Americans With Broadband Plateaued, Most Rely On Smartphones For Internet

Would you be able to tolerate having your smartphone as the only means to go online?

In general, when given a choice, people prefer to use their smartphone for getting in touch with family or friends but, for watching video, they prefer a device with a larger screen that uses a home broadband connection. At the same time, many “smartphone-only” users say that the reason they do not have broadband at home is because their smartphone lets them do all they need to do online, underscoring the device’s utility for those without a home high-speed subscription.

If one is on a low tier hardline broadband plan then I could see those people being happy with using LTE for everything. I'm on Time Warner and got 300/50 Mbps this year finally. LTE is fine for a backup and on the go but no way I'd want it for my only connection.

Kind of shows what choices does to people, you have a cable company + whatever local AT&T monopoly satellite telco as your only two choices for internet, then all of a sudden wow you mean I can use my smart phone? Holy cow I'd rather get screwed if I go over 5GB/month than get screwed by them!

Because, there has not been a killer app that requires more. That's a lack of innovation more than anything.

This will be a self correcting problem as more cable cord cutters go to on demand viewing. This is doubly true as the only connections that can stream and avoid data caps are fixed wired.

There are between 1.5 and 12 million people who lost unlimited plans a month ago when Clear shut down.

So back in 1982 a court order resulted in AT&T being broken up into what was known as the "Baby bell's" due to anticompetitive concerns.

A nice diverse telephone provider diversity... great for competition.


Through acquisitions now look at it... AT&T re-aquired a lot of the babies & two other players exists...


So what in the original ruling is now void to facilitate this being "ok" as it stifles the industry

It's easy to move people back to the hardline but that would require them to spend money and get contracts that would require lawyers.

Back when I was on AT&T DSL, yeah, it was easier to hook my laptop up to my smartphone and use the wireless network. The connection was faster and more stable.

No thanks - Still have verizon unlimited LTE plan but nothing compared to my 150mbit FIOS line. Wish google fiber was everywhere.

naib said:

So back in 1982 a court order resulted in AT&T being broken up into what was known as the "Baby bell's" due to anticompetitive concerns.

A nice diverse telephone provider diversity... great for competition.


Through acquisitions now look at it... AT&T re-aquired a lot of the babies & two other players exists...


So what in the original ruling is now void to facilitate this being "ok" as it stifles the industry

Click to expand...

Well I hate to point out the obvious, but originally Ma-Bell was the only choice everywhere, now there are 3 choices, however monopolies apparently only are valid concern on a country wide scale, when locally there are no other choices it's not a "monopoly"

This is mostly about poor people who don't care about computers and never have. If they ever had a computer, it was basically forced on them by the need for email, and ended up being used mostly for facebook. Those same people can do email, facebook, constant non-stop texting, etc on their phones and have no need for a computer.

What is important to remember is that many now have their cell-phone as their only phone now. Pretty much the only people who really even have landlines anymore are those who still have them from 20 years ago and just never stopped paying the bill. So the question really isn't about if people prefer their computer over their phone as that ignores the phone part of the equation. You can browse the internet with limitations using your phone but it's much harder to use your computer as a mobile phone. Giving up a phone is obviously not a real option for most, so if one has to go, it ends up being the computer.

What is obnoxious is when people try to draw conclusions about this as if your average American doesn't think computers are useful anymore. Pretty much anyone who can afford it has a real computer as well as broadband. Unfortunately for many, crack cocaine, heroin, etc is more of a financial priority, and buying illegal drugs is easier when you have a phone.

I'm deeply concerned for the future of the internet. Telecom giants have been pumping new unheard of levels of cash on our crony corrupt Congress while simultaneously initiating legal battles on every front to get their way. One way or another "by hook or crook" I feel it's only a matter of time before they get their way. If they cant bribe, brainwash, or bully their way into remaking the Internet into Cable 2.0, expect a 2am stealth amendment into some large omnibus "must pass" bill that's being voted on in mere hours.

Public support (or lack there of) has a mathematically near zero impact on a bill passing or being rejected (20yr peer reviewed study done by Princeton University) . The only way average citizens are taken into account when it comes to lawmaking is "how much can we get away with" without causing a critical mass of unrest and protest. We lost this country a long time ago to Multinational Corporations, elite baking cartels, prominent Billionares, and the Military Industrial Complex. Only a flimsy thinly veiled "illusion" of self governance and freedom exists.

sfsuphysics said:

Well I hate to point out the obvious, but originally Ma-Bell was the only choice everywhere, now there are 3 choices, however monopolies apparently only are valid concern on a country wide scale, when locally there are no other choices it's not a "monopoly"

Click to expand...

Well it just shifted from a government controller monopoly which would fix pricing based on committee looking at wealth distributions and "fair profit" to a privately control monopoly fixing pricing based on maximizing profits. Basically America lost their appetite for government monopolies but are fine getting reamed by private ones.

I worked with someone who had their phone tethered to their xbox to play on xbox live. He had to buy a cell phone antenna booster to improve the connection enough to pull it off though.

Semantics said:

Well it just shifted from a government controller monopoly which would fix pricing based on committee looking at wealth distributions and "fair profit" to a privately control monopoly fixing pricing based on maximizing profits. Basically America lost their appetite for government monopolies but are fine getting reamed by private ones.

Click to expand...

Overwhelmingly people don't support this and much of the Orwellian tripe that fashions itself as law today. The real problem is multifaceted and quite vast in it's woven interconnection with society at large. A few key points for your consideration...

* A systematic and total hijacking of our Government Multinational Corporations, Elite Baking cartels, prominent Billionares, and the Military Industrial Complex at every federal level and agency. These groups represent the REAL authority and power in the United States and much of the industrialized world. A "few" white hats exist, but are overwhelmed and grossly outnumbered by the ruthless, corrupt, and self serving.

* 95% of every form of traditional media (Television, Movies, Newspapers, Radio, Magazines) is owned by 6 Corporate giants. They set the narrative, frame the discussions in very shallow narrow sighted sound bites, dumb down the topics and discussion, ignore critical stories, heckle and shun those who rail against the "status quo" and "consensus reality", and overwhelmingly serve our plutocracy as brainwashers and hired clappers of the system.

* A systematic dumbing down of our public education system. It teaches only the basics (which is continually being scaled back in expectations and standards) and a highly sanitized, tightly controlled, very limiting perception of ourselves, society, history, and the world at large. Creativity and critical thinking skills are ignored in favor of teaching and rewarding memorization and conformity.

* A Military Industrial Complex who since the 1940's has been sitting on anti-gravity propulsion, free energy, and advances in most fields of science and medicine that are so far ahead of where we are today, their applied sciences would be perceived as magic to most even the highly educated. Through key laws (and loopholes) governing our alphabet agencies made in the 1940's and 50's, the Neo-Fascist Transnational Security State was born. Thanks to Unacknowledged Special Access Programs (USAP) they operate with no oversight or accountability to anyone but themselves. This Transnational Security State is also directly responsible for the confiscation, censorship, and suppression technologies and advances that would render key financial industries obsolete (Eenrgy and Medicine in particular).

It does feel like it would be pretty tough to only rely on my smartphone for internet, but mostly because it's hard to imagine depending on just the smartphone for netflix/online gaming/large downloads/etc. Especially with a small data cap.

GotNoRice said:

This is mostly about poor people who don't care about computers and never have. If they ever had a computer, it was basically forced on them by the need for email, and ended up being used mostly for facebook. Those same people can do email, facebook, constant non-stop texting, etc on their phones and have no need for a computer.

Click to expand...

It's not just poor people, several (non technical) people at work don't have computers at home.
There are many non-techie types who really don't see a need for a computer when all they would use it for is email and Facebook.
Instead of buying a computer, paying for broadband, paying for a landline, and buying a camera, they spend that money on a larger/nicer cell phone with a decent data plan.

I've considered only having my smartphone for internet and using it as a wifi hotspot via tethering, but there's too much lag sometimes.

Iceshot said:

Overwhelmingly people don't support this and much of the Orwellian tripe that fashions itself as law today. The real problem is multifaceted and quite vast in it's woven interconnection with society at large. A few key points for your consideration...

* A systematic and total hijacking of our Government Multinational Corporations, Elite Baking cartels, prominent Billionares, and the Military Industrial Complex at every federal level and agency. These groups represent the REAL authority and power in the United States and much of the industrialized world. A "few" white hats exist, but are overwhelmed and grossly outnumbered by the ruthless, corrupt, and self serving.

* 95% of every form of traditional media (Television, Movies, Newspapers, Radio, Magazines) is owned by 6 Corporate giants. They set the narrative, frame the discussions in very shallow narrow sighted sound bites, dumb down the topics and discussion, ignore critical stories, heckle and shun those who rail against the "status quo" and "consensus reality", and overwhelmingly serve our plutocracy as brainwashers and hired clappers of the system.

* A systematic dumbing down of our public education system. It teaches only the basics (which is continually being scaled back in expectations and standards) and a highly sanitized, tightly controlled, very limiting perception of ourselves, society, history, and the world at large. Creativity and critical thinking skills are ignored in favor of teaching and rewarding memorization and conformity.

* A Military Industrial Complex who since the 1940's has been sitting on anti-gravity propulsion, free energy, and advances in most fields of science and medicine that are so far ahead of where we are today, their applied sciences would be perceived as magic to most even the highly educated. Through key laws (and loopholes) governing our alphabet agencies made in the 1940's and 50's, the Neo-Fascist Transnational Security State was born. Thanks to Unacknowledged Special Access Programs (USAP) they operate with no oversight or accountability to anyone but themselves. This Transnational Security State is also directly responsible for the confiscation, censorship, and suppression technologies and advances that would render key financial industries obsolete (Eenrgy and Medicine in particular).

Click to expand...

nutzo said:

It's not just poor people, several (non technical) people at work don't have computers at home.
There are many non-techie types who really don't see a need for a computer when all they would use it for is email and Facebook.
Instead of buying a computer, paying for broadband, paying for a landline, and buying a camera, they spend that money on a larger/nicer cell phone with a decent data plan.

Click to expand...

I bet these people have big screen TVs and pay $$$/mo for cable or satellite TV service so they can watch advertisements 33% of the time.

Could I survive with only my phone? Hell no.

Cmdrmonkey said:

Click to expand...

Society once suffered from ignorant superstition, today it suffers from ignorant skepticism. Ah yes (sigh).... the old fail safe dismissive "non" argument defense of "tin foil hat". The one designed to shut down critical thinking, objectivity, and discernment to all who witness it being brandished. Well, at least in those ignorant enough to fall for such childish tricks.

You know, it does not bother me that you don't agree or take aim at my views, it's that you offer no context to your position. Instead you prefer to cower behind a overplayed fatuous jest. Since you were so kind as to offer me a hat to wear for this discussion, allow me to present you a hat of your own to wear



The adults are conversing, please fell free to remove your hat and return to the discussion when you actually have something substantive to offer.

Been phone only since leaving SoCal 2 years ago. Internet is a joke outside metro areas. Best available here is 6mbps/784kbps with a 150gb cap for $55+.

Use my phone and get a solid 50/30mbps connection. And it's $30 for data, used 270gb last month. Bonus, plugs into my Asus router and gives wifi to entire house.

sfsuphysics said:

Well I hate to point out the obvious, but originally Ma-Bell was the only choice everywhere, now there are 3 choices, however monopolies apparently only are valid concern on a country wide scale, when locally there are no other choices it's not a "monopoly"

Click to expand...

Many, many areas only have one option. Just because there are three giant companies, doesn't mean they have a hell of a lot of overlap. Plus with so few players, there have typically been agreements not to have services below a certain price point. It's much more profitable to cooperate than to compete.

Iceshot said:

Society once suffered from ignorant superstition, today it suffers from ignorant skepticism. Ah yes (sigh).... the old fail safe dismissive "non" argument defense of "tin foil hat". The one designed to shut down critical thinking, objectivity, and discernment to all who witness it being brandished. Well, at least in those ignorant enough to fall for such childish tricks.

Click to expand...

I was going to say, it's not like anything you posted wasn't true.

Makes sense as money doesn't buy as much these days people buy what their more likely to use.

Why pay double if you don't need it?

naib said:

So back in 1982 a court order resulted in AT&T being broken up into what was known as the "Baby bell's" due to anticompetitive concerns.

A nice diverse telephone provider diversity... great for competition.


Through acquisitions now look at it... AT&T re-aquired a lot of the babies & two other players exists...


So what in the original ruling is now void to facilitate this being "ok" as it stifles the industry

Click to expand...

Nothing.

Anti-Trust was thrown to the wind in the 90's because it was good for Mergers.
Merger were good for the 90's stock market bubble.
The bubble deceptively seemed good for all the people relatively new to following the market via their IRA's and 401(k)'s.
All those people who thought they were going to retire on their own desert island rubber stamped politicians in office at the time.
The politicians of the time no different from today self-servingly continued to throw anti-trust to the wind.

Semantics said:

Well it just shifted from a government controller monopoly which would fix pricing based on committee looking at wealth distributions and "fair profit" to a privately control monopoly fixing pricing based on maximizing profits. Basically America lost their appetite for government monopolies but are fine getting reamed by private ones.

Click to expand...

There's really no such thing; all monopolies are government-created.

from someone who only has cellular data as an option where I live I have to say that no it doesn't surprise me, and I really want another choice. It's something I would love to fix but there really isn't one.

tetris42 said:

Many, many areas only have one option. Just because there are three giant companies, doesn't mean they have a hell of a lot of overlap. Plus with so few players, there have typically been agreements not to have services below a certain price point. It's much more profitable to cooperate than to compete.

I was going to say, it's not like anything you posted wasn't true.

Click to expand...

You did read the part towards the end about how the illuminati has UFO antigravity technology and cures for every disease but keeps them from us because of...reasons. The guy sounded sort of sane towards the beginning, and then he posted that. Hence the tin foil hat.

People post things like this about the illuminati when they're off whatever psych meds they should be taking:

* A Military Industrial Complex who since the 1940's has been sitting on anti-gravity propulsion, free energy, and advances in most fields of science and medicine that are so far ahead of where we are today, their applied sciences would be perceived as magic to most even the highly educated. Through key laws (and loopholes) governing our alphabet agencies made in the 1940's and 50's, the Neo-Fascist Transnational Security State was born. Thanks to Unacknowledged Special Access Programs (USAP) they operate with no oversight or accountability to anyone but themselves. This Transnational Security State is also directly responsible for the confiscation, censorship, and suppression technologies and advances that would render key financial industries obsolete (Eenrgy and Medicine in particular).

Click to expand...

Cmdrmonkey said:

People post things like this about the illuminati when they're off whatever psych meds they should be taking:

Click to expand...

Let me ask you a serious question. How much time have you personally devoted into learning about the Military Industrial Complex? Did your form your opinion that this is all woo woo bat shit "tin foil hat" conspiracy nonsense based on careful, open minded, and objective review of compelling information backed up with facts and creditable testimony? Or instead, dismissed the topic as a whole with little or no fact checking of your own? I'm inclined at this point to believe it's the latter of the two...

There are scores of official government documents spanning back to the 1930's that reveal a great deal into the secrecy I previously mentioned. Over 100 direct insider whistle-blower testimonies spanning decades (many from high ranking career military) who at great personal expense have testified in great detail whats going on in some of these Unacknowledged Special Access Programs (USAP). Additionally, there are many highly intelligent researchers who have made very compelling cases on this subject backed with an exhaustive amount of information and facts put forward for serious study and consideration. To name but a few...

Dr. Richard Dolan
Dr. Steven Greer
Dr. Joseph P Farrell
Catherine Austin Fitts
Jim Marrs
Richard C Hoagland

(Note: This does not mean that I endorse EVERYTHING they present but overall find them to be scholarly subject matter experts in their respective fields of information.)

My comments about The Military Industrial Complex are far from regurgitated prattle from the gullible "I want to believe" crowd. There is certainly a great deal of disinformation being circulated to be sure. With few exceptions, the ONLY mainstream coverage on this topic are the worst examples presented by laughable awful speakers. You see only what are fully controlled media want you to see. It's little wonder there is such widespread dismissal of the subject matter as a whole. To say this is tragic is a gross understatement given the gravity of this secrecy and what's at stake.

The end of secrecy and disclosure on the technologies the Transnational Security State would bring about the greatest positive worldwide trans-formative changes in recorded human history.

Cmdrmonkey said:

You did read the part towards the end about how the illuminati has UFO antigravity technology and cures for every disease but keeps them from us because of...reasons. The guy sounded sort of sane towards the beginning, and then he posted that. Hence the tin foil hat.

Click to expand...

Okay you got me, I skimmed earlier. I thought he was talking about the military industrial complex, which IS a massive force that affects our entire society and policies. But since you pointed it out, I see this part now:

since the 1940's has been sitting on anti-gravity propulsion, free energy, and advances in most fields of science and medicine that are so far ahead of where we are today, their applied sciences would be perceived as magic to most even the highly educated.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's definitely "citation needed" material.

tetris42 said:

Okay you got me, I skimmed earlier. I thought he was talking about the military industrial complex, which IS a massive force that affects our entire society and policies. But since you pointed it out, I see this part now:



Yeah, that's definitely "citation needed" material.

Click to expand...

tetris42: The Military Industrial Complex is EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Please direct any questions or doubts of intent you might have my way. I'll be happy to clarify.

Cmdrmonkey: I made no mention of Aliens or groups like the Illuminati or New World Order or wished to infer them. I never claimed "cures for all diseases" so please stop putting words into my mouth.

Speaking in general: I always find it funny how people can mostly agree we have a totally corrupt government (that's quite plain/easy to see) and witness year after year the depths of their greed, depravity, and injustice in all it's various forms and yet scoff at and readily dismiss the idea that the government would have any direct knowledge or hand in suppressing breakthrough technologies that would empower humanity and dramatically redefine society at every level.

What could possibly be their motive? There are many easily identifiable fallacies you could think of these groups would "justify" the cover up but lets start with the most basic. Upholding & maintaining the status quo for the Energy, Medical, and Defense industries that represent easily 50% or more of the global economy. You think the titans who sit at the top of these industries and Corporations, the very same Corporations and special interest groups (who in all but name) rule and run our government, are simply going to step aside and allow the end of their dominance? Humbly accept their greatly diminished privilege, social status, and relevance in a world no longer shackled (in large) to the resource and commodity based markets they dominate and monopolize? Is this REALLY such a stretch to think for this reason alone, these technologies would be classified and locked away? I feel it's safe to say you don't need to be a card carrying certified nutjob to believe this.

The technologies I mentioned (anti-gravity propulsion, free energy, and advances in most fields of science and medicine) are quite real and have been in use for decades for the benefit of a select few. If you want to learn about it, I suggest starting with the researchers mentioned previously (see below)

http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1042053642&postcount=30

No, you are not going to pick up a peer reviewed government sanctioned textbook and learn all about the very things they classify top secret. This will require stepping outside of consensus reality with an open mind, objectivity, and applied critical thinking & discernment. It's work plain and simple.

I'm happy to discuss almost anything and in as much depth as your willing to participate but will not spoon feed. Even if I wanted too (and I don't) there is simply too much information to go over in casual conversation in a forum. The researchers have collectively done a great job of condensing and sorting the data and information into a well laid out map for exploration and contemplation. The rest is up to you.

Iceshot said:

tetris42: The Military Industrial Complex is EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Please direct any questions or doubts of intent you might have my way. I'll be happy to clarify.

Click to expand...

Put it like this, I agreed with everything you said until you mentioned the anti-gravity tech (unless you're talking about maglev rails or something), free energy, and miracle medical solutions to everything. There are LOTS of people working on medical and energy breakthroughs in particular that if stuff is waiting to be discovered, it's likely to be found by multiple sources (like the telephone was). I just don't see some internet claim that the government is sitting on this miracle technology as being very credible. I think the majority of government conspiracies happen in broad daylight, just look at the activities our politicians do, they don't represent the people at all. We bailed out the banks who crashed our economy despite majority public opposition to it. Or my favorite, HSBC laundered money for Al Qaeda, the drug cartel, and plenty of other criminal organizations for over a decade, we had loads of evidence against them, nobody goes to jail. They only get hit with a fine of 5 weeks' profit. Who needs hidden conspiracies when you can operate above the law out in the open?

I think this is more a symptom of the shrinking middle class than anything else ... the lower income folks can't afford to spend more than they need on their expenses (if they want to eat) ... maintaining both land and mobile connections might be an unnecessary expense (based on their lifestyle and needs) ... middle class folks have enough discretionary income we can afford the $60 landline connection with the $100+ mobile connection (depending on the number of phones and configuration of your account) ... upper class folks can pretty much buy whatever they want ... but for the lower class folks that extra connection might mean cutting the food budget or some other expense ... the mobile connection is also mobile (so if they spend more time out and about than at home it becomes a better long term value)

I think the big limitations with phone-only internet is gonna end up being a combination of screen size (if the phone is also the primary/only connected device) and the usual capped or throttled data plan. If you're only using your phone though, the need to download tons of patches and updates or games for Windows PCs goes away and that does drop the demand which leaves only streaming video as the big consumer of data limits.

Personally, considering what I do on a home computer, I'd probably be okay using just a phone. All I really would need to get by is a bluetooth keyboard so I could get my writing stuff done. The other things that matter to me are stuff like checking email, taking an occasional photo of my cat, and playing a few games. Android devices at least, offer pretty much any game I'd be interested in playing. So yeah, if I were to get into cell phones, I could probably do that, but I sort of prefer having a dedicated internet connection and something like a pocket carryable phone-sized device that offers similar capabilities, but doesn't have or need a cellular plan would be fine too since there's pretty much wifi everywhere and where there isn't wifi, whatever.

But more importantly than agreeing with the idea that computers a fixed internet connections aren't that useful to most people, there's this guy --

Iceshot said:

...insane, not-thread-relevant, ranting...

Click to expand...

This is what watching those crazy-cakes conspiracy theory aliens landed in the US type shows will do to a normal brain that's a little bit weak and open to suggestion.

No way I'm giving up my triple 27" monitors to stare at a 3-4" screen.
I like being able to actually SEE what is on the screen without having to use reading glasses.

DustMite said:

No way I'm giving up my triple 27" monitors to stare at a 3-4" screen.
I like being able to actually SEE what is on the screen without having to use reading glasses.

Click to expand...

I agree completely, I even think my laptop screen is too small.

Besides out where I live I get 1.5MB DSL or 3G mobile, so neither is a great option, so I just use the DSL and save on the phone costs.

Iceshot said:

* A systematic dumbing down of our public education system. It teaches only the basics (which is continually being scaled back in expectations and standards) and a highly sanitized, tightly controlled, very limiting perception of ourselves, society, history, and the world at large. Creativity and critical thinking skills are ignored in favor of teaching and rewarding memorization and conformity.

.

Click to expand...

Actually it doesn't even teach the basics anymore, especially about government and history, and doesn't even make people learn good math skills.

Just this weekend in southern Indiana a 23 year old woman driving a semi caused a historic bridge to collapse because the sign said the weight limit was 6 tons, but her truck weighed 30 tons. Her excuse was that she didn't know how much the weight limit was in pounds!

jedijeb said:

Actually it doesn't even teach the basics anymore, especially about government and history, and doesn't even make people learn good math skills.

Just this weekend in southern Indiana a 23 year old woman driving a semi caused a historic bridge to collapse because the sign said the weight limit was 6 tons, but her truck weighed 30 tons. Her excuse was that she didn't know how much the weight limit was in pounds!

Click to expand...

Don't worry though, she's getting fined. Her massive $135 fine.