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You completely missed the point. There is no difference on the "shared medium" whether you use that data directly on your phone or on your PC through your phone

You completely missed the point. There is no difference on the "shared medium" whether you use that data directly on your phone or on your PC through your phone. Also, service providers shouldn't be allowed to make false advertisements. It is not the job of the consumer to think "clearly infinite data isn't realistic, I should have no expectation to actually get infinite data even though they advertise that". If it isn't technically feasible, it is the service provider's job to clearly state what they actually offer in practice.

ssl-3 2y ago
The network doesn't necessarily[1] care that it is "phone" data or "hotspot" data, no. But I, for one, certainly use more data doing stuff with a real computer (or a LAN full of real computers) than I do with my pocket computer by itself. It's not something I normally pay much attention to, but I did check just now. My LAN at home uses an average of around 1TB of WAN data per month, with just me using it. Meanwhile, my pocket computer uses around 10GB of cellular data (including instances of tethering) in an normal month. That's a rather gargantuan difference. And it'd be the same ~1TB at home whether it was over GPON, DOCSIS, or cellular tethering. One may be inclined to say that something like "There's no difference -- it's just data!", but doing so seems to willfully ignore the usage patterns being a couple of orders of magnitude apart. Meanwhile, advertising: The truthiness of advertising can always be improved, but that's a different discussion entirely. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41490252 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41490252
- Zak 2y ago
  Advertising "unlimited" leads to the need for limitations like that. A wireless provider probably can't provide 1TB of data for a monthly price that most customers are willing to pay. Service with a fixed data limit, however should treat all data the same.
  - ssl-3 2y ago
    That's convoluted and difficult to describe, much less enforce. Here's a better method: All advertising must be truthful, and all details must be spelled out plainly and visibly. If the price seems great but there are gotchas, then: Keep the gotchas in plain sight so that a consumer can make an accurately-informed decision without having to go dig in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.' No fine print. No asterisks. No illegible footnotes. No man behind the curtain. Just truth in advertising.

ssl-3 2y ago

The network doesn't necessarily[1] care that it is "phone" data or "hotspot" data, no. But I, for one, certainly use more data doing stuff with a real computer (or a LAN full of real computers) than I do with my pocket computer by itself. It's not something I normally pay much attention to, but I did check just now. My LAN at home uses an average of around 1TB of WAN data per month, with just me using it. Meanwhile, my pocket computer uses around 10GB of cellular data (including instances of tethering) in an normal month. That's a rather gargantuan difference. And it'd be the same ~1TB at home whether it was over GPON, DOCSIS, or cellular tethering. One may be inclined to say that something like "There's no difference -- it's just data!", but doing so seems to willfully ignore the usage patterns being a couple of orders of magnitude apart. Meanwhile, advertising: The truthiness of advertising can always be improved, but that's a different discussion entirely. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41490252 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41490252

Zak 2y ago
Advertising "unlimited" leads to the need for limitations like that. A wireless provider probably can't provide 1TB of data for a monthly price that most customers are willing to pay. Service with a fixed data limit, however should treat all data the same.
- ssl-3 2y ago
  That's convoluted and difficult to describe, much less enforce. Here's a better method: All advertising must be truthful, and all details must be spelled out plainly and visibly. If the price seems great but there are gotchas, then: Keep the gotchas in plain sight so that a consumer can make an accurately-informed decision without having to go dig in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.' No fine print. No asterisks. No illegible footnotes. No man behind the curtain. Just truth in advertising.