Average Wireless Bill Increased 7% in 2012

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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May 9, 2000
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Smartphone ownership and usage is way up over 2011 along with the monthly bills climbing an average of 7%. What happened to the good old days when higher consumer usage spelled lower costs?

Overall, 70% of wireless subscribers who took part in Consumer Reports’ survey owned smartphones this year, up from 50% in 2011.
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So, the major wireless carriers have us by the short and curlies. What are the viable alternatives....Straight Talk maybe, but anything else?
 
This is one of the reasons I haven't upgraded from my Galaxy S. I can't keep my old data plan and it would cost me an extra $15 a month for something I won't use.
 
i'm a bit surprised it's so little to be honest.

of course, i know my friend and his stupid iphone and he pays a whopping 120 a month in canada... and it's not even unlimited for anything either...
 
There are other options where I live but not great ones. I am with a smaller carrier, Public Mobile, and thy offer a plan for android phones that costs $55 a month with unlimited calling, text and data including Canadian long distance. The problem is their coverage sucks and the phones are inferior to big networks. Their android phones are still using gingerbread with the exception of one phone using ice cream sandwich. I am using one of their non smart phones and pay $32 a month for unlimited calling, text, voicemail, but if I drive 20 minutes in one direction then I am out of their coverage.
 
I pay $150 a month to Verizon and don't even have texting. That's for 2 smartphones and only 2 gigs of data per phone. I'm seriously considering just going to Straight Talk or hopefully a better alternative when my contract expires next September. In my line of work I don't have a use for a smartphone anyways, so in the end it's just a bunch of dumb shit I don't need, and it just simply isn't worth it.
 
I pay 97/month to Verizon for a normal amount of minutes, 10GB of data per month, and unlimited texting.

It's about 20 more than I was paying with sprint for unlimited everything on their shitty data network.

I switched because I wanted some awesome 4G action - was it worth it? I think so.

The big three know they have everyone on the hook for data, and charging insane rates per MB/GB all while laughing on the way to the bank after picking out the color of the interior of their 2nd mega yacht.

I'd love to see google set up shop as a provider. Even though I'm sure they have little interest at this point. I am loving what I'm seeing them do to slowly break into the provider side of internet with their gigabit rollout in that one area of the country.

Bandwidth is cheap - this isn't 1990, the idea of limited anything is crap. The only thing that's a bigger pile of crap are the plans that say unlimited, but really aren't

My contract is up mid to late 2013, I'm overall happy with Verizon, but I've been tempted by Straight Talk a few times. When you boil it down I don't REALLY need 20Mbit down to my phone when most of what I might do that requires mobile data is google maps.
 
Many people don't realize the taxes and fees on your major wireless bill comes out to about 28%. I'm still on my virgin mobile grandfathered $25 plan on a miui Motorola triumph and I've been satisfied with the unlimited text and 3g for the past year already. Iphone fanbois don't realize they're being robbed blind.
 
Funny...mine dropped in half when I bought my own phones and use no contract plans.

I remember when contract plans were 'good deals' and that's the reason you bought them. You idiots still using contracts are stupid.
 
BBA said:
Funny...mine dropped in half when I bought my own phones and use no contract plans.

I remember when contract plans were 'good deals' and that's the reason you bought them. You idiots still using contracts are stupid.
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Not being informed doesn't make someone an idiot. Simple Mobile, Straight talk and similar providers aren't advertised anywhere. The setup isn't straight forward compared to major carriers either. However, it saves a ton of money and they use the SAME network as the major carries.

There was a time when the government would have swept in and broke up these companies. Funny how AT&T controls more market post break up, and the government has done nothing.
 
So mobile fees will be like your cable bill in 10 years. The prices will keep going up until some people can't afford it anymore.

7% in one year that's a lot.
 
BBA said:
Funny...mine dropped in half when I bought my own phones and use no contract plans.

I remember when contract plans were 'good deals' and that's the reason you bought them. You idiots still using contracts are stupid.
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My AT&T contract is up next month and I will be switching to straight talk......but the plan that they have now WAS NOT available when I signed up with AT&T ..back then, it was cheaper to do a contract
 
I got straight talk here for me and the wife. got the 1000min/1000text month to month deal. $64ish a month for two phones. will never go back to a contract again.

last time I had a verizon contract it was $160-200 a month for no frills and two basic phones. to hell with that.
 
BBA said:
Funny...mine dropped in half when I bought my own phones and use no contract plans.

I remember when contract plans were 'good deals' and that's the reason you bought them. You idiots still using contracts are stupid.
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So, say you have Verizon. If you want a new phone, you can pay like, $50 or less and get a new Smartphone, and be on a 2 year contract for X amount per month. Or, you can buy a phone off-contract (something like $400+) and still pay X amount per month for the service.

Unless you like to switch carriers a lot, there is really no point in doing that if you plan to have the service for at least two years anyway. If you keep the service for two years you are paying way more off-contract.
 
Yes this is an industry that needs to move fully to a monopoly (or a 2 company oligopoly at least). No competition needed here.
 
I have a tracfone.

It suits my needs. I easily go 3 months on $60 of time.

I used to have a contract phone but shelling out 90+ bucks on the bare minimal was too much.
 
MavericK96 said:
So, say you have Verizon. If you want a new phone, you can pay like, $50 or less and get a new Smartphone, and be on a 2 year contract for X amount per month. Or, you can buy a phone off-contract (something like $400+) and still pay X amount per month for the service.

Unless you like to switch carriers a lot, there is really no point in doing that if you plan to have the service for at least two years anyway. If you keep the service for two years you are paying way more off-contract.
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You can get $45/mo TOTAL for unlimited EVERYTHING service on any carrier you want, you can get unlimited data (5GB at 4G speed) plus unlimited text, plus 100 min talk for $30, if you don't talk much. The phone costs what ever you find one at.

Any major contract plan will cost you at a minimum of $1200 MORE than the cost of the non contract plan over a two year service term. So, tell me what phone you cannot afford with that $1200 you save? An unlocked international Galaxy 3 (quad core) can be bought on ebay for $500, with a spare battery to boot.

Now do you get it?
 
I'm in at $350ish a month to Verizon. That's for 3 Galaxy Nexus, a Droid 4, and an LG Android of some kind. All 5 lines share 1200 minutes, everything else is unlimited.
 
Since we're talking about smartphones/usage and carriers overcharging IMO. I'll just add that I can't wait to end my contract with Verizon in a year and move to pre-paid, permanently.

So I'd like to say this to Verizon...Unlimited is unlimited! If you don't like it, waive my early termination fee of $350 and I'm gone. Never to be seen again! Until then, enjoy my stats.


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Yes, this is on purpose. Verizon likes to charge me $100+ a month for 450 minutes, unlimited texts, and unlimited data, shit, I'm going to use it! Yeah, don't care. However if they think I'm overusing their service and agree to let me out of my contract early I'll be happy to leave their service. :p
 
Some people are slow/dumb

my verizon riddled htc thunderbolt cost me $125 + $1960.32 over 2 years.
LTE was nice but it's not like I need it.... plus they ganked me out of my unlimited data

my google samsung nexus gsm cost me $349 + $720 over 2 years... unlimited text/4g data up to 5gb then throttled but unlimited, 100 minutes.... (groove IP + google voice anyone?)
HSPA+ 21mb/s is fine by me I have full signall strength everywhere I go and my phone is not on nazi network with a retarded bootloader, I get all my updates for android first too even on a not new device.
oh sorry forgot 99 cents shipped for me sim card.
 
I am at $200/month for 3 phones for the family.
I checked on Straight Talk. >>> We are sorry but we do not offer coverage in the area that you have requested. Please enter a different zip code.
 
I use SimpleMobile, and have had no complaints with them at all. I have a Blackberry, so my monthly fees are about $50/mo for unlimited everything. It's $40/mo for a non-BB phone I think.

I've used SimpleMobile service in Florida and California, worked great in both places.

Before SM, I was on ATT. At $100/mo for the lowest minutes plan, unlimited data, and unlimited texts, it sure as hell was not worth it. Plus when it was time to renew, they didnt give me the option to continue the unlimited data, so I told them to eat shit. Exact words. I tried dealing with ATT, I had an account for over 8 years with absolutely no late payments, the account was also linked to a business account, and ATT didnt give a shit. They werent able to offer me any kind of deal, so I pulled all services with them, personal and business related. I now pay significantly less per month, have better personal phone service, and far better cable internet and phones at the business than I ever had with ATT.
 
Switched to Verizon's share everything plan.

Old plan: 2 Lines, unlimited talk, total of 400 text, unlimited data - $210

New plan: 2 lines, unlimited talk, unlimited text, 4GB shared data $140

I like my new plan...
 
jadams said:
Switched to Verizon's share everything plan.

Old plan: 2 Lines, unlimited talk, total of 400 text, unlimited data - $210

New plan: 2 lines, unlimited talk, unlimited text, 4GB shared data $140

I like my new plan...
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How about this: Straight Talk...$45/mo, LTE, unlimited voice/data/text per phone, no other charges, no fees, 2 phones would come out to $90/mo total for you.

With your two lines you could be saving $50/mo. That's $1200 in two years you just threw out the window.I guess you could have bought two $500 phones and still saved $200 in the end.
 
MasonD said:
So I'd like to say this to Verizon...Unlimited is unlimited! If you don't like it, waive my early termination fee of $350 and I'm gone. Never to be seen again! Until then, enjoy my stats.
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Force that phone to roaming and I guarantee they will. (Check the terms of your data plan first; I'm pretty sure it's unlimited data in the US, but it's probably worth checking to avoid any surprises.)
 
Based on gold ... the value of the US Dollar has dropped by 7.4% over 2012.

It isn't that Wireless became more expensive ... its the fact that you need more dollars to buy the same out of service.
 
After having Sprint for 11 years and having nothing but problems with their service coverage for the last 2, I decided to go to AT&T. I pay $10-15 (Sprint was $130 per month) more per month and have 6GB shared between two phones and could not be happier. My wife and I do not use more than 2-2.5GB but for the extra $10, it was worth it for the 6GB over the 4GB shared plan. We both have phones that work great, have coverage at my house (we needed an Airwave with Sprint), and LTE everywhere that we go (Atlanta and Naples).

Is it worth it, definitely because it works. I was paying $130 +tax for a service that was shit and is still shit.
 
zyonuf79 said:
So, the major wireless carriers have us by the short and curlies. What are the viable alternatives....Straight Talk maybe, but anything else?
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Um...not owning a cell phone is a pretty good alternative. It works great for me. :)
 
I pay 5000 krw a month for my dumb phone, free incoming calls/texts, and max signal all over the peninsula. Awe yea. :D
 
BBA said:
How about this: Straight Talk...$45/mo, LTE, unlimited voice/data/text per phone, no other charges, no fees, 2 phones would come out to $90/mo total for you.

With your two lines you could be saving $50/mo. That's $1200 in two years you just threw out the window.I guess you could have bought two $500 phones and still saved $200 in the end.
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Cool. My post was really to discredit the thread title in that bills went up when mine went down by 30%.

My job also pays 70/month of it lowering my bill even more.

I do not know what carrier you have, it sounds good. Perhaps share it next time.
 
Time to go back to a two cans and a string.

Smoke signals maybe?

I got my bill to $50 month, earlier this year I was paying nearly $100 a month. Have not noticed a single difference, but now that money is tight I gotta find ways to save money.
 
Taldren said:
Based on gold ... the value of the US Dollar has dropped by 7.4% over 2012.

It isn't that Wireless became more expensive ... its the fact that you need more dollars to buy the same out of service.
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Gold's purchasing power is less consistent than the dollar.

Gold only offers protection if a single currency bombs. But its unlikely the US currency would bomb without others bombing too either from the same reasons or deliberately to retain the upper hand on US trade.
 
jpm100 said:
Gold's purchasing power is less consistent than the dollar.
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Less consistent as in gold becomes more valuable while the dollar becomes less valuable? Yeah, I'll take gold.

Gold only offers protection if a single currency bombs. But its unlikely the US currency would bomb without others bombing too either from the same reasons or deliberately to retain the upper hand on US trade.
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This just isn't true. Gold offers protection if every single currency in the world collapses. It is a tangible asset after all unlike fiat currencies. Also, it does have a 6,000 year proven track record which is why banks still hold it/buy it/manipulate it while removing our gold backing from the ever growing supply of useless cotton with ink on it they give us to use.

Last thing, you say currencies bombing together like it's a good thing, that is exactly why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Theft through inflation.
 
So here's you're alternatives:

Straight Talk (AT&T or T-mobile's network)
T-mobile Prepaid ($30/mo for 100min/Unlimited text/Unlimited Data is a great deal)
T-mobile Value Plan (requires contract, but still generally cheaper than the other 3 carriers)
Ting (Sprint network, really only makes sense if you're a light user, will offer bring your own device soon, though only Sprint ones and with restrictions - no iPhones, no Blackberries, blacklist will be announced soon)
Page Plus (Verizon network, BYOD with heavy restrictions - no 4G phones, no iPhones)
 
went to Straight Talk earlier this year and haven't regretted it once. On a new smart phone (iPhone 5), service is just as good as AT&T was and I'm paying less than half of what I was on AT&T even with our company discount.

LTE was really nice when I had it (got my phone through Verizon, since it's unlocked on GSM) but there is no way I'd go back to a $100+/mo plan for it.
 
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