If you could build your own voice/text/data plan what would it look like? That is, if you did not have to chose one of the prepackaged, pre-priced deals that ISPs offer. Considering that it costs an ISP approximately 2 cents per GB to deliver highspeed bandwidthwidth to you, and they charge anywhere from $11 to $16 per GB (see attached link ... US companies only, could not get any European, or Australasian prices), what do you think would be a reasonable price per GB for your plan? http://www.forbes.com/sites/tristanlouis/2013/09/22/the-real-price-of-wireless-data/ I am going for 30GB wireless data plan that covers both smartphone and PC, unlimited text for phone, $40/mo. Do not care about voice minutes. Too many possibilities to list, so I just went with some that seemed obvious.
Are you talking about internet service, cell service or bundled? Most people in my neck of the woods have separate cell & isp services.
If they were 'ideal', you should be able to combine them. They are separate in my neck of the woods also.
Unlimited data plans for all my devices with no limitations on unlocked devices, no term contracts, no cancel penalties, and equal treatment of preexisting customers. Who needs voice and text when there's an app for that and free 911?
Is that list typical of what one has to deal with for portable internet service? Makes me happy that I never got into cell phones, tablets, etc. I'll just stay with DSL with no data limits, and less than $20 per month.
Unlimited data. We already have unlimited data on our home broadband...it's time for mobile users to have the same experience. It's lame having to be mindful of your data usage so as not to get bill shocks.
Lol so true. We used to use post-paid time-based internet plan and if we go beyond the limit there would be charges for each additional hour if I'm not being mistaken. There was once the bill was almost tripled.
Actually, even if i had unlimited data i wouldn't abuse it. Unlimited data + GOOD coverage. Coverage here is pretty lame.
With my Australian mobile provider Telstra, it is 3 cents a megabyte for excess data usage - which is $30 AUD for a gig (around $26 US).
Unlimited data would be nice, but to be honest I don't really need for than a few gig a month on my phone, as I have a seperate WiFi mobile broadband device. Unlimited internet would be awesome for that, but I doubt it will ever happen.
Unlimited data seems to be the overall 'want', but more than likely not a 'need'. As cable and satellite companies get more into content (as many are already doing), interactive TV, more Netflix-like offerings and IOT devices start to breed, a Flex Plan priced by GB may become more attractive to us all. Most people do not consume the same amount of data every month so if you consumed say 10GB one month, 2GB the next and none the next, a Flex Plan would be a set GB/month charge and there would be no overage charges. If ISPs were ever to take up on this, I am sure they will hit you with a step like plan, starting with a base usage at $x/GB and an escalating cost as you consume more. Greed knows no bounds with these guys. Prepackaged plans are designed to benefit the carrier, not the consumer.
That's what ISPs would love customers to believe. I'm not falling for that crap. If you do not want to be hassled into finding "free" Wi-Fi or track (aka limit) your data usage, unlimited data or at the very least a generous amount would be ideal. I don't know about the international market but where I live, the basic plans only give about 2-3GB of data 'free'. The high-end plan gives about 12GB if I remember correctly and the price is prohibitive for most people. 2-3GB is hardly anything these days and most people do go beyond that. Technically speaking, it's not a 'need' but if I do not want to pay ridiculous prices and ruin my budget, I very much consider it as so. A 'need' in terms of peace of mind (when looking at the bills) and a 'need' in terms of freedom. I may be biased here but I really do lots of reading (web browsing, RSS feeds, Pocket) and watching videos on YouTube for example. I'm not even a social media freak and yet I can easily reach 30GB of data a month (that's being conservative, mind you). I have a couple of people I know who burn their pockets each month thanks to Facebook and Instagram alone. I have not even started on the use of streaming music services like Spotify. We are in 2014 and more people are using data on the go. ISPs need to embrace this fact and let users pay for an optimal experience...not use the "pay what you use" as an excuse to overcharge users.
