Who still has unlimited data plan?

[jleebiker]

After looking at my usage for the last 6mo, my data usage is only averaging 803MB. I have a grandfathered Unlimited data plan.
Prior to the last 6mo, I can't say that my data usage has ever been more than 3GB, max at 4GB.

I've also got 1440 of nationwide minutes. I've used an average of 369 for the last 6mo.
I'm paying almost $140/mo for all this. Good god that's alot of money for that, but I've always thought of it as insurance right?
JUST in case I ever need more data. I do NOT want to pay an overage fee. Had to do that with my daughter's plan from time to time. Ugh.

I'm thinking of dropping it and going with a capped plan. Any of you who still have Unlimited data, why do you still keep it? Those of you who switched off it, do you miss it?

 

[gpobernardo]

I still do. Technically my plan is "unlimited" data, but after 3GB in one month my mobile service provider would start to slow down my internet speed for the rest of that month... and the same happens if I go passed 1GB in 24 hours. Hence, I'm sort of forced to stay within 3GB per month. There were times when I went over 3GB, but that was when I used my phone as a "hot spot" for my laptop.

I'm paying around $23.00/month for this "unlimited" plan. Unfortunately, this plan is already "phased-out" - new subscribers can no longer avail it and if I modify my plan in any way (add unlimited SMS, calls, etc.), the "unlimited" will be taken away and will be replaced by some permanently capped plan. 5GB/month capped (pay for data exceeding 5GB) costs $40.00/month here.

 

[k72]

I kept trying to stay on Sprint for unlimited data but realized I was using less than 300 Mb a month thanks to Wi-Fi and Data Sense, even though I leave my data on all the time, so I bought the 500 Mb plan at T-Mobile, which is capped (you can't go over, so no overage fees, but no data either). I got 2 GB for an extra $5 during a deal and that's great. I've been moving and didn't have internet for most of a week, and I'm at around 600 Mb halfway through the month, so even that worked out fine. I love paying less, and if there was an unusual month, I can call T-Mobile and add a day or week of extra data without changing the plan. I don't miss unlimited at all.

 

[RumoredNow]

If you aren't tethering your household off your phone (as some users seem to do) or engaging in constant high bitrate streaming (as other users seem to do), it is hard to use enough data to justify that price.

Expect a few of those user types to chime in. They will hang onto that plan like an NRA member will their gun.

It recently came to my attention that somehow, don't ask me how (you can verify on eBay) that some Vzw Unlimited grandfathered plan holders sell their plan on eBay for hundreds of $$$... :shocked:

http://forums.windowscentral.com/verizon/340509-few-questions-about-going-verizon.html#post3078553 I personally would never pay an extra $500 to start getting overcharged each month, but hey, apparently some people do.

Food for thought if you do want to ditch your plan.

 

[jleebiker]

If you aren't tethering your household off your phone (as some users seem to do) or engaging in constant high bitrate streaming (as other users seem to do), it is hard to use enough data to justify that price.

Expect a few of those user types to chime in. They will hang onto that plan like an NRA member will their gun.

It recently came to my attention that somehow, don't ask me how (you can verify on eBay) that some Vzw Unlimited grandfathered plan holders sell their plan on eBay for hundreds of $$$... :shocked:

http://forums.windowscentral.com/verizon/340509-few-questions-about-going-verizon.html#post3078553 I personally would never pay an extra $500 to start getting overcharged each month, but hey, apparently some people do.

Food for thought if you do want to ditch your plan.

​NOW you tell me! LOL! ;-)

 

[RumoredNow]

​NOW you tell me! LOL! ;-)

LOLz. I just found out. I'm not a Vzw user and had no idea.

 

[Kodiak12]

I average about 500mb/month so I dumped all the "big" carriers along with their contracts, extortion fees and taxes that nickeled and dimed the plan by another 15% or so. I've got a $35 plan with 2.5GB. That's more than enough especially with all the free WiFi hotspots available these days. Verizon cost me twice that much and they would charge high fees if you exceeded your bandwidth limits. At least now I'll always have data although it will be throttled down and I wont' have to pay extra.

I'm paying almost $140/mo for all this. Good god that's alot of money for that,

Yes, it is. (And your carrier appreciates every penny I'm sure).

 

[jaimeastin]

I sold my plan back to them years ago... Seriously. I said you all dint want me to have it ans I need to tether... So. I gave it up for $$ credit for a 3-6 months... And to get out of my contract so I could get a new phone (920 on launch day at the time). I was only using less than. 1GB of data.

Shortly after that, due to my free wireless charger issue and them forgetting about my phone upgrade... They sent me $300 beats wireless, a mophie battery pack and more...

Now I have 2 extra lines, 20GB can and still use less than 4GB... That's with streaming and tethering even when i am out on the kayak. So now I upload videos to YouTube using my tethering... I upload GBs if data and It is so much faster. Since att has Rollover, I have tons of data that I can use and still only pay 130 a month...

People who refused to give up their unlimited data now have to use my wifi.

Why keep it? I sold it while I could... Doubt you can do it now.

 

[cory1717]

I still got unlimited data. I'm on Verizon and have the Nokia icon. Still grand fatherd in !

 

[jleebiker]

I still got unlimited data. I'm on Verizon and have the Nokia icon. Still grand fatherd in !

The question is why do you still have it. Do you consume that much data a month?

 

[hb1x]

I pay roughly about $14 for 5GB 3G data, unlimited free calls (to the same network) and 450 sms per month.
And yea, I do use the 5GB data.

 

[Polychrome]

*raises hand*

I'm honestly thinking about ditching it though to save a bit of money. It's the tethering features that really bring the cost up. We've only got 3 lines and I use maybe a gig on a heavy month. I tend to read mostly plain text mobile sites when using internet on the phone.

Internally, Verizon seemed to want the move from unlimited data to unlimited voice because they saw big chunks of data as being easier for customers to track. At least, that's what I gathered from my observations. I suppose now that we're trying to move to pure VoLTE, the intention might have been that the data usage doesn't start interfering with the voice service. The fact that they ease up on the data plans every now and then seems to imply they're still feeling out how much the network can handle. (And they're still upgrading the LTE over and over again to boot.)

 

[tgp]

The fact that they ease up on the data plans every now and then seems to imply they're still feeling out how much the network can handle. (And they're still upgrading the LTE over and over again to boot.)

Verizon's network could probably handle unlimited data for everyone, except in very heavily populated areas. However, their goal is to maximize revenue, which is probably the reason they sell it tiered.

 

[jleebiker]

It's all data on their backend. No one transmits "voice" calls anymore. It's all just data for them. The voice/data distinction is purely for marketing purposes and for the public that can't grasp the concept that voice is now just data and "1's" and "0's" anymore.

 

[Scorpio5x0]

Still have my Verizon unlimited data. It is one of those things I refuse to give up. And no, some months I don't use a lot of data, but others I burn through data like crazy.

EDIT: This billing cycle alone I used 7Gb of data.

 

[nmercy]

I still have my Verizon unlimited data plan. I keep it mainly in case I need it, which now that I've moved to a rural area where I can't get cable internet I've been using it a lot more. My current home plan is a combination of Exede internet 10 GB plan (unlimited between 12 am and 5 am) for $50 and Verizon Wireless for $80 in addition to my phone which is $35 (an old Alltel family plan that had $5 lines and $30 unlimited data). Unfortunately I didn't have tethering on it so that's why I pay the additional $80 so I can work from home and play games online.

Now when I get a phone with continuum the $80 line will pretty much be exclusive for gaming unless I am forced to VPN for work instead... but maybe there will be some backdoor to turn on internet connection sharing on the phone at that point... can always hope.

Generally I use between 4 GB and 8GB of data each month since my phone pretty much stays off of networks and downloads podcasts, apps, and such over cellular.

 

[goldcougar]

My wife and I still have AT&T unlimited. I have done the.math, and we could save 20-50/month based on our usage. However... These grandfathered plans still offer subsidized phones. So an iPhone is $199. When you factor in the phone cost, since the new plans basically finance the full cost of the phone over a period of time, we really wouldn't save all that much if we switched. A $600 phone costs $25/month on new plans(over 2 years). On grandfathered plans that same $600 phone is $200. Over 2 years that's an average of $8/month. So its going to cost you an extra $17 /month in the cost of phones to give up your unlimited plan, assuming you get a higher end phone.

 

[anon(5383410)]

I really don't see how people are using this much data. Are you guys streaming movies? Gaming? I'm honestly just asking because I can slide by on 1GB of data easily.

 

[Rose640]

Wtf? I spend like 6$ a month on data/phone calls. Thats it, wonder how much do you guys waste

 

[Kavu2]

10/08/2015
Verizon to raise unlimited data plan price. Via CNET:
Verizon's grandfathered unlimited data users face $20 price hike - CNET

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The New York telecommunications giant said Thursday that subscribers on grandfathered unlimited-data plans -- the company stopped offering them to new customers in 2011 -- would face a $20 increase in their monthly bill. Customers will see the first increase in their bill after November 15, although a small minority of unlimited users still on contract won't see the hike until it expires.

........

Verizon's increase will push up the monthly cost of unlimited data from $30 to $50. With voice calling and texting added in, a customer's monthly bill could easily top $100.

........

In a minor concession to its unlimited customers, Verizon said it would allow them to participate in the monthly installment plans for new devices. Customers previously had to pay the full price of a new smartphone upfront.
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