You Can Use Up Your Entire Monthly Verizon Wireless LTE Data Allotment In Just 32 Minutes
from the broadband-caps dept
We always find it amusing when people point to various wireless data networks as real "competition" to wired broadband offerings, in part because the various 3G offerings out there all have ridiculously low data caps -- usually 5 gigs per month -- that a large percentage of users are likely to bump up against if they used the connection as their primary connection. The one exception -- for now -- is Sprint's WiMax offering which has no cap, but may eventually. The issue, of course, is capacity. These networks simply weren't built to handle the type of capacity that people would use it for if they could. But as the data speeds get faster, it leads to ridiculous situations like the realization that with Verizon Wireless' new LTE offering, you can use up the monthly allotment of 5 gigs in just 32 minutes (of course, that's assuming you've got 5 gigs to download, and you're getting pretty damn good speeds on that network). I'm somewhat surprised that Verizon Wireless isn't following Sprint in dumping the cap for the next generation network. Maybe, instead of just focusing on more speed for press releases, they should focus on building capacity so that people could actually use these next generation networks.
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Filed Under: broadband caps, lte, wireless
Companies: verizon wireless
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Apples to Oranges
The reason for the metering of wireless data is the same reason that wireless companies in the US charge a customer for making and receiving calls. Because they can.
The wireless companies are just trying to cash in on the iPads and smartphones. If all of those devices become 802.16 compatible then that could be the end of the line for LTE and HSDPA.
Just like VoIP killed the cash cow that was local service, something similar will eventually do the same to wireless service. Skype is most likely to accomplish that.
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