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Why are ISPs apparently limiting some plans to just 1 GB of data? That's not nearly enough for 2025.

toast0 1y ago
For mobile data, if you have access to immobile data at home and work, 1GB is reasonable if you're not streaming while you're out. If it's 1GB hard cap, you might have some bad months, but 1GB fast data and unlimited slow data is totally doable.
- reaperducer 1y ago
  For mobile data, if you have access to immobile data at home and work, 1GB is reasonable if you're not streaming while you're out. The people who are downvoting you must be terminally online. Like you, I use wifi at home and work. My mobile data use is typically around 150MB/month.
  - gylterud 1y ago
    Not downvoting, but any typical online activity during commute or while travelling will blow through 1GB. Music every day, or a video once in a while… I also have WiFi at my usual hangs, but thus far this month I am on 15GB of my 50GB monthly plan. Sure I could pre download music or videos to watch, but it would be much more of a hassle. And some sites, like twitch, don’t really have an option to download.
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
  - dangus 1y ago
    There’s a massive difference between “terminally online” and “goes out of their way to avoid using any of the capabilities of the technology.” If I’m paying for a 5G connection on a phone that’s more powerful than the computer I owned 5 years ago you’re damn right I want to watch my dumb video in 4K and stream my music lossless.
  - const_cast 1y ago
    The biggest problem is modern phones gobble up data even if you're not doing much. All that background app activity and notifications aren't cheap - what do you think they're doing back there? If you install GrapheneOS you'll notice your device battery nearly doubles, due purely to less network permissions and less background activity. I wouldn't be surprised if mobile data usage drops off, too.
Rygian 1y ago
Lack of real market choice for consumers.
dbspin 1y ago
I get 120GB a month 'fair use' on my 20 euro a month plan here in Ireland. If I exceed that, my speed is slowed down, but internet continues to work. In other words, its not something I need to think about. These kinds of plans seem to be ubiquitous everywhere in the world now - with the exception of the USA, Canada and Australia / New Zealand.
- ragazzina 1y ago
  I get 150GB for €8 in Italy but my ISP is trying to convince me to move to 200GB/€10.
ThatMedicIsASpy 1y ago
Because some people do not waste money?. I pay 1€ for 1GB of data. Most of the time I use 0MB. Germany. If it did not take 1 day to activate I would cancel every month and only pay when I actually have a need.
- dangus 1y ago
  If you can eat out of the dumpster for free we can argue that buying food at the grocery store is a waste of money too, right? At some point extreme frugality like that just means you aren’t a customer at all. There is no app that could satisfy your desire to not waste data transfer.
  - ThatMedicIsASpy 1y ago
    Paying for what I need is compared to dumpster diving?
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
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      [deleted]
pavon 1y ago
They are low-cost plans. I pay $7 a month for a plan with 1GB data and unlimited text and calls and really appreciate having that option, since I'm on wifi 99% of the time.
- BigGreenJorts 1y ago
  Cries in Canada I have a very similar phone plan (with some extra gift gigs I've received over the years). I mostly pay to keep the number, use maps. Most other times I'm on wifi.

For mobile data, if you have access to immobile data at home and work, 1GB is reasonable if you're not streaming while you're out. If it's 1GB hard cap, you might have some bad months, but 1GB fast data and unlimited slow data is totally doable.

reaperducer 1y ago
For mobile data, if you have access to immobile data at home and work, 1GB is reasonable if you're not streaming while you're out. The people who are downvoting you must be terminally online. Like you, I use wifi at home and work. My mobile data use is typically around 150MB/month.
- gylterud 1y ago
  Not downvoting, but any typical online activity during commute or while travelling will blow through 1GB. Music every day, or a video once in a while… I also have WiFi at my usual hangs, but thus far this month I am on 15GB of my 50GB monthly plan. Sure I could pre download music or videos to watch, but it would be much more of a hassle. And some sites, like twitch, don’t really have an option to download.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- dangus 1y ago
  There’s a massive difference between “terminally online” and “goes out of their way to avoid using any of the capabilities of the technology.” If I’m paying for a 5G connection on a phone that’s more powerful than the computer I owned 5 years ago you’re damn right I want to watch my dumb video in 4K and stream my music lossless.
- const_cast 1y ago
  The biggest problem is modern phones gobble up data even if you're not doing much. All that background app activity and notifications aren't cheap - what do you think they're doing back there? If you install GrapheneOS you'll notice your device battery nearly doubles, due purely to less network permissions and less background activity. I wouldn't be surprised if mobile data usage drops off, too.

Rygian 1y ago

Lack of real market choice for consumers.

dbspin 1y ago

I get 120GB a month 'fair use' on my 20 euro a month plan here in Ireland. If I exceed that, my speed is slowed down, but internet continues to work. In other words, its not something I need to think about. These kinds of plans seem to be ubiquitous everywhere in the world now - with the exception of the USA, Canada and Australia / New Zealand.

ragazzina 1y ago
I get 150GB for €8 in Italy but my ISP is trying to convince me to move to 200GB/€10.

ThatMedicIsASpy 1y ago

Because some people do not waste money?. I pay 1€ for 1GB of data. Most of the time I use 0MB. Germany. If it did not take 1 day to activate I would cancel every month and only pay when I actually have a need.

dangus 1y ago
If you can eat out of the dumpster for free we can argue that buying food at the grocery store is a waste of money too, right? At some point extreme frugality like that just means you aren’t a customer at all. There is no app that could satisfy your desire to not waste data transfer.
- ThatMedicIsASpy 1y ago
  Paying for what I need is compared to dumpster diving?
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]

pavon 1y ago

They are low-cost plans. I pay $7 a month for a plan with 1GB data and unlimited text and calls and really appreciate having that option, since I'm on wifi 99% of the time.

BigGreenJorts 1y ago
Cries in Canada I have a very similar phone plan (with some extra gift gigs I've received over the years). I mostly pay to keep the number, use maps. Most other times I'm on wifi.