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posted by janrinok on Saturday July 23 2016, @01:27AM   Printer-friendly
from the limit-to-unlimited dept.

Two separate submissions on the same topic here.

Verizon to Disconnect Unlimited Data Users Who Use "Extraordinary" Amounts of Data

According to sources of ours, Verizon is working on an Unlimited Data Plan Migration for the highest unlimited data users on their network. Starting tomorrow, July 21, Verizon will begin notifying users who have been flagged as using that "extraordinary" amount via mailer and through bill messages and explain to them their options to stay with Big Red.

What are their options? Verizon is forcing these out of contract "extraordinary" data users to move to The Verizon Plan (a tiered plan) by August 31 or they will shut down the line. If they don't take that option by August 31 and their line is disconnected, they will have up to 50 days to re-activate, but of course, they can only do so by switching over to The Verizon Plan.

Source: http://www.droid-life.com/2016/07/20/verizon-unlimited-data-rip-tetherers/

Verizon to disconnect unlimited data customers who use over 100GB/month

Verizon Wireless customers who have held on to unlimited data plans and use significantly more than 100GB a month will be disconnected from the network on August 31 unless they agree to move to limited data packages that require payment of overage fees.

Verizon stopped offering unlimited data to new smartphone customers in 2011, but some customers have been able to hang on to the old plans instead of switching to ones with monthly data limits. Verizon has tried to convert the holdouts by raising the price $20 a month and occasionally throttling heavy users but stopped that practice after net neutrality rules took effect. Now Verizon is implementing a formal policy for disconnecting the heaviest users.

The news was reported by Droid Life yesterday, and Verizon confirmed the changes to Ars this morning.

"Because our network is a shared resource and we need to ensure all customers have a great mobile experience with Verizon, we are notifying a very small group of customers on unlimited plans who use an extraordinary amount of data that they must move to one of the new Verizon Plans by August 31, 2016," a Verizon spokesperson told Ars. "These users are using data amounts well in excess of our largest plan size (100GB). While the Verizon Plan at 100GB is designed to be shared across multiple users, each line receiving notification to move to the new Verizon Plan is using well in excess of that on a single device."

The 100GB plan costs $450 a month.


Original Submission #1Original Submission #2

Related Stories

Politics: FCC Guards Eject Reporter 37 comments

John M. Donnelly, a senior writer at CQ Roll Call, said he was trying to talk with FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly one-on-one after a news conference when two plainclothes guards pinned him against a wall with the backs of their bodies.

Washington Post

“Not only did they get in between me and O’Rielly but they put their shoulders together and simultaneously backed me up into the wall and pinned me to the wall for about 10 seconds just as I started to say, “Commissioner O’Rielly, I have a question,” Donnelly said Friday.

Donnelly said he was stopped long enough to allow O’Rielly to walk away.

Los Angeles Times

Donnelly, who also happens to be chair of the National Press Club Press Freedom team, said he was then forced out of the building after being asked why he had not posed his question during the news conference.

O'Rielly apologized to Donnelly on Twitter, saying he didn't recognize Donnelly in the hallway. "I saw security put themselves between you, me and my staff. I didn't see anyone put a hand on you. I'm sorry this occurred."

Politico

According to the publication for which the reporter works (archived copy),

Senators, including Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley, are warning the Federal Communications Commission about its treatment of reporters after a CQ Roll Call reporter was manhandled Thursday.

“The Federal Communications Commission needs to take a hard look at why this happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again. As The Washington Post pointed out, it’s standard operating procedure for reporters to ask questions of public officials after meetings and news conferences,” the Iowa Republican said. “It happens all day, every day. There’s no good reason to put hands on a reporter who’s doing his or her job.”

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @01:39AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @01:39AM (#378876)

    While the limited unlimited is a shitty sales pitch, 100gb a month isn't too unreasonable of a cap. Definitely something to consider when buying a plan though.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @02:04AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @02:04AM (#378888)

      What's this "plan" you speak of? I've been paying nothing all year. I have no idea how much data I've used, because I haven't been keeping track, and I can't check my account because I've never been a customer.

      The only downside to using Verizon without paying is the SIM cards expire every three months. See I think Verizon makes it technically easy (and fast!) to use the network for free but compensates for the loss by jacking up the price of SIM cards. So if a SIM costs $60 (including taxes and fees) then the effective cost of using it for three months is $20 per month. Which isn't bad for unlimited data without a "plan"

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @08:55AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @08:55AM (#378974)

      I kinda disagree. 100GB for $450 dollars a month isn't worth buying at all.

      • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @09:06AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @09:06AM (#378978)

        Speak for yourself. I bought the smallest phone on the market and I have the most expensive plan on the fastest network with the most coverage. Because I want you to know that I can afford to waste my money to impress you.

  • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Saturday July 23 2016, @01:49AM

    by Gaaark (41) on Saturday July 23 2016, @01:49AM (#378882) Journal

    I have unlimited with Bell: it costs $80/month. Yeah, I'm sure they throttle me, but it is unlimited.

    450 for 100 GB???? Is that one of those
    1. Charge too much for internet
    2. Sit on your fat Verizon ass
    3. Profit!
        things????

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday July 23 2016, @03:58AM

      by Francis (5544) on Saturday July 23 2016, @03:58AM (#378913)

      In the US, T-Mobile has a similar price point for its unlimited. And even lower tiered plans are somewhat unlimited, it's just that you get a certain amount of 4G traffic each month and they throttle it way back after that point. But, from there on it's as much as you like at the slower speed.

      I like having a plan where I can use the data I want to use and if I go over, I just get slower data until my cap resets.

      • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Saturday July 23 2016, @03:29PM

        by Gaaark (41) on Saturday July 23 2016, @03:29PM (#379059) Journal

        Definitely, better to get throttled than to get that surprise bill I used to get when going over.

        --
        --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
        • (Score: 1) by Francis on Sunday July 24 2016, @03:27PM

          by Francis (5544) on Sunday July 24 2016, @03:27PM (#379422)

          Overage fees are rather ridiculous. Even worse are the cases where the carrier extends tens of thousands of dollars of credit to rack up even more penalties without even bothering to notify the user. I remember when the iPhone first came out those folks that were foolish enough to take them abroad wound up with huge bills because everytime the phone would connect to the internet, it would be a large sum for a tiny amount of data.

          Thankfully, my current phone makes you purposefully enable access to foreign networks if you want to use the data. Although it's less of an issue as T-Mobile provides better rates internationally than AT&T did.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @05:33AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @05:33AM (#378932)

    At $450/month for 100GB, why not just get a T-1?

    If that's too much bandwidth, you can resell some of it to your neighbors.

    Shades of the 1990s ...

    ~childo

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @05:47AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @05:47AM (#378936)

      Because a T-1 isn't fast?

      T-Mobile Binge On is 1.5 Mbps, as fast as a T-1 was, and T-Mobile subscribers complain bitterly that Binge On is throttling them down to that speed.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by f4r on Saturday July 23 2016, @08:22AM

    by f4r (4515) on Saturday July 23 2016, @08:22AM (#378965)
    If your network backhaul falls over when people use more than 100GB/month then you obviously have a terrible network and should be ashamed. 100GB/month is nothing, I can use that in a day on a desktop. 100GB/28 days works out to around 3GB/day, that's a laughably small amount. America really does have 3rd-world internet.
    --
    Do not use as directed.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @08:34AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @08:34AM (#378967)

      No, not really. The network can handle the traffic just fine. The bean counters are rent seeking.

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by f4r on Saturday July 23 2016, @09:58AM

        by f4r (4515) on Saturday July 23 2016, @09:58AM (#378989)
        I assume as much, I'm just basing my post on their direct words. Their own words imply that their network is on par with two tin cans and some string. I'm sure that the reality is simply a combination of buying as little outside bandwidth as possible (while their bottom line would certainly indicate they can afford more) and trying to shift people to more profitable plans.
        --
        Do not use as directed.
  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @10:34AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @10:34AM (#378995)

    What's missing in the article is how much they're paying now, to show what Verizon's trying to get.
    They're currently paying $49.99 a month for unlimited data, up from the original $29.99 offered with the original unlimited plan.
    Verizon's trying to convert them to paying $450 a month for a 100 GB cap plus obscene charges per MB over the limit, instead of $49.99.
    Why would anyone take this deal? The only smart move is to run it into the ground until Verizon cancels their account, and only then seek new contracts. Probably with anyone who isn't Verizon.
    I see what Verizon's doing here. They stand to make thousands of dollars a month on any of these accounts using vast amounts of data, due to overage charges. In their eyes, this is equivalent to lost income to have these people on Unlimited plans, so they'd rather lose the accounts than keep the status quo, and if they convert a mere 5 percent then they're likely ahead of the game. But seriously. Going from $49.99 for Unlimited to $450 a month for 100 GB? Their customers aren't going to be happy.

  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @03:49PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @03:49PM (#379069)

    Verizon advertises its LTE speeds as between 5 and 12 mbit (peak up to 50), for easy calculation let us say 10 mbit on average.
    Then 100GB get you

    100*1000*8/10/60/60 h ~ 45 h 2 days

    If you got peak speed instead, that would not even last half a day.

    How can a carrier claim with a straight face that less than 2 days of use in a month is "unlimited" or that 3 days is excessive?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @05:11PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @05:11PM (#379085)

    s/t