5 ms·
The most important reason why this is a no-brainer is because of the 700Mhz spectrum auction. The open device restriction (or lack of restrictions really) was a
by juiceandjuice 14y ago
The most important reason why this is a no-brainer is because of the 700Mhz spectrum auction. The open device restriction (or lack of restrictions really) was a key provision that google pushed for.
I'm sure some people are going to say the government is overstepping their authority, but in fact, they aren't. Verizon was overstepping their authority in this case.
Everybody has google to thank for this.
- juiceandjuice 14y agoOf note... Verizon could theoretically still charge a tethering fee so long as no data was routed through the 700Mhz spectrum.
- nilsbunger 14y agoVerizon's LTE is only on 700MHz. They could charge a tethering fee on their old CDMA network, but that seems like it wouldn't work when their LTE network won't have a fee.
- Steko 14y agoWas this a separate deal from the one where Google and Verizon screwed over wireless net neutrality?
- ars 14y agoUm, they didn't? What are you talking about?
- huxley 14y agoYes they certainly did: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/08/google-verizon-netneutrality/ https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/08/google-verizon-netneut...
- nl 14y agoYou'll note that document is divided into Good, Interesting, Troubling and Fail sections. It certainly is less than ideal, but I guess that is true of most compromises.
- yuhong 14y agoYea, the biggest problem is whether FCC had the authority to impose these rules or does it have to go through Congress? And yea it is pretty much separate.
- paul9290 14y agoI guess this is nice to see, but with Verizon's new data plans they are eager for you to use as much bandwidth as possible. Thankfully and at the moment there are carriers that provide unlimited data like Sprint. We need more of them!
- Steko 14y agoDoesn't Sprint also throttle you over a certain GB limit? I have a hard time deciding if I want unlimited or not. I certainly don't need unlimited. I know there are people who use 50-100+ GB a month but I don't come anywhere near that and don't want to subsidize those people. I'm perfectly fine with a per GB charge or a decent sized base plan and a reasonable per GB overage. OTOH those caps need to grow every year because in a few years 100 GB a month will probably be today's 200 MB plan. So in that case "unlimited" has some futureproofing to it.
- sunnynagra 14y agoFrom what I remember in their recent PR campaign, they won't ever throttle you.
- tedunangst 14y agoI had a Sprint 4G hotspot with unlimited data. Until one month they decided to change my plan to 5GB with big overage charges. They "announced" this change by slipping a notice in the PDF ebills I never once downloaded. After $200 in overage charges (which I disputed for hours, only to be repeatedly told I was given "valid" notice) I cancelled the service. Fuck Sprint. I should mention this occurred right at the same time they were making a big advertising push about how their unlimited data plans were truly unlimited. The fine print was that only phones got unlimited data. Hotspots and other data devices were pushed onto a limited plan even if you started out unlimited. Fuck Sprint some more.
- pooriaazimi 14y ago:) The sad part is they got a "free" $200 from you. I don't think they mind losing you as a customer!
- javert 14y agoI don't know much about the auction and the restriction you're talking about. Even if anyone can use that spectrum, can't I charge someone for using my data network across that spectrum? I mean, presumably, Verizon is providing the endpoint you're connecting to.