New Comcast feature
 

On 11/24/2013 4:09 PM, F.O.A.D. wrote:
On 11/24/13, 4:02 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 11/24/2013 3:06 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 24 Nov 2013 12:59:45 -0500, John H
wrote:

On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:38:18 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:


Comcast just enabled a new feature on our home wifi system. You have
to have the new, updated equipment and modem/router that is
provided by
them for it to work.

What they do is enable your wifi router to transmit and receive
another
independent signal. It shows up as "XFINITYWiFi" on your computer
available networks list, iPad or cell phone. It is unsecured and
doesn't
interfere with your existing, secured connection, nor does it slow
anything down. Anyone signed onto it is *not* connected to your
existing, secured network, so they can't access any file sharing or
anything you have set up on your network.

It's designed to allow guests, visitors or anyone within receiving
range
of the signal to access the Internet and email virtually anywhere as
long as you are a Comcast customer. It means that once they upgrade
everyone, you could drive down the street and access the Internet
anywhere there is a home WiFi system provided by Comcast. That's a
lot
of free "hot spots" in our area since Comcast dominates the cable TV
and
Internet market in our area.

In our case nobody driving on the road will benefit from our house
because we are too far from the road for them to get the signal. But
in most areas with houses close to the road, you should be able to
access the internet everywhere. It can also be used by house guests
and
visitors as long as they have a Comcast account.

When you first connect to it, it doesn't indicate that you have
Internet
access. Says "local only". But, if you open a browser, it takes
you to
a Comcast page where you enter your user name (or Comcast email
address)
and your password. You only have to do this once per device. Once
you've done that, you have full access to the Internet.

You can also request that this capability be disabled on your
modem/router if you don't want it. Personally, I think it's pretty
cool
and a clever way to make Internet access available to Comcast account
holders almost everywhere.

Funny, not too long ago it was a big deal to be "stealing" someone
else's WiFi connection. Now they are encouraging it.





Sounds like socialism, to me.
John H. -- Hope you're having a great day!

Their plan is that you are still paying for that hot spot by being a
comcast data customer. They want a monopoly in data sales


I am not defending Comcast, but I recall years ago that the future
promise of Internet access was to have WiFi access accessible virtually
anywhere in the country. If each Internet access provider does
something similar to this, that may become a reality. Otherwise, some
DC Congress member will decide it would be a wonderful Federal project
to take on, using taxpayers' money, farming out the software development
to CGI Federal.




Government regulation in Europe gives citizens there high speed
broadband TV, internet and telephone for between $50 and $100 a month,
less than half of what similar service in this country costs.

As usual, we're being ripped off by corporations.

There are many cites about this. Here is one you might find interesting:

http://tinyurl.com/3s2hub6

There are also companies offering wifi on a month to month basis for $10
to $15 a month and there are plenty of free wifi hotspots.



I am all for competition between the Internet service/media delivery
companies. The technology benefits and it keeps costs under control. I
think that's what is missing in many American industries today. Too
little competition and too many government bailouts.

New Comcast feature
 

On 11/24/2013 4:02 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 11/24/2013 3:06 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 24 Nov 2013 12:59:45 -0500, John H
wrote:

On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:38:18 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:


Comcast just enabled a new feature on our home wifi system. You have
to have the new, updated equipment and modem/router that is provided by
them for it to work.

What they do is enable your wifi router to transmit and receive another
independent signal. It shows up as "XFINITYWiFi" on your computer
available networks list, iPad or cell phone. It is unsecured and
doesn't
interfere with your existing, secured connection, nor does it slow
anything down. Anyone signed onto it is *not* connected to your
existing, secured network, so they can't access any file sharing or
anything you have set up on your network.

It's designed to allow guests, visitors or anyone within receiving
range
of the signal to access the Internet and email virtually anywhere as
long as you are a Comcast customer. It means that once they upgrade
everyone, you could drive down the street and access the Internet
anywhere there is a home WiFi system provided by Comcast. That's a lot
of free "hot spots" in our area since Comcast dominates the cable TV
and
Internet market in our area.

In our case nobody driving on the road will benefit from our house
because we are too far from the road for them to get the signal. But
in most areas with houses close to the road, you should be able to
access the internet everywhere. It can also be used by house guests
and
visitors as long as they have a Comcast account.

When you first connect to it, it doesn't indicate that you have
Internet
access. Says "local only". But, if you open a browser, it takes
you to
a Comcast page where you enter your user name (or Comcast email
address)
and your password. You only have to do this once per device. Once
you've done that, you have full access to the Internet.

You can also request that this capability be disabled on your
modem/router if you don't want it. Personally, I think it's pretty
cool
and a clever way to make Internet access available to Comcast account
holders almost everywhere.

Funny, not too long ago it was a big deal to be "stealing" someone
else's WiFi connection. Now they are encouraging it.





Sounds like socialism, to me.
John H. -- Hope you're having a great day!

Their plan is that you are still paying for that hot spot by being a
comcast data customer. They want a monopoly in data sales


I am not defending Comcast, but I recall years ago that the future
promise of Internet access was to have WiFi access accessible virtually
anywhere in the country. If each Internet access provider does
something similar to this, that may become a reality. Otherwise, some
DC Congress member will decide it would be a wonderful Federal project
to take on, using taxpayers' money, farming out the software development
to CGI Federal.




Ha, I remember when cable companies promised us the fees would pay for
the cable, and we would say goodbye to commercials:)

New Comcast feature
 

"Mr. Luddite" wrote:
On 11/24/2013 4:09 PM, F.O.A.D. wrote:
On 11/24/13, 4:02 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 11/24/2013 3:06 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 24 Nov 2013 12:59:45 -0500, John H
wrote:

On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:38:18 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:


Comcast just enabled a new feature on our home wifi system. You have
to have the new, updated equipment and modem/router that is
provided by
them for it to work.

What they do is enable your wifi router to transmit and receive
another
independent signal. It shows up as "XFINITYWiFi" on your computer
available networks list, iPad or cell phone. It is unsecured and
doesn't
interfere with your existing, secured connection, nor does it slow
anything down. Anyone signed onto it is *not* connected to your
existing, secured network, so they can't access any file sharing or
anything you have set up on your network.

It's designed to allow guests, visitors or anyone within receiving
range
of the signal to access the Internet and email virtually anywhere as
long as you are a Comcast customer. It means that once they upgrade
everyone, you could drive down the street and access the Internet
anywhere there is a home WiFi system provided by Comcast. That's a
lot
of free "hot spots" in our area since Comcast dominates the cable TV
and
Internet market in our area.

In our case nobody driving on the road will benefit from our house
because we are too far from the road for them to get the signal. But
in most areas with houses close to the road, you should be able to
access the internet everywhere. It can also be used by house guests
and
visitors as long as they have a Comcast account.

When you first connect to it, it doesn't indicate that you have
Internet
access. Says "local only". But, if you open a browser, it takes
you to
a Comcast page where you enter your user name (or Comcast email
address)
and your password. You only have to do this once per device. Once
you've done that, you have full access to the Internet.

You can also request that this capability be disabled on your
modem/router if you don't want it. Personally, I think it's pretty
cool
and a clever way to make Internet access available to Comcast account
holders almost everywhere.

Funny, not too long ago it was a big deal to be "stealing" someone
else's WiFi connection. Now they are encouraging it.





Sounds like socialism, to me.
John H. -- Hope you're having a great day!

Their plan is that you are still paying for that hot spot by being a
comcast data customer. They want a monopoly in data sales


I am not defending Comcast, but I recall years ago that the future
promise of Internet access was to have WiFi access accessible virtually
anywhere in the country. If each Internet access provider does
something similar to this, that may become a reality. Otherwise, some
DC Congress member will decide it would be a wonderful Federal project
to take on, using taxpayers' money, farming out the software development
to CGI Federal.




Government regulation in Europe gives citizens there high speed
broadband TV, internet and telephone for between $50 and $100 a month,
less than half of what similar service in this country costs.

As usual, we're being ripped off by corporations.

There are many cites about this. Here is one you might find interesting:

http://tinyurl.com/3s2hub6

There are also companies offering wifi on a month to month basis for $10
to $15 a month and there are plenty of free wifi hotspots.



I am all for competition between the Internet service/media delivery
companies. The technology benefits and it keeps costs under control. I
think that's what is missing in many American industries today. Too
little competition and too many government bailouts.

The cable companies all have government mandated monopolies. With no
government over site of what the monopoly charges.

New Comcast feature
 

On 11/24/13, 8:20 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 24 Nov 2013 17:50:29 -0500, KC wrote:



Ha, I remember when cable companies promised us the fees would pay for
the cable, and we would say goodbye to commercials:)

The fees do pay for the programming. It is all profit after that.
Comcast is a billion dollar company instead of a 50 million dollar
company for the same reason Google is a billion dollar company ...
advertising.
It is the cancer that makes everything from beer to political office
more expensive than they should be.

I think we have an advertising guy here ... oh he is the one bitching
about greed.


It isn't the advertising that makes the cable companies rip-off artists
compared to the European cable companies, it is greed and lack of
competition. Cell phone pricing is also a lot cheaper elsewhere in the
world. We've just been brainwashed for so many decades about the "free
enterprise/free market system," we believe that bull****, even though it
only these days benefits the wealthiest.

--
Religion: together we can find the cure.

New Comcast feature
 

On Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:51:03 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

Cell phone pricing is also a lot cheaper elsewhere in the
world.

===

In my experience (14 countries this year), that is not true.

New Comcast feature
 

On 11/24/2013 10:56 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:51:03 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

Cell phone pricing is also a lot cheaper elsewhere in the
world.

===

In my experience (14 countries this year), that is not true.


Consider the source.. I usually assume pretty much the opposite of
whatever harry says, is more in line with reality.

New Comcast feature
 

On 11/24/13, 11:02 PM, KC wrote:
On 11/24/2013 10:56 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:51:03 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

Cell phone pricing is also a lot cheaper elsewhere in the
world.

===

In my experience (14 countries this year), that is not true.


Consider the source.. I usually assume pretty much the opposite of
whatever harry says, is more in line with reality.


Ignorance is bliss.

For $26 a month in France, you get:

- Unlimited minutes for calls in France, to both cells and landlines.
- Unlimited minutes for calls to the US and Canada, both cells and
landlines.
- Unlimited minutes for calls to landlines in most of Europe.
- No charges for calls received.
- Unlimited text messages and SMS in France.
- 3 gigs of data a month, then they throttle you down.
- You automatically connect to the company’s wifi all over France and
its territories.

http://tinyurl.com/mr2ft3z



--
Religion: together we can find the cure.

New Comcast feature
 

On 11/25/13, 11:50 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 25 Nov 2013 06:51:59 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 11/24/13, 11:02 PM, KC wrote:
On 11/24/2013 10:56 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:51:03 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

Cell phone pricing is also a lot cheaper elsewhere in the
world.

===

In my experience (14 countries this year), that is not true.


Consider the source.. I usually assume pretty much the opposite of
whatever harry says, is more in line with reality.


Ignorance is bliss.

For $26 a month in France, you get:

- Unlimited minutes for calls in France, to both cells and landlines.
- Unlimited minutes for calls to the US and Canada, both cells and
landlines.
- Unlimited minutes for calls to landlines in most of Europe.
- No charges for calls received.
- Unlimited text messages and SMS in France.
- 3 gigs of data a month, then they throttle you down.
- You automatically connect to the company’s wifi all over France and
its territories.

http://tinyurl.com/mr2ft3z

Yup some guy wrote it on a blog on the internet. It has to be true


We're headed to Europe and Africa next year, and I've been checking into
current information regarding internet and cell usage and costs "overseas."

Here's one page of an interesting article:


People hate their wireless carriers. This isn’t a news flash. Yet we put
up with them anyway. Alongside death. taxes, and the Star Wars prequels,
wireless carriers are something we must accept. While some are trying to
repent their ways, carriers in America continue to anger their
customers. But if you look at wireless companies in other countries, you
start to realize that something is very wrong here. U.S. carriers are
charging up to twice as much as many European and Asian providers, all
while exerting a huge amount of control over what phones we can and
can’t use on their networks.

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon; listen up. We know just how much you’ve
been screwing us over, and it’s about time you change your ways.
U.S. carrier plans are ridiculously expensive, and closed minded

The math doesn’t add up. It shouldn’t cost more than $100 a month to own
a smartphone, and it shouldn’t cost $60 a month for a basic phone
either. Phone plans are outrageously priced in the United States.
Carrier’s outside our borders charge a fraction of the price for
service. It’s time to drop prices, offer more variety, and stop charging
a fortune for features like data and messaging.

The price for wireless service anywhere varies greatly due to a number
of reasons, but there is a consistent theme: most of them are cheaper.
Let’s start with something simple: a smartphone plan with a few hundred
minutes, a few gigabytes of data, and unlimited messaging. This is a
wireless plan that’s pretty typical with all the necessities covered
whether you love your iPhone or your Galaxy S3.

If you’re in America, you can choose between any of the Big Four and pay
anywhere from $80 a month (T-Mobile and Sprint) to $100 a month (AT&T
and Verizon) depending on your carrier of preference and the number of
minutes you want. Verizon is the most expensive, and is even forcing
users into new “Share Everything� plans that force them to pay for
unlimited minutes and texts, but limit them greatly with high-priced
data that’s sold by the gigabyte.

In the UK, there are fewer carriers, but their prices are fairer.
Vodafone, Orange, and Everything & Everywhere (EE) – a collaboration
between Orange and T-Mobile – dominate the cellular scene there. All
three of the carriers charge less for the same (or better) service from
each of the four U.S. carriers, ranging from $62 a month (Orange) to $70
a month (E&E) to $71 a month (Vodafone). E&E offers offer a $70 a month
plan which includes unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 3GB of data;
AT&T and Verizon both charge about $40 a month more for that level of
service, and T-Mobile charges about $20 more.

In other parts of Europe, prices are cheaper, too. Orange in France
sells a wireless plan with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 2GB
of data for $64 a month. Orange is no small fry, actually serving nearly
as many customers as Verizon and AT&T combined. A major carrier in
Spain, Telefónica, also offers a fairly reasonable plan with 500MB of
high speed data, unlimited texting, and 500 minutes for about $65 a
month. One of the few countries in Europe with pricing even close to
America is Germany, where pricing is steadily close to AT&T and Verizon.
Despite this, the remainder of Europe remains competitively priced, and
between $20 and $50 a month cheaper, depending on the plan.

But let’s not forget about Hong Kong and Japan. In Hong Kong, Hutchinson
(also known as ‘Three’) will give you an 5GB high speed wireless plan
with plenty of minutes for just $59 a month. A similar deal goes for
Softbank in Japan, which will set you back just $55 for unlimited data,
SMS, and free calling to Softbank other users between 1AM and 9PM. While
Japan’s pricing structure is much more Ã* la carte, it still doesn’t even
come close to American wireless plans, unless you’re making some
seriously long calls.
Price of basic smartphone plans around the world


While we’re just talking about a simple smartphone plan here, the fact
remains just about any plan you suggest will cost significantly less in
Europe, the UK, Hong Kong, or Japan. For example, in the UK with Orange
you can choose to have a bare minimum plan and pay the bare minimum
price – about $30 a month – for 100 minutes, 50 texts, and 100MB of
data. Hutchinson in Hong Kong will offer you a voice-only plan with 550
minutes for just $8 a month. No matter how you frame it, in almost any
case the international carriers are offering not only cheaper plans, but
plans with more variety in minutes, data amounts, and other important
factors. Why don’t American carriers do the same?
2-year contracts are terrible

What could you do in two years? While most of us can’t see two weeks
ahead, let alone two years, it seems to have become this sort of magic
number for American carriers to choose with new plans, and it’s plain silly.

A 2-year contract makes no sense for you and me. They only make sense to
carriers, who rake in big bucks by locking customers in for so long.
Have you ever wondered why there are only limited options for customers
who want to pay month to month, or why carriers don’t offer a 1-year
contract, even if it cost more?

Across the Atlantic, many of the biggest mobile operators in Europe and
the UK either offer 1-year contracts, 1.5 year contracts, or offer an
incentive of some kind to go for the 2-year lock-in. Vodafone lets you
choose 1-year contracts when building your plan. If you buy a plan with
more data, Orange will drop your contract period by a year. E&E, the
UK’s biggest mobile operator is also cool with one-year contracts. Even
Deutsche Telekom, parent of T-Mobile USA, offers a 10 percent discount
when you go for a 2-year contract.

Carriers throughout Europe are also open to different contract lengths,
including Orange France, carriers in Hong Kong, and beyond. In the U.S.
you can either get a 2-year contract or pay month to month, but
everywhere else carriers offer options ranging from 1 to 2 years in
length. Many American carriers used to offer 1 year contracts, but that
prospect dried up fast a few years ago. Worse, many month-to-month plans
are only usable with subpar devices or force other odd limitations. The
only one close to offering a variety in contract length is T-Mobile and
its Value Plan, which lets you run without a contract after 20 months,
but we have complaints about that plan too. We’ll explain later.

http://tinyurl.com/cqwnjng

--
Americans need to get over the concept that we have the best of
everything here. Only the very rich in this country have the best of
everything here. Many countries in the world have better standards of
living for ordinary peoplem, with better health care, better and more
affordable services, affordable college for their kids, mandatory
vacations, mandatory sick day allowances, retirement, job retraining.

We do lead the world in greed and in military spending. Be proud.

New Comcast feature
 

On 11/25/13, 12:10 PM, F.O.A.D. wrote:
On 11/25/13, 11:50 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 25 Nov 2013 06:51:59 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

On 11/24/13, 11:02 PM, KC wrote:
On 11/24/2013 10:56 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:51:03 -0500, "F.O.A.D." wrote:

Cell phone pricing is also a lot cheaper elsewhere in the
world.

===

In my experience (14 countries this year), that is not true.


Consider the source.. I usually assume pretty much the opposite of
whatever harry says, is more in line with reality.


Ignorance is bliss.

For $26 a month in France, you get:

- Unlimited minutes for calls in France, to both cells and landlines.
- Unlimited minutes for calls to the US and Canada, both cells and
landlines.
- Unlimited minutes for calls to landlines in most of Europe.
- No charges for calls received.
- Unlimited text messages and SMS in France.
- 3 gigs of data a month, then they throttle you down.
- You automatically connect to the company’s wifi all over France and
its territories.

http://tinyurl.com/mr2ft3z

Yup some guy wrote it on a blog on the internet. It has to be true


We're headed to Europe and Africa next year, and I've been checking into
current information regarding internet and cell usage and costs "overseas."

Here's one page of an interesting article:


People hate their wireless carriers. This isn’t a news flash. Yet we put
up with them anyway. Alongside death. taxes, and the Star Wars prequels,
wireless carriers are something we must accept. While some are trying to
repent their ways, carriers in America continue to anger their
customers. But if you look at wireless companies in other countries, you
start to realize that something is very wrong here. U.S. carriers are
charging up to twice as much as many European and Asian providers, all
while exerting a huge amount of control over what phones we can and
can’t use on their networks.

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon; listen up. We know just how much you’ve
been screwing us over, and it’s about time you change your ways.
U.S. carrier plans are ridiculously expensive, and closed minded

The math doesn’t add up. It shouldn’t cost more than $100 a month to own
a smartphone, and it shouldn’t cost $60 a month for a basic phone
either. Phone plans are outrageously priced in the United States.
Carrier’s outside our borders charge a fraction of the price for
service. It’s time to drop prices, offer more variety, and stop charging
a fortune for features like data and messaging.

The price for wireless service anywhere varies greatly due to a number
of reasons, but there is a consistent theme: most of them are cheaper.
Let’s start with something simple: a smartphone plan with a few hundred
minutes, a few gigabytes of data, and unlimited messaging. This is a
wireless plan that’s pretty typical with all the necessities covered
whether you love your iPhone or your Galaxy S3.

If you’re in America, you can choose between any of the Big Four and pay
anywhere from $80 a month (T-Mobile and Sprint) to $100 a month (AT&T
and Verizon) depending on your carrier of preference and the number of
minutes you want. Verizon is the most expensive, and is even forcing
users into new “Share Everything� plans that force them to pay for
unlimited minutes and texts, but limit them greatly with high-priced
data that’s sold by the gigabyte.

In the UK, there are fewer carriers, but their prices are fairer.
Vodafone, Orange, and Everything & Everywhere (EE) – a collaboration
between Orange and T-Mobile – dominate the cellular scene there. All
three of the carriers charge less for the same (or better) service from
each of the four U.S. carriers, ranging from $62 a month (Orange) to $70
a month (E&E) to $71 a month (Vodafone). E&E offers offer a $70 a month
plan which includes unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 3GB of data;
AT&T and Verizon both charge about $40 a month more for that level of
service, and T-Mobile charges about $20 more.

In other parts of Europe, prices are cheaper, too. Orange in France
sells a wireless plan with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 2GB
of data for $64 a month. Orange is no small fry, actually serving nearly
as many customers as Verizon and AT&T combined. A major carrier in
Spain, Telefónica, also offers a fairly reasonable plan with 500MB of
high speed data, unlimited texting, and 500 minutes for about $65 a
month. One of the few countries in Europe with pricing even close to
America is Germany, where pricing is steadily close to AT&T and Verizon.
Despite this, the remainder of Europe remains competitively priced, and
between $20 and $50 a month cheaper, depending on the plan.

But let’s not forget about Hong Kong and Japan. In Hong Kong, Hutchinson
(also known as ‘Three’) will give you an 5GB high speed wireless plan
with plenty of minutes for just $59 a month. A similar deal goes for
Softbank in Japan, which will set you back just $55 for unlimited data,
SMS, and free calling to Softbank other users between 1AM and 9PM. While
Japan’s pricing structure is much more Ã* la carte, it still doesn’t even
come close to American wireless plans, unless you’re making some
seriously long calls.
Price of basic smartphone plans around the world


While we’re just talking about a simple smartphone plan here, the fact
remains just about any plan you suggest will cost significantly less in
Europe, the UK, Hong Kong, or Japan. For example, in the UK with Orange
you can choose to have a bare minimum plan and pay the bare minimum
price – about $30 a month – for 100 minutes, 50 texts, and 100MB of
data. Hutchinson in Hong Kong will offer you a voice-only plan with 550
minutes for just $8 a month. No matter how you frame it, in almost any
case the international carriers are offering not only cheaper plans, but
plans with more variety in minutes, data amounts, and other important
factors. Why don’t American carriers do the same?
2-year contracts are terrible

What could you do in two years? While most of us can’t see two weeks
ahead, let alone two years, it seems to have become this sort of magic
number for American carriers to choose with new plans, and it’s plain
silly.

A 2-year contract makes no sense for you and me. They only make sense to
carriers, who rake in big bucks by locking customers in for so long.
Have you ever wondered why there are only limited options for customers
who want to pay month to month, or why carriers don’t offer a 1-year
contract, even if it cost more?

Across the Atlantic, many of the biggest mobile operators in Europe and
the UK either offer 1-year contracts, 1.5 year contracts, or offer an
incentive of some kind to go for the 2-year lock-in. Vodafone lets you
choose 1-year contracts when building your plan. If you buy a plan with
more data, Orange will drop your contract period by a year. E&E, the
UK’s biggest mobile operator is also cool with one-year contracts. Even
Deutsche Telekom, parent of T-Mobile USA, offers a 10 percent discount
when you go for a 2-year contract.

Carriers throughout Europe are also open to different contract lengths,
including Orange France, carriers in Hong Kong, and beyond. In the U.S.
you can either get a 2-year contract or pay month to month, but
everywhere else carriers offer options ranging from 1 to 2 years in
length. Many American carriers used to offer 1 year contracts, but that
prospect dried up fast a few years ago. Worse, many month-to-month plans
are only usable with subpar devices or force other odd limitations. The
only one close to offering a variety in contract length is T-Mobile and
its Value Plan, which lets you run without a contract after 20 months,
but we have complaints about that plan too. We’ll explain later.

http://tinyurl.com/cqwnjng



from the NYT:

Raw Data
Americans Paying More for LTE Service
By KEVIN J. O’BRIEN
Published: October 15, 2012

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BERLIN — Does LTE, the superfast wireless service based on Long Term
Evolution technology, cost too much in the United States? A recent study
by the research arm of the GSM Association, a group based in London that
represents mobile operators, suggests that may be the case.

The LTE network run by Verizon Wireless, the U.S. market leader, went
live in 2010, shortly after Sweden turned on the world’s first LTE
networks in December 2009.

Through June, there were 27 million LTE subscribers in the world, about
half of them in the United States, according to TeleGeography, a market
research firm based in Washington. South Korea is the second-largest
market, with 7.5 million users, and Japan, with 3.5 million, is the
third, according to the company.

LTE services are available in 21 European countries and used by 1.5
million people, TeleGeography says. Germany has the most users there.

A comparison by Wireless Intelligence, a unit of the GSM Association,
suggests that being in the biggest LTE market has not brought low prices
to U.S. consumers.

According to the study, Verizon Wireless, which is a joint venture of
Verizon and Vodafone, charges $7.50 for each gigabyte of data downloaded
over its LTE network. That is three times the European average of $2.50
and more than 10 times what consumers pay in Sweden, where a gigabyte
costs as little as 63 cents.

--
Religion: together we can find the cure.

New Comcast feature
 

On 11/25/2013 12:10 PM, F.O.A.D. wrote:


AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon; listen up. We know just how much you’ve
been screwing us over, and it’s about time you change your ways.
U.S. carrier plans are ridiculously expensive, and closed minded



http://tinyurl.com/cqwnjng



The author forgot to mention the most important reason wireless service
is so expensive in the USA:

People want and are willing to pay for it.

The fees may be high and customers may bitch but there's no way they
will turn their iPhones, Droids or whatever they have *off* and use them
only when necessary.

Everywhere I go, everywhere I shop I see people walking around with
their noses stuck in their cellphones or smartphones or whatever you
want to call them. They are usually furiously texting away with their
thumbs, oblivious to what is happening around them.

If people worked on becoming less addicted to these devices and used
them less, the service providers would start getting nervous and rates
might start becoming more attractive. As long as people are willing to
pay, there's no reason to become more competitive, rate wise.

I have a "smart phone" the service of which is on my wife's plan. 99
percent of the time it sits on a counter in my house, turned off. I
rarely carry it with me. I don't even know what my cell phone number is.

My wife has become one of those who's iPhone has become a bodily part.
She's constantly on the stupid thing. If she and I are engaged in a
conversation and her phone starts burbing, farting or making unique
sounds for whomever is calling, texting or emailing her, I just get up
and walk away. I'll be dipped if I am going to compete for her time and
attention with a stupid cellphone.

Mr. Luddite has spoken. :-)