Mobile Data Plan Comparisons for Smartphones
There seems to be a whole lot of confusion out there about the various rates for data communications for cell phones. I know I've been confused whenever I've tried to tackle the issue of which providers offer what kinds of services for how much. They just don't make it very easy to get a quick idea of what they offer. Part of the problem is that carriers actually separate data in different ways for different niche markets. You have one type of data that is geared towards their premier youth market that conentrates on text or multimedia messages, browsing WAP sites, and downloading ringtones. Then there is the corporate market that concerns itself primarily with email. Finally, there's the market for the general internet geek power user where the data is about whatever the phone will let you do, be that instant message, browse the web, check email, stream audio or video, telnet into a shell account, whatever. This last market is the one I'm in and the one that I'll gear this article towards. Of course I'm not as silly as the marketers are that believe that any of these market segments are at all concrete. There are people who aren't necessarily "power users" but just want to be able to be "online" all the time to check email and instant message and browse the web. They aren't necessarily geeks, and they could very well even be some of the youngest customers out there.
Personally, since I bought a T-Mobile Sidekick back in 2002, I have left the older more specifically mobile-phone related data service of ringtones and WAP behind. Viewing WAP sites or email on a 3-line display without images was just painful! Maybe back in 1983 it would have been nice great, but not in this century! Now, smartphones like the Sidekick, the Treo, and PocketPC phones make it possible to have a much more computer-like experience, albeit on a much smaller screen.
I myself am a T-Mobile customer, and have been for several years, but, while I think T-Mobile has some good deals in terms of rates, I always want to be knowledgeable about what the other carriers out there have to offer. I thought I'd make a real concerted effort at actually figuring out what the various U.S. carriers offer at least in terms of a full data service. It wasn't easy! I don't know if most of the carriers feel like their audience won't understand anything technical so they don't really share specifics about their data plans, or if they are incapable of describing the offerings in plain English instead of marketing-speak which requires clarification, or what. But I had to spend most of my day searching for the real information on various message boards about mobile phones and technology, and even then there seems to be a fair amount of confusion about what the real deal is.
So, anyway, here is an attempt to summarize the data plans for various carriers here in the U.S. A couple of quick notes first:
- I did not look at Nextel for a few reasons. One is that they will be merging with Sprint. Secondly, the only real data-oriented phone they carry is the Blackberry (no Treos, no PocketPC). Third, they are somewhat of a minor player compared to the other big carriers.
- I'm also not going to cover the menagerie of different data services that are not just plain old Internet connectivity (i.e. corporate email packages, video messaging, etc.).
- Finally, all of the prices I list are in addition to any voice plan. In a few instances one can just by the data service and then regular phone calls are charged on a per-minute basis, but most of the plans require you to buy a voice plan for $20 or more, which includes at least some free minutes.
U.S. Mobile Data Rates (c. May, 2005) | |
GSM Carriers | |
 | Tmobile's data offerings are initially pretty understandable. You have basically 3 types of offerings: "Unlimited T-Zones" at $5/month "Unlimited T-Zones Pro" at $10/month "T-Mobile Internet" at either $20 or $30 depending on whether you also subscribe to a voice plan or do not, respectively. T-Mobile Internet is what I currently have with my Treo 600. It offers full Internet connectivity. T-Zones, on the other hand, is less clear. It's supposed to be T-Mobile's plan for mobile, text-based, websites that use WAP, and the PRO version adds WAP access to a corporate email account. The trick is that these services also have allowed some people to have the equivelent of the $20 plan. However, T-Mobile has started to crack down on this usage by closing the tcpip ports that enable the web browsing, emailing, instant messaging, etc. that are available on the $20 plan. In some areas you may still be able to take advantage of this oversite, but it seems these are becoming fewer and fewer. |
 | Before they recently merged with Cingular, AT&T was offering an unlimited data plan called "Ulimited Mmode" for $25/month. Currently, AT&T customers are not being forced into Cingular voice or data plans, but are able to keep their existing plans. New customers, though, or even AT&T customers who want to change their plans, only get to choose from Cingular plans. |
 | Cingular, the other main GSM carrier in the U.S., has an even more confusing data plan offering - at least via the information on their website. They break data into three parts, one for Blackberries, one for PC's and one for PDA's. Their Blackberry plans include a 4MB plan for $39.99 and unlimited plan for $49.99. Their PC plans (used with a card that fits in your laptop) consist of the following: $19.99 for 5MB Finally, the PDA plans consist of the following: $19.99 for 5MB So where do phones come in? Well, in the case of a "PDA-phone" like the Treo 600 or 650, or the Siemens SX66, you can opt from one of the PDA plans above. But there is yet another type of plan that is only shown if you buy a non-PDA phone online. This additional set of data options are called "Media Basic," "Media Works," and "Media Net." While these options are not shown online when buying a non-PDA phone (and perhaps not offered at Cingular stores as an option), they can be utilized whatever data-capable phone you get (with the possible exception of Blackberries since these have their own plans). Here's a breakdown of these plans: Media Basic: 500KB of data plus 200 SMS messages and 40 MMS messages for $9.99 Confused yet? So can you get an identical unlimited data plan from Cingular under the psuedonym "MediaNet" simply by asking for it at $15 less per month than the price that Cingular would otherwise have you pay on their PDA plan (if you have a PDA-like phone)? Well, yes and no. Apparently there is a real difference in that you cannot do VPN connections (secured connections used primarily to access corporate email that's behind a company firewall) on the MediaNet plans, but you can do this with the PDA plans. |
CDMA Carriers | |
 | Verizon offers a $49/month data plan if you don't get a voiceplan with it (you can still pay per-minute charges for the phone), or $45/month for the same unlimted if you subscribe to one of their voiceplans that come with free minutes (the cheapest being $39.99/month). Also there is a $29.99/month data plan for 5MB per month plan. |
 | Sprint rounds out the four major players in the U.S. market. It is, like Verizon, a CDMA provider. It seems that Sprint offers an unlimited data plan for only $15/month called the Sprint Vision Premium Pack. |
Who's the winner?
PRICE: in terms of price, T-Mobile wins for GSM (probably, now that Cingular's $20 plan looks expired), Sprint wins for CDMA, and is also the cheapest overall if you don't care what type of communications protocol the carrier uses.
OTHER: There are of course other factors that enter into the decision other than price. Coverage, quality of service, support, and speed are all factors that you should take into consideration. Support and Quality of service can be pretty subjective, though, based on individual experiences, individual stores or regions of the country that may have better support than others, etc. I can't imagine making a suggestion in that regard without some seriously large studies to back me up! But speed and coverage a lot easier to look at.
But first a quick aside to explain the current and future protocols being used to send all this data back and forth:
- CDMA currently uses a Data protocol called "1xRTT" which supposedly can clock around 144kbps, or about 2.5 times that of a dial-up connection. The next version of CDMA Data will use a protocol with the moniker "EV-DO" which is capable of much faster average speeds of 300-500Kbps with bursts as high as 2.4Mbps. GSM carriers have been using
- GSM uses a protocol called GPRS, which is generally a lot slower at only 30-70Kbps, or approximately dial-up speeds. It's follow-up technology is called "EDGE" and is 2-4 times faster than its predecessor at 100-200 Kbps, but still not nearly as fast as EV-DO.
Why even mention about these "next generation" protocols in a piece about the current state of things? Because some of these providers actually have next-generation networks at least partially in place and as well are starting to sell a few phones that can actually utilize these faster speeds (most importantly "PDA Phones" or "Smarphones" like the Treo 650). There are of course other protocols being developed and even implemented (UMTS and WCDMA) but these have yet to really be offered to customers in the U.S. although they have in other countries.
So, lets go over what the current state of things is regarding data speeds for the various carriers:
U.S. Mobile Data Speeds and Coverage (c. May, 2005) | |
GSM Carriers | |
| T-Mobile has said that they will be building out their EDGE network in 2005, starting to offer it in select metro areas. I have indeed tested my connection in the DC area and found that EDGE is available here, at least in some spots. I have also heard of reports that it is available in New York City and Atlanta. T-Mobile also has a new map that lets you get a graphical representation of their coverage down to the street level, although it says nothing about GPRS vs. EDGE. |
| Cingular (this applies to AT&T customers as well) already has a national EDGE network built out with great coverage seen in this map. |
CDMA Carriers | |
| Verizon has been working on building out it's EV-DO network for a year or two and apparently has around 20 metro areas supported so far: http://www.evdo-coverage.com/evdo-umts-hsdpa-coverage-map.html However, at the moment, there seems to be some confusion as to whether EV-DO will work with any handset that supports it. This PC Magazine Article seems to indicate that only laptop cards and a few Verizon, EV-DO is not available on any phone that is supposed to support EV-DO out of the box, but rather only via their laptop card and a few select Verizon handsets that are not PDA-like phones and so are locked down in terms of what they can connect to and how. So until there's some additional confirmation (say from folks who buy the Verizon version of the Treo 650 which is supposed to be out any day now), you might want to hold off if this speed issue is the main thing attracting you to Verizon. |
| Sprint has announced they will be building out an EV-DO network in 2005, apparently starting with a number of unnamed metro areas. Sprint contends the roll-out will be fast due to working out an easy upgrade path from current equipment, although they only announced in December that a contract had been signed with equipment makers. Sprint's EV-DO page currently says that the roll-out will begin mid-2005. Sprint has an interactive map of where its cell towers are, but doesn't really distinguish between what kinds of service those towers provide. There is no word either whether Sprint's version of EV-DO will work with any old EV-DO-capable PDA/Smartphone, so again we will have to wait and see... |
So, who's the winner now? Well, if speed is your main concern, than probably Verizon's EV-DO would win at this moment if you happen to live in one of those metro areas. Of course Verizon's unlimited data plan is the highest of all the carriers at $45 (or $50 without a voiceplan). If you are looking at only GSM carriers (and many users will only look at GSM phones due to their ability to work internationally and for the convenience of SIM cards), than it's a tough call. On the one hand Cingular beats T-Mobile hands down in terms of its very built-out EDGE network. But when it comes to price, it's a little less clear, due to Cingular's mixed up data policy. It may cost you the same, but it also may cost you double of what T-Mobile costs (and maybe more if you can take advantage of the $5-10 T-Zones plans, although that's become unlikely). However, Cingular's $39.99 gets you an extensive higher-speed EDGE network, so some for whom speed is key, will gladly pay the premium of an additional $20 per month for a doubling to quadrupling of data speeds. This difference, though, will continue to erode as Tmobile adds more coverage for EDGE (which is already available in some areas).
As I wrote, these things are not simple and they aren't cut and dry. As well they are a moving target. While T-Mobile may look like not the best bet right now, in six months who knows, maybe they'll surprise everyone and build out a lot of their network very quickly and give Cingular a real run for their money. Likewise, maybe they will close the loophole of their T-Zones and Cingular will cut back their data rates and make them more comprehensible (one basic all-you-can-eat plan) and will become much more competitive with T-Mobile. At least for February of 2005, this is the best snapshot of the various choices one has for mobile data connectivity. It will definitely be interesting to see how this changes over the coming months and years! I will try to keep these charts updated as new information becomes available on new plans, new coverage, etc. Of course if you find any inaccuracies in what I've written, feel free to enlighten us!
UPDATE (April 28, 2005): Recently I discoverd that low and behold I had EDGE via my Tmobile account! So I felt that an update to this entry was in order. I went ahead and updated the data speed table above to reflect this and some additional information about Sprint's EV-DO roll-out, and also provided links to a couple of new coverage maps. I've also reworked the last couple of paragraphs in the text to reflect some of this news as well.
UPDATE (May 3, 2005): There's been some talk over at Treocentral about data rates and using some of the information, I did some more digging and was able to update the tables above, specifically the section on Cingular data rates as well as Verizon's data speeds and coverage.
Cingular is now showing that MediaWorks for new subscribers is limited to
3MB/month.
Buyer beware! its a changing landscape.
John, not sure where you are seeing 3MB/month. When I see the page where
you pick the various options, it lists MEdia Basic for $7.99, MEdia Works
for $19.99, MEdia Net (500KB) for $2.99 and MEdia Net (2MB) for $9.99.
Clicking on MEdia Works brings me to a chart that shows it to include
unlimited "Wireless Internet Express" and no mention of 3MB anywhere. But
again, seeing as different zip codes produce different results, you may be
seeing something that I'm not...
Visit me @ http://twelveblackcodemonkeys.com
Nice job on the comparison!
I still say T-Mo rocks.
Levi -
Thanks for the great article. I think everything is correct, except for your statement:
"Of course Verizon's unlimited data plan is the highest of all the carriers at a whopping $79.99!"
I think you meant to say Cingular, not Verizon.
Cheers!
Sean
Thanks Sean, but no, I did mean Verizon, except I got the number wrong,
thanks for catching that - it should be $49.99!
Visit me @ http://twelveblackcodemonkeys.com
Levi,
Great, and informative article. I used to have full internet access through T-mo using the T-Zones for $5. But they recently turned it off. I wasn't using it much, as I only used internet occasionally, and even then one or two sites. But I guess they realized that it was open in my area, and have now turned it off. So, even the desert states are now being turned off.... :-(
Colin
Thanks, Colin. I've made a bunch of updates in regards to T-Zones and
T-Mobile, rewriting a few sections of the article. This is one of those
pieces that I think will be continually updated, and probably rewritten as
a part of that and hopefully will end up being a better and petter article
for that...
Visit me @ http://twelveblackcodemonkeys.com
If you look hard enough, Cingular does have a $19.99 unlimited data plan. I
spoke with one rep that told me about it. The next week another rep did
not. In a store they did not. I was however able to sign up for it
upgrading to the Treo 650 gsm. The have too man plans and rates. Confusing,
but if you want a GSM Treo 650 you have no choice.
m0bilm@n
Well, I agree with you. They have too many plans and rates! But you do
have another option for GSM in the U.S. - T-Mobile. They don't have EDGE
yet, but you can get a Treo 650 GSM unlocked (as I just ordered), and use
it with either Cingular or T-Mobile. I'm considering moving to Cingular
due to EDGE, but I really hope someone figures out which plans are
available at some point. Or maybe we'll continue to have this confusion,
and after I sign up I will just keep trying different ways of getting a $20
unlimited plan - going to Cingular stores, calling them up, calling them up
and talking to a DIFFERENT rep, etc. It's a ridiculous
situation...
Visit me @ http://twelveblackcodemonkeys.com
I ordered my Treo 650 from Cingular on 2/3 and it showed up on 2/4 (kudos
to Cingular for that). I can't remember where I read it, but it seemed like
there was a difference between being a new customer or an existing customer
as to what they offered you for data service. I was offered and signed up
for the 19.99 Media works with unlimited data. The service is explained at
this url:
https://www.cingular.com/media/media_purchase
There is a similar url ending with media_net_purchase that the main website feeds you to. I understand the confusion, I'm just glad I was able to stumble through it myself. Good luck.
A new visitor
I just signed up for Cingular after being with TMOBILE for 5 years. I loved
the customer service but the slow data speeds were killing me. I wanted
EDGE so cingular was a good choice. I signed up for unlimited data for
39.99 with text, picture message. TMOBILE raised their unlimited data plan
to 29.99 so for another 10 bucks I get edge. I will miss TMOBILE.
Hector
I think I am lucky I didn't made a switch to Cing
40k GPRS is slow, but
still fine for pda and streaming radio (up to 32k)
Cing's TOS is vague
and changing too often
I use around 200-400MB, still $19.99 flat
rate
mingkee
I agree that currently Cingular's data plan seems to be the most confused
of all the carriers. Hopefully they will get wind of this in their
corporate headquarters as more and more mainstream media covers it and
maybe they will actually do something to clarify the situation. Let's
hope, anyway!
Visit me @ http://twelveblackcodemonkeys.com
Let me start with an apology that I'm relatively new to data rate plans and
protocols. I'm looking to get a new Treo 650 which means I'm limited to
either Cingular or Sprint.
From reading your explanation (excellent by
the way), it would appear that Sprint really has the best deal. They are
currently using 1xRTT which is 2 to 4 times faster than GPRS and almost as
fast as EDGE. When they upgrade to EV-DO, they'll blow away EDGE. As far
as the price, from speaking to a Sprint rep, they quoted $15 for unlimited
data plan and $5 more for additional phones. So if you get a family plan,
let's say with (2) phones, you can get unlimited data plan for both phones
for just $20! Best deal, I think.
newbie
Hey there. $20 for two (or $25 for three) phones for unlimited data is
indeed a great deal, and it's true that CDMA data speeds are faster than
their GSM counterparts. That doesn't automatically make it an easy
decision. GSM has other advantages, which I've mentioned, like the ability
to take the phone with you outside the U.S., to switch phones without
having to bother with the carrier, etc. These may not matter to you - they
don't matter to a lot of people. But I'm just saying that there are
advantages and disadvantages outside of just the data rates and prices,
even though that's what this entry is about. Of course, if you are ONLY
buying the phone for the data, then of course, that IS the only thing to
consider. Some people just buy a phone like a Treo or a Sidekick for its
data connectivity, and they use a seperate phone for voice.
One slight clarification, which you may or may not realize, but your message left it out. You do have another choice in carriers for a Treo 650. T-Mobile is another GSM provider, and you can buy an unlocked Treo 650 from PalmOne which will work with either Cingular OR T-Mobile. Of course, you won't be able to take advantage of of the rebates that come with signing up with a new provider, since T-Mobile doesn't offer the Treo 650 yet, but that is another choice. Also, as I mentioned, T-Mobile doesn't have EDGE yet, although that will change supposedly this year...
Visit me @ http://twelveblackcodemonkeys.com
Great article...is it just me or does it seem that this rate choosing game
is getting way too complex? Whew, and I thought choosing the right airline
fare was hard.
Michael Parekh [michael@mparekh.com]
As far as your infor on data plans, does the Sprint Vision plan cover when
you use you PDA ex: Treo 600 as a modem. They had told me at Sprint it
wouldn't and that I had to get a "data plan" much like the type they have
for their wifi cards accounts. If I can use my Treo as a modem on my lap
top / PC with just the vision plan then why did they tell me I couldn't.
As far as your infor, thanks so much. But let me know if you research was
based just on using your PDA / cell phone as a web browser or did it also
refer to using programs such as PdaNet / modem programs. Thanks for your
time.
Bert [gyru@aol.com]
After reading the blog, I have to agree with Bert that Sprint would be the
choice. I've been a Sprint user for a number of years and coverage was
always adequate but improved greatly when I changed cell phones. I upgraded
to Sanyo just because of the reviews of their reception performance, but my
new Treo beats them cold. My only disappointment was the fact that I lost
the ability to hook my laptop to the Treo. My Sanyo would connect with
software that was available from Sprint, but there was nothing for the
Treo. After some searching I found Pda/Net and the problem was solved. (It
was through them that I found this blog) That was why the Sprint rep said
Bert couldn't connect. It wasn't from Sprint, duh. So the final tally is:
A) Base phone plan (your choice) B) PCS Vision with unlimited data $15.00
C) Pda/Net for $34.00 (one-time charge to puchase this excellent software)
and all the benefits of reliable (relatively) 100 to 145 kps connections
seems to be tough to beat. It just took a little getting used to not using
broadband BUT didn't have to lug the cord. Thanx for the research though,
it let me know I made the right choice.
good article -- where in DC are you getting EDGE ?
(downtown, WH -- any locations that you're certain had EDGE)
and is there any indicator on the 650 that confirms it ??
Thanks !
barye
There's no indicator that I know of, although maybe some programmer will
come out with one! You just have to test your download speed via
http://www.broadbandreports.com/mspeed. If you're getting more than say
60kbps via some of the larger files, than you have EDGE. I know I get this
speed around Fort Belvoir and Vienna, but I haven't tested it in many
places yet...
Great Article, Levi
I think some of the users who wrote back went into the same confusion that you mentioned, -- the difference between "cool browsing tool" to complete internet support.
I am planning to use my new mobile data plan for serious contingencies like stock market trading as my broker provides this service. All I need is a WAP 2.0 phone that can support https:// protocol. Treo seems to be too expensive for me.. any suggestions on which other phones/plans may be suitable for "complete" internet connectivity?
Thanks
-Ram
Ram [pvram68@gmail.com]
This has been very helpful. I'm interested in the 650 and want to know
expenses to expect regarding phone/internet/e-mail.
PH
I'm more than a little envious to hear that in the U.S. you can get a ~$20
'all you can eat' data tariff.
This is by far the biggest hidden costs of owning a smart phone... & quite
possibly the networks dirtiest secret.
Id just like to say, I have a Treo 600 using PDA net 2.51. I can browse
the web on my notebook, on my desktop (during broadband outages) and check
email. I have Sprint service with the Vision plan. I didnt know about the
business connection plans they had. I guess I lucked out and saved a lot!
Firstly, I want to say thanks for the great article. I just bought a Treo
600, and I was so confused with all of the data plans and services and
prices. It's ridiculous.
Eli, GSM and CDMA are two different and completely incompatible
technologies. Generally speaking, a phone is either CDMA or GSM and will
not work with the other technology. I say "generally speaking" because I
think I've heard of some company coming out with a phone that employed
both, but such a device is an extreme oddity in this market, if it actually
exists yet as a product. So your choices with your current phone in the
U.S. is Tmobile or Cingular.
With Verizon, you do not have to sign up for a data plan at all. All you
have to do is set it up on your computer to "dial up" using instructions
found online, and all you are charged is air time. This means unlimited
nights and weekend usage, and then just not going overboard during peak
hours, so there are no extra charges.
Hi- at the top of the article it mentions that you can ask for the
"MediaNet" plan from cingular and it's a data plan. However, I upgraded my
600 to a 650, and was going to sign up for that plan with Cingular, but I
jusr recently called Cingular, and they told me that the MediaNet plan is
not for Treos; it's a net plan for a cell phone....like for checking the
weather, news, sports scores, movies, etc. I was disappointed, because I
was going to do that plan, but oh well. I called up a few Cingulars just to
double check, because sometimes they don't know what they are talking
about, but they all said that the MediaNet doesn't work with Treos. Just
wanted to let you guys know that.
-Eli
ebayfan, just tell them you want it anyway, or don't tell them you have a
Treo. From what others have said, it will work. Just because a few
Cingular reps told you it won't doesn't mean it won't, it just means that's
the party line. Until someone confirms that it doesn't work by testing it,
don't believe it.
Verizon's web site now shows a $29.99 10 mb data plan. If you have a
qualifying voice plan, it is $24.99.
Have you seen any articles or blogs on the data plan landscape for other
geographies like Europe or Asia? I found yours very useful and would like
to know more about these other areas. TIA...
First of all data plans ARE the FUTURE of cell phone companies and since
Verizon is the biggest carrier does anyone know why they are so damn
expensive? I think it is a huge mistake for there future but I also think
that brew is something that most people do NOT want. Everything is
available in JAVA so the only way you can get such apps or games is with a
PDA/SMART phone! 49.99 unlimted 24.99 for 10 Mb. I use sprint with my treo
650 and love it!($15/month/UNLIMITED) with very adequate service. I went to
the local sprint store two days ago and with a Samsung A940 I loaded pages
faster than my wireless home PC! I have developed a JAVA based phone app
and have already taken customers from Verizon but it would be easier if
they atleast lowered their prices!!!!! Overall Rating 1-Cingular 2-Sprint
3-Tmobile 4-Verizon. The t-zones and $5/month verizon service just is fine
of you dont want to do anything with it.(PORTS ARE BLOCKED)
I would like to know the difference between Cingular's data plans...
What does a 5MB plan mean? i asked Cingular and the guy was telling me you
could go to one web site that had 5 mbs and you would be done for the
month...That seems insane...I thought it had to do with how much storage
you had for the e-mail account...can someone clarify this? I would rather
save 25 bucks a month and just get the 19.99 plan instead of forking out
44.99 every month on top of my voise plan...help?
please send me an e-mail at upthegrovejd@hoa.centcom.mil
Thx, John
John, the 5MB has to do with bandwidth, not storage. Bandwidth is how much
data you transfer back and forth on your phone. 5MB is not a lot these
days, especially if you do a lot of surfing and emailing. That plan is, I
think, mostly for people who use the internet on their phone in a fairly
limited way.
Thanks Levi...so it limits the amount that can go to you at any one time by
5mb? Or when you get up to 5mb it cuts off or charges more? I guess what I
want to know (since I'm new to this) is this limiting my web browsing by
this plan or just the speed? Thx
John, sorry you'll have to check with Cingular. My guess is, though, that
after you go past 5MB, it starts charging you the ala cart rate of however
many dollars per MB, and so you could easily end up with a very big bill if
you aren't careful about it...
I'm a little confused regarding PDANet. I don't currently have a data
plan...only family plan with three lines, and I'm connecting to the
internet through PDANet from my notebook (using trial version now). Am I
somehow circumventing Verizon's system to allow this, am I using normal
airtime usage from my plan, or is Verzon going to stick it to me with some
outlandish data access charges at the end of the month...anybody know how
this works?
Tucson, I'm not sure how you're doing it, but you might want to be careful,
as it might be deducting minutes or MB. It could be that your family plan
gets some small amount of data as part of the plan? You might pose the
question to the Verizon section on HowardForums.com...
is there any phone that will use my (or any) wireless ISP at 802.11g? Why
should I pay for two internet services?
Not sure if any phones can do 802.11g yet, but I know there are some that
can do 802.11b, and most public wifi hotspots are b anyway, aren't they?
As for why one would pay for two internet services, well, you don't
necessarily have to. You can also use your cellular phone as a modem by
hooking your computer to it. It may cost extra to do this, though, and
broadband connections have gotten pretty darn cheap - as low as
$15-20/month in some cases...
I have a Treo 700p, just downloaded the new PDAnet software for the 700p.
I poured over the Verizon plan for the MAX CHOICE 400 W/ UNLIMITED DATA
USAGE FOR $169.00. The company has a email server so set up to push emails
to the Treo as they come in prett sweet. Anyway, back to the plan... it
clearly states that VZEmail plans cannot be used to access the internet,
intranets, or other data networks... yada yada... then it says... if you
want to connect you laptop to your phone and use it as a modem you must
tether in a seperate data plan like the wireless pc card plans. ($79.00
unlimited) What a bunch of Bull CR@P.... Thank god PDAnet has a work
around available where you can try thier beta Proxy set up that makes it
look like you phone is using minutes instead of data.... AWESOME. I am
going to try this until I get my next bill and see how it works, i have not
used this PDAnet in the default config, so I can confirm that Verizon would
have charged me more but im pretty sure they would.