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Sorry since I know you're exhausted already but can you share why you think not all bits are created equally? I always thought it was bizarre how companies cha

by rifung 10y ago

Sorry since I know you're exhausted already but can you share why you think not all bits are created equally? I always thought it was bizarre how companies charge for tethering, especially after data caps were introduced. Aren't they all the same to the carrier?

toomuchtodo 10y ago
> but can you share why you think not all bits are created equally? Streaming video is different than the tool who decides he's going to torrent tens of GBs over their cellular connection. You're streaming 780p or 1080p content to a device that can't display the additional resolution over 480p? You've just wasted that bandwidth on the local tower (which matters if you're in urban areas). (Spotify does this right in the sense that it'll cache music locally, even if you have not elected to download your playlists) > I always thought it was bizarre how companies charge for tethering, especially after data caps were introduced. Aren't they all the same to the carrier? Non-mobile devices can generate a higher volume of data than a mobile device alone. You can go eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet, but they don't let you bring a wheelbarrow with. Don't take my word for it though: http://twinprime.com/lte-has-slowed-by-50-in-the-us/ http://twinprime.com/lte-has-slowed-by-50-in-the-us/ "While the US LTE capacity has remained relatively constant over the last 12 months, the number of users, as well as the bandwidth consumed per user via video and music streaming, video calls, and real-time entertainment like Netflix has resulted in an overall slowdown of LTE across the network. The reverse effect is observed in new regions like South America, or Eastern Europe. As these areas begin to come online to 4G networks they experience impressive speeds due to the lack of initial subscribers. Eventually, their performance slows as carriers sign up more 4G customers and the LTE resources become more scarce as a result."
- Dylan16807 10y ago
  > a device that can't display the additional resolution over 480p What a weird scenario. The current trend is for phones to have more resolution than many desktops.
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  - Most phones are 1080p or better in this day and age. They can absolutely display HD resolution. And, of course, many tablets have even better screens, including tablets with LTE connectivity. - Cell carriers should want you to tether on a non-unlimited plan. The more you tether, the more you pay them for data usage! The idea that tethering should cost extra on tiered data is silly, because it's the ability to run up a bigger bill anyways. (As a note, I know Verizon does not charge extra for tethering, I didn't think any tiered data providers still did.) - Fundamentally, if people are using more LTE on tiered data, they are paying carriers more, so carriers have more money to spend on increasing capacity on our LTE networks. Carriers should want users to spend as much net neutral data is humanly possible.
- makomk 10y ago
  As far as I can tell, YouTube at least seems to cap video quality at the screen size (which is annoying as on some content the extra bitrate provided by higher resolutions is really needed - and remember, T-Mobile actually caps bitrate). Also, all but the really bottom of the barrel phones are at least 720p now.
- oarsinsync 10y ago
  > Non-mobile devices can generate a higher volume of data than a mobile device alone. You can go eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet, but they don't let you bring a wheelbarrow with. > Don't take my word for it though: http://twinprime.com/lte-has-slowed-by-50-in-the-us/ http://twinprime.com/lte-has-slowed-by-50-in-the-us/ The link shows a graph demonstrating that while data usage has gone up each year, smartphones are the majority users of data, while 'Data Capable Units' continue to lag behind. While you're absolutely right that non-mobile devices (presumably non-smartphones) can (and in many cases do) generate a (much much) higher volume of data than a mobile device (presumably smartphone) alone, the data in the link supplied seems to indicate that as a whole, smartphones continue to be the majority users of data. Or rather, while a few people may bring in wheelbarrows, few of them are actually filling them up, and the majority of people are just gorging themselves.
- rifung 10y ago
  > You've just wasted that bandwidth on the local tower (which matters if you're in urban areas). But with tiered data plans, we paid for that anyway. I would understand if they offer this as a service we can enable to lower how much data we use, but making it mandatory is weird. Non-mobile devices can generate a higher volume of data than a mobile device alone. You can go eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet, but they don't let you bring a wheelbarrow with Sure, but with data caps, why do they care how I use my data? If I want to use more by using my laptop, what difference does it make to them?

by rifung 10y ago

toomuchtodo 10y ago

> but can you share why you think not all bits are created equally? Streaming video is different than the tool who decides he's going to torrent tens of GBs over their cellular connection. You're streaming 780p or 1080p content to a device that can't display the additional resolution over 480p? You've just wasted that bandwidth on the local tower (which matters if you're in urban areas). (Spotify does this right in the sense that it'll cache music locally, even if you have not elected to download your playlists) > I always thought it was bizarre how companies charge for tethering, especially after data caps were introduced. Aren't they all the same to the carrier? Non-mobile devices can generate a higher volume of data than a mobile device alone. You can go eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet, but they don't let you bring a wheelbarrow with. Don't take my word for it though: http://twinprime.com/lte-has-slowed-by-50-in-the-us/ http://twinprime.com/lte-has-slowed-by-50-in-the-us/ "While the US LTE capacity has remained relatively constant over the last 12 months, the number of users, as well as the bandwidth consumed per user via video and music streaming, video calls, and real-time entertainment like Netflix has resulted in an overall slowdown of LTE across the network. The reverse effect is observed in new regions like South America, or Eastern Europe. As these areas begin to come online to 4G networks they experience impressive speeds due to the lack of initial subscribers. Eventually, their performance slows as carriers sign up more 4G customers and the LTE resources become more scarce as a result."

Dylan16807 10y ago
> a device that can't display the additional resolution over 480p What a weird scenario. The current trend is for phones to have more resolution than many desktops.
ocdtrekkie 10y ago
- Most phones are 1080p or better in this day and age. They can absolutely display HD resolution. And, of course, many tablets have even better screens, including tablets with LTE connectivity. - Cell carriers should want you to tether on a non-unlimited plan. The more you tether, the more you pay them for data usage! The idea that tethering should cost extra on tiered data is silly, because it's the ability to run up a bigger bill anyways. (As a note, I know Verizon does not charge extra for tethering, I didn't think any tiered data providers still did.) - Fundamentally, if people are using more LTE on tiered data, they are paying carriers more, so carriers have more money to spend on increasing capacity on our LTE networks. Carriers should want users to spend as much net neutral data is humanly possible.
makomk 10y ago
As far as I can tell, YouTube at least seems to cap video quality at the screen size (which is annoying as on some content the extra bitrate provided by higher resolutions is really needed - and remember, T-Mobile actually caps bitrate). Also, all but the really bottom of the barrel phones are at least 720p now.
oarsinsync 10y ago
> Non-mobile devices can generate a higher volume of data than a mobile device alone. You can go eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet, but they don't let you bring a wheelbarrow with. > Don't take my word for it though: http://twinprime.com/lte-has-slowed-by-50-in-the-us/ http://twinprime.com/lte-has-slowed-by-50-in-the-us/ The link shows a graph demonstrating that while data usage has gone up each year, smartphones are the majority users of data, while 'Data Capable Units' continue to lag behind. While you're absolutely right that non-mobile devices (presumably non-smartphones) can (and in many cases do) generate a (much much) higher volume of data than a mobile device (presumably smartphone) alone, the data in the link supplied seems to indicate that as a whole, smartphones continue to be the majority users of data. Or rather, while a few people may bring in wheelbarrows, few of them are actually filling them up, and the majority of people are just gorging themselves.
rifung 10y ago
> You've just wasted that bandwidth on the local tower (which matters if you're in urban areas). But with tiered data plans, we paid for that anyway. I would understand if they offer this as a service we can enable to lower how much data we use, but making it mandatory is weird. Non-mobile devices can generate a higher volume of data than a mobile device alone. You can go eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet, but they don't let you bring a wheelbarrow with Sure, but with data caps, why do they care how I use my data? If I want to use more by using my laptop, what difference does it make to them?