AT&T to increase price of grandfathered unlimited data plans in February from $30 to $35 per month -

[dixiegrrrrl]

Remember how AT&T suckered people in with "unlimited" data, then started charging for it,
saying how the inter tubes were "too congested" and they needed to invest in creating "more room for more traffic"?
So the FCC gave permission to increase prices?

Those who signed up for unlimited data were charged a small amount at first.
then AT&T got greedy and started charging NEW customers a higher amount per month
and now, finally, the loyal "old" customers are getting charged a higher amount.

Data caps are based on nothing more than greed. There is no reason for them except greed.

edited to add link...comments there are interesting.
https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/671440410842144768

[Logical]

1. I get charged for using more water, electric, etc. nt

[ProgressiveEconomist]

2. Electricity and water company

profit margins are regulated. Broadband profit margins have been estimated at 97 percent. Further, rather than being regulated, broadband providers are protected by law both from price regulation and competition from municipal broadband like the services provided by the power provider in Chattanooga.

[Go Vols]

3. Verizon to hike prices for grandfathered unlimited data plan users by $20/month

Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) will increase the price of its unlimited data plans by $20 per month for the customers who still have grandfathered unlimited plans starting in November.

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/verizon-hike-prices-grandfathered-unlimited-data-plan-users-20month/2015-10-08

[ProgressiveEconomist]

4. Doesn't "unlimited" really

mean something absurdly slow after the first couple of gigabytes per month? These greedy owners of corrupt pols are unbelievable!

[Go Vols]

9. Not with Verizon

my kid uses over 500 gigs a month just streaming to his TV's and has a faster connection than I do, 75Mbps down/25 Mbps up.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

10. You must have a huge monthly

broadband bill. Compare the rates charged in Chattanooga by a publicly-owned outgrowth of an electric power communication initiative:
http://www.govtech.com/wireless/Chattanooga-Broadband.html

Built with 2009 Obama stimulus funds, the publicly-owned company is the focus of intense telecom lobbying and legislative efforts, because it would be so easy for hundreds of other jurisdictions to emulate.

[Go Vols]

12. True Unlimited Data cost $29.00 if grandfathered in,

now its $49 thru a Verizon phone,I think his monthly bill total is like $80-90 a month.

They have the same as Chattanooga 10 miles from me that my mother and sister use.My kid works in Milwaukee.

Ultra High Speed Broadband That Can't Be Beat

15 Mbps download / 5 Mbps upload $37.95

50 Mbps download / 25 Mbps upload $49.95

80 Mbps download / 40 Mbps upload $59.95

200 Mbps download / 200 Mbps upload $79.95

1 Gig. download / 1 Gig. upload $99.95

[ProgressiveEconomist]

13. Thanks for that research.

I had not heard of "true unlimited" or else I had dismissed it as a scam.

Still, I think progressive telecom policies would have to make price-regulated internet access much cheaper.
The "digital divide" that reproduces intergenerational poverty has to be eliminated, along with 97 percent profit margins, IMO.

[Go Vols]

14. You cant get true unlimited data anymore as far as I know

But for $2600.00 you can buy a grandfathered account that does have it,some are cheaper.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandfathered-Verizon-Wireless-UNLIMITED-Data-Plan-No-Contract-Month-to-Month-/262142185942?hash=item3d08e451d6:g:mpYAAOSwEgVWRkIk

[ProgressiveEconomist]

18. Thanks again. Why are

internet access prices going up and up when costs must be going down and investment in latest technologies are lagging?

I never would have thought of trying to buy a grandfathered account.

[Go Vols]

19. Its price gouging

most people believe they HAVE to be connected,and with all the new toys that need a connection ... charge what the market will bear.

[brooklynite]

5. So leave...

...there are three other major backbone companies, plus dozens of MVNOs. Phone companies make money because they can rely on customers being lazy.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. People like me who live in rural underserved areas cannot easily find alternatives

Something urban/city do not bother to think about.

[brooklynite]

7. Most MVNOs have the same coverage area as their primary provider

http://www.prepaidphonenews.com/2011/09/coverage-maps-for-all-prepaid-carriers.html

[Coventina]

8. They're shutting down service to my "2G" phone completely.

I wonder how much they are going to charge me now that I'm being "forced" to upgrade?

I wanted to just ditch having a cell phone entirely, but my husband won't let me.



I love my 2003 Nokia. There's not a thing wrong with it, but it's being forced into the graveyard.

[saturnsring]

16. but my husband won't let me

[Coventina]

17. Well, that's overstating it, to be fair.

All he said was, "I don't want you to not have a cell phone."

And, I can respect that.

It was unfair of me to try and make him the bad guy, when it's really AT&T being the bad guy!!

[ProgressiveEconomist]

11. Compare FREE municipal

wireless available in many cities around the world:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipal_wireless_network

has a comprehensive list, with US cities at the bottom.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. It would actually be possible to do community wi-fi in our lil town.

Just a matter of organizing people, which I am thinking of doing, unless we are one of the states that have made that illegal.

We have internet options of:
Frontier phone company dsl
Mediacom cable
maybe DISH....but no reception in heavy rain....and we do get heavy rain a lot.

We have phone options of
Frontier ( land line)
AT&T/Verizon cell using same tower

Frequent dsl outages in our area of town when it rains

cell phones are down several times a month.

We are 90 miles away from Mobile or Pensacola or Montgomery

So far, using pay minutes for cell and dsl for internet, we have no caps. Slow connections tho.