Throttling of unlimited 4g

[schadenfroh]

So, as many of you likely know, Verizon will start throttling top 5% LTE data users in October that have unlimited plans:

Starting October 1, Verizon Will Include Unlimited 4G LTE Customers in “Network Optimization” | Droi...

While I applaud the marketing staff's efforts to deny that slowing the speed of LTE customers is throttling, and that the lawyers have made a very loose interpretation of what is considered "reasonable network management" to dodge FCC Block C spectrum rules (reasonable would be slowing down the folks that are, at the time of tower congestion, using the most bandwidth, rather than punishing top 5% unlimited data users who may not be using much bandwidth at the time of congestion, but have done so in the past during said billing cycle) , I figure I should prepare for the worst, since I do enjoy watching HD Netflix while traveling.

Is there anyway to sign a new 2-year contract with Verizon such that my unlimited data plan will not get throttled?  I don't want a new phone or upgrade, just a contract to ensure price stability, current plan, and no throttling.

Given I live in DC, there is plenty of congestion and I'm likely in the top 1% of data users given I push upwards of 40gb a month watching netflix (no TV, so phone gets it).

[Tidbits]

For reference to what I am talking about.  I put it in bold.  Verizon is managing their network which is allowed.  Of course people not on unlimited data plans pay more that could be put back into the network for bandwidth or sure "lining their pockets."  It is KNOWN that Verizon puts more into their network than any other carrier.  FCC allowed the "fair use" clause since the 1990's.  I saw this coming and even if the chairman says he doesn't like it.... Well it is his camp that gave the options since the 90's.  He wants his name out there to get reappointed and he doesn't lose his job.  Happens every election with these people.

(b) Use of devices and applications. Licensees offering service on spectrum subject to this section shall not deny, limit, or restrict the ability of their customers to use the devices and applications of their choice on the licensee's C Block network, except:

(1) Insofar as such use would not be compliant with published technical standards reasonably necessary for the management or protection of the licensee's network, or

(2) As required to comply with statute or applicable government regulation.

[M9]

Yes VZW can slow everyone on the tower when it becomes congested. What the FCC chairman is calling them out on is picking a certain group of subscribers to pick on. IE those who have paid for unlimited data.

[M9]

If VZW did away with unlimited data tomorrow & kicked 20-30 million highly profitable subscribers off,  the stockholders would revolt & heads would roll.

[sprmankalel]

If you think that VZW is highly profitable for you $30 unlimited plan over my $110 12GB plan, you know nothing of running a business.

The simple fact is that VZW is going to do everything that they can to make it hard to simply consume as much as you want and clog the network. If I pay for what I consume I should NOT be slowed. Especially if I go over my limit and PAY for more either by increasing the limit or paying the overage. No cellular network has ever been intended for users to be doing what we are doing. Frankly, I don't know how there are that many hours in a day to be using 40GB of data. I have been out of work for 6 months and still can't find an average of 4 hours EVERY DAY to watch Netflix.

The one sure way to make sure you never have a chance of being slowed is by actually paying for what you consume. Otherwise just deal with it.

[#6]

M9 wrote:

If VZW did away with unlimited data tomorrow & kicked 20-30 million highly profitable subscribers off,  the stockholders would revolt & heads would roll.

Sorry the max number of unlimited data users was 32 million( and that's being generous ) and that was 3 years ago.

[Tidbits]

Do you think it's fair to congest a network that is paid for by someone else? If i pay $100 do i have to deal with slower speeds because someone spends $30 and uses more than 10GB? Doesn't seem fair to me, and yes I am on the unlimited data plan.

I know i won't get throttled as I am not on a congested tower and probably would never be as area saturation is minimal compared to the other 49 states.

[M9]

I have unlimited & I pay over 100$ for it.

[Tidbits]

No you don't pay $100 for it.  You pay $29.99 like I do.  We can use 100GB and pay $30, and we can use 10GB and pay $30.  People on tiered plans have to pay at least $100 for 10GB.  Explain how is it fair.  I understand why we are being singled out because it isn't fair for those people.

[#10]

LucasV wrote:

Tidbits

Are you implying that the FCC Chairman has no idea what he's talking about?

Verizon Responds to Getting Called Out by FCC About Throttling LTE Unlimited Data | Android Forums a...

I will imply that. he's a moron. Just like Verizon can throttle 3G spectrum they can throttle AWS. Even the block C rules allow for throttling.

[Jumpie1]

Sorry, they don't allow for throttling.

[Jumpie1]

AWS is only part of the spectrum. So, no, they can't throttle the C Block portion. Gosh, people!

[B33]

Thank ya Sir.!  b

[#14]

Elector wrote:

The funny part is if the rule was not able to throttle 4G when the spectrum was obtained what changed that now makes it they can throttle it now?

They still have the spectrum (Verizon)?

Even at 25% or 35% or even more this constant statement of Verizon will simply drop unlimited out right is totally inaccurate.

They risk to lose millions of customers. They risk lawsuits and even though Class Actions are not allowed per ruling of the US Supreme Court, the ruling states in CERTAIN cases. They are still allowed.

The FCC and those certain cases; most likely will cause Verizon a heap of hurt and loss of revenue.

Of which like the fee to pay your invoice by credit card was quickly abandoned. So will the throttling or loss of it.

Verizon can as has been said do what they wish, but will they? I highly doubt it.

And "B" have a great weekend!

It's not 35% or even 25%. Even at 25% of that at least 1/3 of those as 3G smartphones which are already subject to throttling and have been for years. You can't count those. At most it's maybe 15% that might actually have unlimited data on a 4G phone and could POSSIBLY get throttled. And if they got rid of unlimited data most would NOT leave. first T-Mobile and Sprint ignore 1/4 of the country so these people's only other choice is at&t which doesn't offer unlimited and has the same pricing as Verizon.

And sorry no lawsuit can force Verizon to keep offering unlimited data. Obviously Verizon doesn't want to get rid of unlimited data yet or they would do it, but if people and the FCC are going to be jerks about things then what other choice do they have? No way Verizon says "my bad" and goes back to the way things are now.

[#15]

The numbers themselves are just estimates, I could care less number wise.

The statement that Verizon can do this or Verizon will do that is not factual. The lawsuits would be government not private rights of action.

You see the US Government is not bound as a class action. The case would be regulatory in nature.

Verizon cannot just operate any old way it pleases. They like to think they can but any reasonable person will tell you when consumers get angry, government gets evolved and that is not what Verizon wants.

The main problem is even if unlimited is only 15% of the customer base and I believe its higher the loss of revenue all at once will hit their bottom line.

People may have great coverage with T-Mobile or Sprint I cannot say. But if defections occur look at it as first the other carrier is unlimited data (throttled yes if needed) but the cost is much cheaper than Verizon and AT&T.

Many will defect just on price.

I have unlimited data. I use kilobytes and a few megabytes have not even used 1 Gigabyte that I can remember.

I won't be throttled so its not a tie breaker for me. Now on occasion my wife uses about 5 or 6 gigabyte of data.

Last bill showed her using around 5 gigabyte not too bad. I look today and three days before my bill closing she used 11 gigabyte of data. Rare, but she is watching YouTube and Netflix more now that her work is slower.

Could she use the work WiFi? Possibly. But she will not use it since its paid for via the government. She does have ethics. When I ran my own network at the worksite she had unlimited access, because I paid for it out of my pocket. But after I retired she lost that perk.

I personally don't think the chicken little theory is going to affect me at present. But I will not be pushed out of something I do not abuse because of a mere 5% are ruining it for everyone else.

Good Luck

[#16]

which law can the government use to force Verizon to offer unlimited data? Heck the government can't even prevent WIRED internet ISPs from instituting caps. My cable ISP has a 250 GB cap. That's a lot compared to wireless but it's certainly not unlimited.

Also your "just estimates so number don't matter".  Um.. when someone states Verizon won't do something because 25-30 million will eave when it can be proven they don't have that many then yes it matters. My numbers aren't estimates I get them straight from Verizon quarterly reports which are available from this website. Simple math and logic can tell you there is no where near 25-30 million unlimited data customers.

People said Share Everything would cause Verizon to lose customers. FALSE. people said denying unlimited data customers discounted upgrade would cause them to lose customers FALSE. The vast majority of Verizon customers do NOT have unlimited data and I doubt many are going to feel sorry if unlimited data users lose unlimited data. Yes the guy paying $30 for 2 GB is going to be feeling bad for the unlimited data guy losing his $30 for unlimited data plan. I think not.

By the way you get rid of unlimited data you can instantly double or triple the caps. Any unlimited data customers they lose they'll gain back from At&t customers coming to Verizon and getting 20 or 30 GB for what At&t charges for 10 GB.

[#17]

The government regulates everything. In New York the telephone company is governed by the State Public Service Commission and the State Consumer Protection Board.

Granted cellular complaints can be handled by the States Attorney Generals Office as it dinged Verizon wireless in the past for slamming and cramming violations, for phantom text messages and that other fiasco of customers seeing $1.99 on their bills for data when the devices were not data capable.

Then let's have the Feds or States look into the so called data accounting. Oh yeah Verizon wants that to happen. Then the news media reports that the US Government finds the counters are inaccurate and that customers were correct all along and these insane overages netted Verizon billions they never should have received.

Then let's get the states and District of Columbia involved. Can you fathom the price to fight all this?

And when they lose the states and federal government get their gazillion dollars and the customers get a $25 gift card. But it is still not something Verizon wants to happen

Then when the meters are certified as correct and those data overages are not being dinged to the customer then and only then can any customer not worry about overage charges.

I have said a million times having a person pay more for the data does not mean the load on the system is any less. Versus unlimited data users who I don't believe all abuse the data. Data use is data use the only difference is the price.

I could look up our stock report as to how many post paid and pre paid customers Verizon has. I can google the unlimited numbers from the tiered and metered users. Like I said I don't personally care.

The point of the forum post is throttling unlimited users over those on metered plans. Personally if it singles out one group of customers over another I believe there is a law provision against it. And some smart official will take full advantage of it. And should.

[schadenfroh]

As far as I know, the Federal Court ruling striking down Net Neutrality is a separate issue than the terms that Verizon agreed to when it licensed the 700mhz Block C spectrum (unless there is a separate ruling that I wasn't aware of).

Politics are fun, not sure if Wheeler's motivation was to promote the Democratic Party as the "party of the people", has a grandfathered Verizon Unlimited Plan, or if he is a shill for Comcast out to harass the wireless folks (which would be funny)... rarely are the motivations of politicians benevolent, but sometimes they can get things done when it is for their own benefit.  However, I'm dubious this will end to the consumer's liking.  My guess is that Verizon will just eliminate grandfathered unlimited data plans altogether and just lose that tiny (?) number of customers to other carriers, likely cheaper than upgrading their infrastructure. 

Also, I never said bandwidth is equal to data usage, I said that they are linked.  Think Volts (data request) vs Ohms (bandwidth).  If you limit someone to 56K speeds, their data usage will decrease since they won't use it as much and they will be limited in what they can do.

[M9]

Of the 4 major carriers VZW has the least % of it's postpaid customers still on unlimited data @ 24%. I wonder what % of the 76% are dumbphones? AT&T was still in 40 something % range because they still allow their customers subsidized upgrades & Sprint & T-Mobile still offer unlimited. I wouldn't call 24% tiny. It is over 20 million paying customers.

[M9]

I checked the latest #s r

VZW-22%

AT&T-44%

T-Mobile-78%

Sprint-78%

So a rather substantial % maybe even a majority of US smartphone customers have unlimited.

[rcschnoor]

M9 wrote:Of the 4 major carriers VZW has the least % of it's postpaid customers still on unlimited data @ 24%. I wonder what % of the 76% are dumbphones?

Take a look at THIS article. According to it, 70% of Verizon customers are smartphone users. That would make 48% of Verizon customers smartphone users ON TIERED DATA and 22% of Verizon customers smartphone users with unlimited data. This leaves 30% of Verizon customers as basic phone users.

Of course, I don't know how this incorporates pre-paid phone in the mix. Of course, this article is also from 7 months ago and the smartphone base could have increased while the unlimited data base could have shrunk.

[M9]

So roughly 33% of VZW phone data users r still on unlimited. Not quite the tiny, inconsequential miniorty some have claimed. I thought we must still be pretty numerous or VZW wouldn't go to all this trouble to throttle us.