that you can only drive to the end of the block. 

[rcschnoor]

For what it is worth, Verizon already offers downloading HD movies, streaming HD tv, etc... on 3G service. This is at an additional cost to a person's data plan. Very limited availability area, and Clavin, they are all urban areas.

As for Clavin's analogy, how many years was it before cell phones became cost effective for the average person to afford? 10, maybe 20 years? How's that going to sit since you can't afford it anyway in this economy?

There isn't even anything up yet on the Verizon site for how much the 4G service will be. Yes, I have seen the websites that quote the $50/5GB, $80/10GB prices, but have you seen it on the Verizon site? Will there be an additional premium cost for 4G VCast? Not that I would even pay for it. You can't even peorder the devices yet.

4G will only be available in urban areas in the beginning, anyway. By the time the service is nationwide in 2012/2013, who knows what prices/data allowances will be?

It is 4G LTE(LONG TERM evolution) after all.

[rcschnoor]

1 last thought. The prices you have seen thrown around are for the data only(USB laptop devices) plans on 4G. There hasn't even been any speculation on what the data plans associated with 4G phones will be yet. They are not even scheduled to be released until midway through 2011.

3G data plans on smartphones are much lower priced than 3G data plans on the USB modems. 3G smartphones have data plans that include "unlimited" data, while 3G USB modems do not.

I have seen nothing indicating that this will not be the case with the 4G phones vs 4G USB modems. I may be wrong, though.

[clavin]

You make some good points, I don't disagree that prices always come down.  And I know it will be a year or two before I get it.  I'm just saying, for Verizon to claim months ago that 4G/LTE costs 1/2 - 2/3 the price of 3G on their end, it DOESN"T show up in the price.  Not to mention, wireless internet has been out for quite some time, way bac k  in the RX1 days (or whatever they called it) .  Again, I could care less about the phone part of it.  I'm just talking simple internet access.  It's just frustrating for people like me who have NO other option for simple internet.  Netflix streaming? forget it.  Xbox live?  Nintendo Wii downloads?  If you have some rations left over at the end of the month.  Xbox live takes around 50 MB an hour.  Add  4 people wanting to use the internet in your house?  Everybodies rationed... Again, just venting on the fact I can promise you Verizon COULD very easily give an allotment more generous then 5GB and still make out GREAT.  Even 10GB would stop the "hogs" and be plenty of internet.  Like someone already said, offering you a Porshe to take down to the end of the block is cruel.  Especially when your only other option is a BIKE (dial-up anyone?) to get you around the internet.  Those that don't have the stranded country lack of options wouldn't understand.  Including Verizon.

[clavin]

Simple solution Verizon... For anyone who cannot get any other form of internet access via your company could you at least consider giving the rural people more GB's or a discount?  That would be a great thing!

[jupiter837]

Okay, everyone know who Vodafone is? Check this out,

http://www.lightreading.com/blog.asp?blog_sectionid=414&doc_id=196548

[jupiter837]

And check this out. They start their roll out in  rural areas. http://gadgetsteria.com/2010/12/01/german-carriers-t-mobile-and-vodafone-announce-lte-pricing-lte/

 Is Verizon Lte not as good?

[crimedoggies]

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clavin wrote:

Simple solution Verizon... For anyone who cannot get any other form of internet access via your company could you at least consider giving the rural people more GB's or a discount?  That would be a great thing!

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Let me get this right clavin, you CHOOSE to live in a rural area and because you don't have access to other internet options in your area you expect Verizon to either lower their price or increase their GB allowance?   Perhaps part of wide open spaces and clean air is a lack of high speed internet?  Verizon is spending BILLIONS to provide 4G, in what world should they even consider your suggestion.  And before you go touting off asking if I am employed by Verizon the answer is no.  Not everybody that looks at Verizon in a positive light or questions the common sense of some peoples suggestions work for Verzion.

[jupiter837]

Heres a suggestion for Verizon. I have read where they plan to keep their 3g network up for many more years, but at some point they plan to turn it off. Well okay, leave it on. It already covers a large rural area. People will be going over to "4g" with their phones and netbooks if they want too.  Verizon could set their 3g network as rural broadband solution. Why turn it off if they can make some money from it? Take about 90 million cell phones off it and I'm sure it could handle larger caps, and the home users wouldn't hurt their "4g" service at all. 

 But the term "Rural" can mean a few things. I live in a very small town of about 3500 people. We have Verizon 3g service. I consider it a rural area. But 6 miles away is another town that has about 4000 people, and also has Verizon 3g. Surrounding these towns could be a few hunderd to a thousand  more people.  Now we have tower in town, the other city has an evdo antenna mounted on the water tower. So two towers that cover maybe 10000 people, in a rural area.  That seems like a fair deal for Verizon and they must think so too.

Now if someone lives alone on top of a mountain. Well they can get Hughesnet.

[clavin]

Ok, you don't work for them but you're definetly a fanboy.  Hey, I'll give you some positives.  I like Verizon.  I do like the fact that they do offer better coverage then any other company.  Yes, I do choose to live in a rural area.  Wouldn't trade the country for better EVER, EVER, EVER.  If there was one company I would count on for the best internet in the future I'd count on VERIZON.  Just because I want to see them improve by giving more GB's doesn't mean I hate them.  Don't be so defensive for their sake.  Sorry if you feel I'm bashing your best buddy...  In the country hardly anyone is even USING the tower I know that for a fact.   The tower sits on my parents property 2 miles from me.  You can't give me any logical reason that 8-10 GB's wouldn't work fine.  And I'm sure in the future prices will go down.  They have the right to charge whatever, but I can critize them can't I?  I don't think they will "listen in this world" but it makes me feel good  Don't you ever vent?

[steveanderson13]

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clavin wrote:

Ok, you don't work for them but you're definetly a fanboy.  Hey, I'll give you some positives.  I like Verizon.  I do like the fact that they do offer better coverage then any other company.  Yes, I do choose to live in a rural area.  Wouldn't trade the country for better EVER, EVER, EVER.  If there was one company I would count on for the best internet in the future I'd count on VERIZON.  Just because I want to see them improve by giving more GB's doesn't mean I hate them.  Don't be so defensive for their sake.  Sorry if you feel I'm bashing your best buddy...  In the country hardly anyone is even USING the tower I know that for a fact.   The tower sits on my parents property 2 miles from me.  You can't give me any logical reason that 8-10 GB's wouldn't work fine.  And I'm sure in the future prices will go down.  They have the right to charge whatever, but I can critize them can't I?  I don't think they will "listen in this world" but it makes me feel good  Don't you ever vent?

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Yeah, venting is good but it's not gonna change anything.  Right now, the cost of wireless internet is not practical  for video for most people.  That's what TV and DVD are for.  The limit works fine for NORMAL use--I bump my cap after using all day every day WITHOUT video and I've found the Palm with free 5 gig hotspot is the best deal. So the change to 4g has nothing to do with that.  As to what good 4g is for, it will make it faster for people with normal use (not video) which may help a lot of people.  Here's a good article that expresses some reality on the subject:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/when-netflix-iphone-meets-4g-wireless-hell-breaks-loose/15074

[clavin]

All I'm really saying is that 7-10 GB a month for the 50 bucks is a good middle ground.  I say this because Verizon earlier said that the 4g lte would cost them 1/2 to 2/3 the cost of 3g.  Therefore, 4g with upping the allotment to 8+/- GB would keep any moderate user happy.  You could watch a movie once a week, play online gaming plenty of hours and surf enough on 8-10 GB.  5 keeps you watching constantly.  I know, you can fork out the 80 bucks for 10 GB, but I can't imagine any normal family would.  Although 3G did start out at 79.99 then two years later dropped to 59.99... I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed. 

[steveanderson13]

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clavin wrote:

All I'm really saying is that 7-10 GB a month for the 50 bucks is a good middle ground.  I say this because Verizon earlier said that the 4g lte would cost them 1/2 to 2/3 the cost of 3g.  Therefore, 4g with upping the allotment to 8+/- GB would keep any moderate user happy.  You could watch a movie once a week, play online gaming plenty of hours and surf enough on 8-10 GB.  5 keeps you watching constantly.  I know, you can fork out the 80 bucks for 10 GB, but I can't imagine any normal family would.  Although 3G did start out at 79.99 then two years later dropped to 59.99... I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed. 

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Hey Clavin, for what you are describing--movie once a week,  gaming, etc., that is not gonna fit even on 7-10.  It looks light right now the plans are INTENDED to prevent high use because high use for some people may mean poor quality for others.  Here's PCMag's take:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2373767,00.asp  

I'm reading many places that although Sprint advertises unlimited, users are throttled after a heavy use (video) and they average 7 gig.

Since your options seem to be limited because of your locale, consider a smartphone like Android--it really does have unlimited use for $30.  I have one.  Good luck--you are probably right that the prices will fall and more options will become available but who knows when?

[jupiter837]

Wildblue the satellite broadband company plans to lunch a new super satellite early in 2011. Service should be viable by the end of the year. They are talking about offer larger caps and faster service.  It might be something to check out later. http://www.viasat.com/broadband-satellite-networks/viasat-1 I'm sure they'll do everything in their power to buck it up, but maybe, just maybe.

[clavin]

Thanks for the Wildblue info... I won't ever use it though, if they can't do something about the latency...I'll have to read up!