Debate on whether you should offload smartphone data on WiFi, even though you pay for "unlimited"

[dedub]

The wireless apocalypse has come and gone for 3g, the apocalypse for wimax hasn't (anywhere that I have been, which may not be everywhere, but has certainly been a wide variety of places) and likely won't happen at all until they start shutting them down. Which won't be for a while, and as time goes on usage will continue to drop, not go up.

 

As far as LTE, its far too early to see. The NV plan appears to be hands down better than the wimax deployment, but even though wimax was on clears freq's and not 1900, and 800 is still a ways off. Should the lte apocalypse begin to occur, sprint already has a plan for that, its called bringing in clearwire lte where necessary.

[WiWavelength]

The only way Wifi offload would work is if Sprint offers incentives (e.g. discounts) to off-loaders, or forces it (via handset software or threatening to terminate service), or institutes data caps.

 

I have long proposed the incentive idea and put it forth in this thread. Admittedly, it does not require that all users buy in for it to succeed. But if enough users reject the idea out of ignorance or principle -- as evidenced by many in this thread -- then, yes, Sprint will likely impose another solution, be it forced Wi-Fi offloading (which AT&T already does with its hotspots) or data caps.

 

So, I ask the naysayers, would you prefer individual offloading or a mandated solution? Those may be two extremes, but the middle ground may not be tenable, not unless slow data speeds are okay.

 

AJ

[pyroscott]

Should the lte apocalypse begin to occur, sprint already has a plan for that, its called bringing in clearwire lte where necessary.

 

...and raising rates/moving to tiered data allowances.

 

The clearwire hotspots will cost Sprint a lot of money. Why is it so hard to accept that WiFi offloading will delay raising prices and ending unlimited data?

[strung]

Just throwing around some numbers. If you have a, lets say, 10 Mbps LTE connection (yes I know it can be faster or slower), the most data you could use (e.g. saturating it) per month is 3,000 GB or about 3 TB anyway.

 

On my 20 kbps 3G connection, if I saturated it I could still use only 6 GB a month.

[dedub]

I don't have a problem with att providing and mandating wifi hotspots, because att is covering the cost and the bandwidth available to the hotspot is generally greater than what they would normally provide via cellular.

 

I welcome the availability of sprint wifi hotspots.

[S4GRU]

I don't have a problem with att providing and mandating wifi hotspots' date=' because att is covering the cost and the bandwidth available to the hotspot is generally greater than what they would normally provide via cellular.

 

I welcome the availability of sprint wifi hotspots.[/quote']

 

You'll pay more for it.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

[dedub]

why do you say that, att had free hotspots for a long time before they ever went to tiered data.

 

on the other hand, I don't think I have ever seen a vz hotspot

 

and never a sprint wifi hotspot unless it was inside a sprint store

Edited September 21, 2012 by dedub

[WiWavelength]

I don't have a problem with att providing and mandating wifi hotspots, because att is covering the cost and the bandwidth available to the hotspot is generally greater than what they would normally provide via cellular.

 

I welcome the availability of sprint wifi hotspots.

 

You should talk to some AT&T subs before you make those assertions. Many hate the mandated offloading, which reportedly is often inconsistent and overburdened itself. Individual offloading at home, though, does not suffer from such ills. Sure, some of you have less desirable wired broadband choices at home. I understand that. But some of you are just greedy and/or cheap. You try to cut corners by dropping or reducing your wired broadband connections at home, relying on "unlimited" cellular data as a substitute. In this day and age, that is poor form. Such is akin to burning tires in your backyard. If just one person does it, then it has little impact on air quality. But if one person is allowed to do it, then others should be allowed to do it, too. And then the air quality impact grows much, much greater.

 

AJ

[dedub]

You try to cut corners by dropping or reducing your wired broadband connections at home, relying on "unlimited" cellular data as a substitute. In this day and age, that is poor form.

 

You do realize that both sprint and clearwire offer wireless broadband packages that are sold for that exact purpose and that are available in both tiered (sprint) and unlimited (clear) price points.

 

And that they use the same cellular networks as phones.

Edited September 21, 2012 by dedub

[kaykayglover]

1) I was forced into the 'unlimited plan.'

2) I've been forced to pay for a non-existent service for almost five months.

3) Sprint has continually f*@cked me by adding services and fees I haven't requested and that waste my personal time to reverse.

 

In addition to the above reasons that I will enjoy using 4g whenever and however I want, I have no civic duty to lay off the bandwidth in order to make things easier for others. Just as I'm contractually obligated to dish out over $100/month for a minimum of two years, Sprint is obligated to let me rape their 4g towers in the mouth.

[danielholt]

You do realize that both sprint and clearwire offer wireless broadband packages that are sold for that exact purpose and that are available in both tiered (sprint) and unlimited (clear) price points.

 

And that they use the same cellular networks as phones.

 

way to give it to the man!! MANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

[pyroscott]

You do realize that both sprint and clearwire offer wireless broadband packages that are sold for that exact purpose and that are available in both tiered (sprint) and unlimited (clear) price points.

 

And that they use the same cellular networks as phones.

 

They use the WiMax network. They have a huge stockpile of spectrum. It is not the same cellular network as 3G or LTE.

[dedub]

They use the WiMax network. They have a huge stockpile of spectrum. It is not the same cellular network as 3G or LTE.

 

 

ooooooooookay then, why have we been arguing about using 4g wimax vs crappy 3 meg dsl in the first place. /sarcasm

 

actually both sprint and clearwire have broadband that is both 3g and 4g wimax, not to mention the tri-spot which has 3g/wimax/lte.

Edited September 21, 2012 by dedub

[danielholt]

i have no idea what *any* of you are talking about to be honest.

[pyroscott]

ooooooooookay then, why have we been arguing about using 4g wimax vs crappy 3 meg dsl in the first place. /sarcasm

 

actually both sprint and clearwire have broadband that is both 3g and 4g wimax, not to mention the tri-spot which has 3g/wimax/lte.

 

 

That's all I have to say.

[S4GRU]

 

ooooooooookay then' date=' why have we been arguing about using 4g wimax vs crappy 3 meg dsl in the first place. /sarcasm

 

actually both sprint and clearwire have broadband that is both 3g and 4g wimax, not to mention the tri-spot which has 3g/wimax/lte.[/quote']

 

If Sprint sells you home broadband LTE, I suggest you buy it. But that's not going to happen.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

[dedub]

If Sprint sells you home broadband LTE, I suggest you buy it. But that's not going to happen.

 

 

uh

 

https://shop.sprint.com/mysprint/shop/plan/plan_wall.jsp?tabId=pt_data_plans_tab

 

http://www.clear.com/plans

[WiWavelength]

i have no idea what *any* of you are talking about to be honest.

 

Holy cow, Dan The Triangle man is back. Let us kill and feast upon the fatted calf.

 

 

AJ

[S4GRU]

 

uh

 

https://shop.sprint.com/mysprint/shop/plan/plan_wall.jsp?tabId=pt_data_plans_tab

 

http://www.clear.com/plans

 

There are no home LTE plans on either of these links. You can get a LTE hotspot with a data cap. You looking for one of those? I think they would be a good fit for you.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

[dedub]

I didn't say home broadband, I said wireless broadband which of course can be used at home or anywhere else but that is all semantics. As you note, the sprint plan does have 4g lte included, and yes it has a cap up to 12gig.

 

obviously clearwire doesn't have LTE available yet, but wimax is still wireless broadband (even available unlimited) and there is no reason to believe they won't offer the same or similar plan as wimax. They have made it 'clear' that they 'have more spectrum that they can use'.

Edited September 21, 2012 by dedub

[strung]

what about people that don't have home internet?

[S4GRU]

I didn't say home broadband' date=' I said wireless broadband which of course can be used at home or anywhere else but that is all semantics. As you note, the sprint plan does have 4g lte included, and yes it has a cap up to 12gig.

 

obviously clearwire doesn't have LTE available yet, but wimax is still wireless broadband (even available unlimited) and there is no reason to believe they won't offer the same or similar plan as wimax. They have made it 'clear' that they 'have more spectrum that they can use'.[/quote']

 

If Clear is your home ISP, then WiFi offload to it. But Clear has abandoned its retail business model and being a home ISP. It didn't work. And they don't have enough spectrum in the Top 25 markets to be a major home ISP and support Sprint and other partners.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

[pyroscott]

what about people that don't have home internet?

 

What about them?

[S4GRU]

what about people that don't have home internet?

 

They were never a part of this discussion. This discussion was always about should people with sufficient home WiFi offload their smartphone data usage. Obviously those without a home ISP cannot offload.

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

[danielholt]

lets everyone jump on LTE at the same time.... shake things up a bit.