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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.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @01:39AM
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Do not use as directed.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @08:34AM
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
Do not use as directed.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2016, @10:34AM
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
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
s/t