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I really feel for the economic (and more) problems Americans and Canadians have to endure in this context just to acquire something that should be natural to ev

I really feel for the economic (and more) problems Americans and Canadians have to endure in this context just to acquire something that should be natural to every "mobile" person on the planet: easy and unhindered communication. I really, really hope Europe won't become the same hell.

obsessive1 16y ago
One of the problems in the UK is that it's hard to find an unlimited internet plan. Nearly all the networks place a 500MB limit, which is very easy to go over if you use tethering apps. It can end up costing an absolute fortune.
- shrikant 16y ago
  I'm visiting the UK from India, and I can confirm that it is not just hard - it is impossible to get an unlimited data plan. Among all the service providers, there are only two that even advertise one, and even that says "3 GB fair usage per month" (wtf?!) in the fine print.
- semanticist 16y ago
  While there's no truly 'unlimited' packages, my standard data with T-Mobile is 1GB, and you can usually find packages for more if you need it. If you're using your phone's internet a lot, it's probably better value to get a USB dongle or mifi device. You can get a 3GB/month contract from Three for £10 or £15.
nanairo 16y ago
I really hope not. But they are trying. Every time I hear a story like this I feel like I read it as "run far from this madness!" and the local telecoms read it as "still some way to go, still some way to go". In the end anywhere in the world there's never more than a few mobile providers, so I wouldn't be surprised as eventually they settled down in a nice oligopoly. While Europe has mostly had good contracts, it is very easy for them to stop doing that. Because mobile technology is advancing so quickly the can always say they are keeping the same offer but charging you for the extra. If Europe is saved, we'll have to thank the European Union, I think. Not sure how long it will last though.
- pmjordan 16y ago
  I find it interesting that you say "Europe" in this context. As someone who travels around Europe a fair amount, I've researched mobile phone tariffs in various countries, and the differences can be staggering - for example, an order of magnitude difference for the cheapest prepaid data tariff seems pretty common, calls and SMS vary wildly as well. I haven't analysed it in depth, but there aren't any obvious correlations with population density, size, GDP/capita, etc. as you might expect. Not even the number of network operators (=competition) seems relevant.
  - nanairo 16y ago
    I think you are probably right. My conclusions were mostly from what I experienced or heard... i.e. very anecdotal. First I should have been clear that by Europe I meant EU. And also I still think there's a lot of bad tariffs here too. I haven't checked in many countries but the 2-3 I've been to or checked had similar deals (though in Italy for example pay as you go is way more popular than contract, and in the UK is the opposite). But I think some of the better deals may have been the result of regulatory pressure. For example every other year the EU commission sets lower prices for inter-state roaming.
pkaler 16y ago
I tether with my iPhone on Rogers in Canada without jailbreaking and without paying extra. I have friends on Telus and Bell that do the same. Don't lump us with the poor service of AT&T in the US.

obsessive1 16y ago

One of the problems in the UK is that it's hard to find an unlimited internet plan. Nearly all the networks place a 500MB limit, which is very easy to go over if you use tethering apps. It can end up costing an absolute fortune.

shrikant 16y ago
I'm visiting the UK from India, and I can confirm that it is not just hard - it is impossible to get an unlimited data plan. Among all the service providers, there are only two that even advertise one, and even that says "3 GB fair usage per month" (wtf?!) in the fine print.
semanticist 16y ago
While there's no truly 'unlimited' packages, my standard data with T-Mobile is 1GB, and you can usually find packages for more if you need it. If you're using your phone's internet a lot, it's probably better value to get a USB dongle or mifi device. You can get a 3GB/month contract from Three for £10 or £15.

nanairo 16y ago

I really hope not. But they are trying. Every time I hear a story like this I feel like I read it as "run far from this madness!" and the local telecoms read it as "still some way to go, still some way to go". In the end anywhere in the world there's never more than a few mobile providers, so I wouldn't be surprised as eventually they settled down in a nice oligopoly. While Europe has mostly had good contracts, it is very easy for them to stop doing that. Because mobile technology is advancing so quickly the can always say they are keeping the same offer but charging you for the extra. If Europe is saved, we'll have to thank the European Union, I think. Not sure how long it will last though.

pmjordan 16y ago
I find it interesting that you say "Europe" in this context. As someone who travels around Europe a fair amount, I've researched mobile phone tariffs in various countries, and the differences can be staggering - for example, an order of magnitude difference for the cheapest prepaid data tariff seems pretty common, calls and SMS vary wildly as well. I haven't analysed it in depth, but there aren't any obvious correlations with population density, size, GDP/capita, etc. as you might expect. Not even the number of network operators (=competition) seems relevant.
- nanairo 16y ago
  I think you are probably right. My conclusions were mostly from what I experienced or heard... i.e. very anecdotal. First I should have been clear that by Europe I meant EU. And also I still think there's a lot of bad tariffs here too. I haven't checked in many countries but the 2-3 I've been to or checked had similar deals (though in Italy for example pay as you go is way more popular than contract, and in the UK is the opposite). But I think some of the better deals may have been the result of regulatory pressure. For example every other year the EU commission sets lower prices for inter-state roaming.

pkaler 16y ago

I tether with my iPhone on Rogers in Canada without jailbreaking and without paying extra. I have friends on Telus and Bell that do the same. Don't lump us with the poor service of AT&T in the US.