The End Of Unlimited Data On Verizon

The era of unlimited data on Verizon is coming to an end as the news has leaked, and has since been confirmed, that starting July 7th Verizon customers signing a new contract will no longer have the $29.99 data option. What hasn't been confirmed yet but is being widely reported is that you will still be shelling out at least 30 bucks for your data plan, but now that will be the cost of their minimum option and will only get you 2GB of bandwidth.

Here is the rumored data pricing structure:

2GB – $30/month
5GB – $50/month
10GB – $80/month

And if this wasn't bad enough, Verizon also thinks that you shouldn't be able to use your bandwidth how you chose and will implement a "required" data plan for those that like to tether for the "bargain" pricing below:

4GB – $50/month
7GB – $70/month
12GB – $100/month

Why exactly does it matter how I use my bandwidth especially since it is no longer unlimited?

All above plans include a $10 per GB overage charge and a bottle of Vaseline to ease the pain when you bend over. (1 hour streaming Netflix will eat up around 1gb for those wondering)

If you are a Verizon smartphone user in South Dakota, what does that mean to you?

As long as you happen to spend most of your time along the I29 corridor and don't travel to points west very often, you still have the option of telling Verizon to pack sand and sign up with Sprint. They have a very good selection of Android and Blackberry phones (no iPhone) and still offer true unlimited data for those of us that tend to use our phones like they were intended to be used. But if you are like me and spend a lot of time outside of Sioux Falls, Sprint is not an option.

That just leaves new South Dakota resident AT&T. Unfortunately, they have long since done away with their unlimited data programs after finding out that their crappy network couldn't handle the traffic. They do have somewhat better pricing plans, averaging about $5 a month less plus they have a much more wallet friendly plan for those that are small time data consumers but if you plan on streaming a lot of music or video with any carrier other than Sprint, plan on taking on a 2nd job.

200MB – $15/month
2GB – $25/month
4GB – $45/month

Where does that leave current Verizon customers that often use over 2GB a month?

If you are currently enjoying unlimited data, you should continue to do so and will until you sign your next 2 year contract. If you are eligible for an upgrade but were just waiting for Verizon's next super phone i.e. the Bionic, you either continue to wait and then get hit with the new data pricing or you chose one of Verizon's current offerings before the 7th and get locked in under the old pricing. If you aren't due for an upgrade until sometime after the 7th, you either keep your current phone, pay full price for one now, or bite the bullet after the 7th and use wi-fi wherever possible. So far no word on what will happen to those who are month to month and chose to pay full price for their phones yet.

Finally, what if you are like me and being told that you will effectively be required to pay more for less doesn't sound very palatable? 

That remains to be seen for me as I just renewed and have 2 years to decide but that old Motorola Razr in my desk drawer is looking a lot better as does saying goodbye to Verizon altogether.

(via DroidLife)

UPDATE: It now looks like customers already on Verizon's $29.99 unlimited data plan as of 7/7/2011 will be grandfathered in for the foreseeable future even after renewing their 2 year contracts. The rumors now point to only those buying new lines or moving to smart phones for the first time having to choose a tiered data plan.

(4Z66TKHF8X3D)

AT&T Propaganda In The Capitol Journal

I came across an interesting article this morning in the Pierre Capitol Journal that had to be something originating right out of the marketing department of AT&T. The piece covers the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile and how it will do nothing but benefit customers of both companies.

Putting aside for the moment that the only person cited in the article is AT&T's regional vice president of external affairs, the article fails to touch any of the many problems that this merger could cause. I especially loved this line from AT&T that specifically addresses South Dakota:

“We are really excited about it,” Canuteson said. “It is going to be great for a state like South Dakota with small, rural, metropolitan areas where 4G technology wouldn’t necessarily come for a long time without something like this.”

Really? So buying out T-Mobile, which doesn't even have a presence here will some how magically allow AT&T to upgrade our technology? Considering that AT&T just finished building their network in South Dakota from the ground up after buying Alltel's assets and built it using older 3G technology instead of their already sub par "4G" system why do I not believe you? And in regards to our so-called small rural metropolitan areas not seeing 4G, they somehow failed to mention that Sioux Falls is already enjoying the technology...on the much faster Verizon network.

AT&T merging with T-Mobile will surely have some benefits, mainly for T-Mobile's share holders, but for consumers I see little to cheer for. We already have very little competition with only 4 major carriers (only 2 with a significant presence here) and cutting that down to 3 won't help especially considering T-Mobile has the cheapest plans on average of the big 4.

So what is really behind all the merger propaganda coming from AT&T and published by the Capitol Journal without even once throwing the much needed BS flag?

I'm guessing AT&T is starting to worry that the merger is in trouble and is hoping to win the support of consumers before it is too late to which our local papers' advertising departments "news" department seem to be more than happy to oblige. After all if it doesn't get approved and the deal falls apart, AT&T will be on the hook to T-Mobile for $6 billion in cash and prizes. Ouch!

That's a lot of unavailable ad dollars iPhone sales...

4G Goes Live In Sioux Falls

Verizon had promised that 4G would go live by June 16th and they have made good on that promise. Pulling into the Sioux Falls Regional Airport this morning I noticed the beautiful sight of the 4G icon for the first time on my Thunderbolt.

Enjoy Sioux Falls, it is about time we were able to get onboard with new technology before it had already become obsolete.

21 4G Markets To Go Live June 16th [Updated With Some Sioux Falls News]

Will Sioux Falls finally go live this time around?

Verizon has just announced on their Twitter page that they will be hitting the 4G switch in 21 new markets on June 16th. As per usual, the tweet doesn't give any details but rumors have the following cities being some of the chosen few. [UPDATED to include more markets]

• Ann Arbor, MI
• Flint, MI
• Grand Rapids, MI
• Lansing, MI
• Indianapolis, IN
• Fort Wayne, IN
• State College, PA
• Erie, PA
• Harrisburg, PA
• Dayton, OH
• Springfield, OH
• Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
• Hartford, CT
• Madison, WI
• Milwaukee, WI
• Racine, WI
• Kenosha, WI
• Wisconsin Dells, WI
• Sacramento, CA
• Sioux Falls, SD!

Those of us in the Sioux Falls area shouldn't give up hope for the 16th just yet as the above does not represent the complete list and mid-June does correspond with the summertime launch we were told to expect when 4G service was first announced for the Sioux Falls area.

UPDATE: It is official. Verizon has just announced that Sioux Falls will go live by June 16th!

Verizon Wireless To Launch 4G LTE In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, By June 16

Customer Inquiries

For customer inquiries, please call 800-922-0204 or go to
Contact Us

Media Contact Info

Karen Smith
Karen.Smith@VerizonWireless.com
763-595-2511
http://twitter.com/KarenVZW


05/23/2011

SIOUX FALLS, SD —

Verizon Wireless announced today that it is bringing the world’s first large-scale 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network to Sioux Falls, S.D. by June 16. Residents in the City of Sioux Falls, including north to Dell Rapids and south to Beresford on Interstate 29 as well as east to Brandon and west to Hartford on Interstate 90 that have 4G LTE smartphones, laptop modems and hot spots will be able to take advantage of speeds up to 10 times faster than the company’s 3G network.

“Our 4G LTE network is revolutionizing the way people communicate, and we know this connectivity will be a key communications and technology enabler for many years to come.” said Seamus Hyland, president–Great Plains Region, Verizon Wireless. “ We are proud to bring the ability for South Dakota consumers to move large files faster and enjoy smooth mobile video conferencing. But, this is only the beginning, and the opportunities with 4G LTE are limitless.”

In real-world, fully-loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink. Verizon Wireless began introducing the globe’s first large-scale LTE network on December 5, 2010, covering more than 110 million Americans, and is quickly expanding national coverage, currently offering service in 55 metropolitan areas. The company is rapidly building out its 4G LTE network, and is on course to deliver 4G LTE to its entire 3G wireless footprint by the end of 2013.

As the first wireless company in the world to broadly deploy game-changing 4G LTE technology, Verizon Wireless is committed to building its 4G network with the same performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized. Verizon Wireless’ consistent focus on reliability is based on rigid engineering standards and a disciplined deployment approach year after year. The company’s 700 MHz spectrum gives Verizon Wireless specific advantages with 4G, including a contiguous, nationwide network license.

Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 104 million total wireless connections, including more than 88 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

####

Is It Time For Google To Step In?

News around the net yesterday revolved around an exploit discovered by German researchers that opens up over 99% of the Android devices in the wild to a security breach when on an open wi-fi network.

Android applications can acquire a security token from the ClientLogin authorization process. This token (known as authToken) is then passed back to the device and with its presence the device is authorized to make changes to the user’s Google account. The problem is that this authToken can then be sent from other applications, unencrypted allowing for the authToken to be “sniffed” and stolen over an open WiFi network. The authToken is valid for a whole 2 weeks and is not bound to any specific device, service, or session. Therefore once the token is taken, a “hacker” could potentially steal, modify, or erase the user’s Google contact and calendar data

The exploit which was patched in the latest version of Android is just the most recent example of what is wrong with Google's operating system as it is now and it doesn't necessarily reside solely with Google. Like I said the issue was patched by Google but unless you have one of the few Google branded phones out there (like .3% of the Android phones) you haven't seen the update yet and many of us likely never will. And there is where the problem is.

Google updates Android quite frequently, in fact that latest version of Android, Gingerbread, has been out for almost a year and updated several times since then. Unfortunately though if you were to look through Verizon's stable of Android phones, not one is available with Gingerbread installed including their wallet busting 4G "super phones" the Charge and the Thunderbolt. Ouch...

As an outsider looking in it appears that the OEM's seem to be more concerned with putting their update killing Skins on a phone, ie. Motorola's Blur, Samsung's Touchwiz, and HTC's Sense, than keeping the operating system they run on current. Then if they do get around to updating we still have to wait for the cell carriers to test and add their bloatware before finally get around to pushing it out to our phones. Finally  the OEM's are doing their best to make it more difficult for us to do what they seem unwilling to do, update the OS on our own because of their decision to lock down the boot loaders making root access difficult if not impossible. Sounds like a malicious hacker's dream situation, an immensely popular operating system that is rarely updated.

So what is a Verizon Android lover to do? We don't have access to a Google Nexus phone with it's consistently updated operating system and even buying a new phone doesn't guarantee getting the latest OS (is it really a new phone if it runs an outdated OS?). All we can hope for it seems is that Google uses its considerable clout to steer the OEM's and cell carriers towards doing what they should already be doing, updating their products.

If and until that happens security flaws like the one exposed yesterday will continue to be an issue even after being exposed and Google will sooner or later become a security joke on par with Microsoft of years gone by. Eventually, and it truly pains me to say this, the security conscious among us might be forced to embrace the closed system provided by that company with a fruit logo.

Please Google, help us.

UPDATE: Google says it will be sending out a server side patch to fix this latest security issue.

Sunday Rant - Asking For Too Much From Verizon? [UPDATED]

As I was standing in line at the Verizon corporate store in Sioux Falls yesterday waiting to replace my Thunderbolt (for the last time!) it hit me. Are we really asking for too much when we buy a phone to actually get a product that works?

Obviously any phone you choose will make and receive phone calls out of the box, though some may dispute even that notion, but considering we pay anywhere up to $300 for a phone and then an extra $30 a month for a pipe to the internet, shouldn't we get a finished product in return?

Take my HTC Thunderbolt for instance. From day one it seemed obvious to me that this thing was not ready for prime time. Sure it looks great and is one of the fastest phones on the market but shouldn't one expect a $249 along with a 2 year obligation "portable" phone to actually be portable? How is being tethered to a charger because of a 5-6 hour battery life portable? Believe it or not my workday is a bit longer than that so shouldn't my portable phone at a minimum be able to get me through that workday? I guess not

Also shouldn't one expect one's internet enabled smart phone to actually be connected to the internet? Again apparently HTC thought that wasn't the case as my Thunderbolt would decide at various times during the day that it's data connection wasn't needed and for some reason would shut down requiring a reboot to turn it back on.

Speaking of reboots, besides the fact that a reboot with the Thunderbolt is a seemingly endless process taking several minutes to complete, HTC has made it easy for you to perform that action.The Thunderbolt does it all for you rebooting several times a day all on its own usually at the worst times imaginable, you know like in the middle of a phone call.

Now before someone says the obvious that it was just a bad phone, let me say that forums are full of people all with the same complaints and after going through 2 phones myself with the same problems I would have say that it is not an isolated issue. In fact HTC just pushed out an update that was supposed to fix the data connection issue, which in my experience it didn't by the way and actually made my rebooting issue worse!

So there I was at the Verizon store once again trying to find a phone that meets a certain set of standards. You know something that gets me through a full day without having to charge it, makes phone calls, stays connected to the internet, and above all stays turned on. Is that asking for too much for ones money? We'll see.

I now have my Thunderbolt sitting on my desk doing what it does do well, being a paperweight, while I setup its replacement, the Incredible 2 which believe it or not early on is also giving cause for concern besides the obvious fact that I just wasted my last available upgrade only a little over a month after using one. I'll give HTC's latest Verizon phone a few days before getting too worried but stay tuned for more on that in the near future.

Anyone want to buy a paperweight Thunderbolt?

UPDATE 5/23: Further highlighting the issue, my Incredible 2 would lose cell signal consistently at my house so back it went to Verizon. Instead of pressing my luck with a different Incredible or another handset I decided to root my Thunderbolt and loaded the BAMF Remix v1.6.3 ROM. So far I have yet to experience 1 reboot and my battery life has been amazing (Ok, not really but by Thunderbolt standards it has been).

Verizon Is Teasing Us Once Again

Last month Verizon sent out a cryptic tweet announcing that a "mess" of new cities would be going live on their 4G network within a day or so. Their idea of a mess ending up being like 5 or 6 cities, none of which were Sioux Falls.

Fast forward to today and Verizon's latest tease intimating another batch of new 4G cities going live. Of course at the time of this writing the link given doesn't give us even a hint of which markets they are talking about so if you are in Sioux Falls and have either the Thunderbolt, the Droid Charge which is supposedly on sale starting today, or one of the 4g modems, keep your eyes peeled and cross all your fingers and toes.