Data Caps

I have a 3 GB data plan with Verizon (shared with two other people). It used to always be exceeded because of a certain somebody not knowing how to turn the damn Pandora app off. Verizon charges $15 every GB over, and they charge $10 for an extra GB to be added to your plan (all their default plans generally start with 2 GBs). It really is a ripoff, but think of it this way; if places like Verizon charged unlimited data for a set amount of cash every month, your 4G LTE speed wouldn't be so 4G because of the amount of mobile trafficking there would be. It's not like your ISP who provides service to you intended for your individual router that only you and your family use. There's a little thing called bandwidth. The more devices and data being transmitted by your router, the slower your connection will be, especially when downloading or uploading something. Every time you use 3G or 4G (or any "mobile internet"), you're basically using your wireless provider's "super router" which anyone and everyone with a smartphone with service has access to. Even though they're capable of handling ridiculous amounts of data, there's still only so much an electronic behemoth of a structure can handle.

If that makes sense, then you can see why most of these mobile providers charge extra with their data overage usage. Quality over quantity. Have you ever noticed how sluggish the mobile internet is if you go with companies who provide unlimited data for their customers?

ISPs are different, because again, you're using an internet source from a modem/router that's for your personal use and that you purchased. It's your property You're still paying for their service, but the entire world isn't using your router alone, resulting in data usage being at such a number where the ISPs can still more than profit, no matter how much "data" you and your family uses. The number is so minute. I'd be sorely disappointed if all ISPs went with the wireless data method, for it's not needed; they'd just do it out of sheer greed.

That's why I urge everyone who has a smartphone, to use your modem/router's internet when you're home and not the data. Data is for when you're out and about. If you're out a lot, I understand that, but try to limit yourself. Remember, you're using a company's wireless communications, not your own. You know how people conserve energy to lessen their electricity bill? Same applies here, in a way.
Huge tip: Turn Pandora off, or anything else that hogs so much data that it could tear a hole in the solar system.

 

I'm not really sure how much data transfer is allowed on my ISP (Frontier) (just about every ISP has caps in the US, because, you know, they gotta make money to pay their shareholders), but I'm assuming it's at least 100GB, considering wired competitors typically allow at least this much per month (AT&T Yahoo, Charter, Comcast). The ridiculously low allowances on mobile networks (typically 5G is the biggest reason I won't do mobile internet.

 

Gah, as if throttling and line attenuation ain't bad enough. I'd probably crawl under a rock if my ISP threw in a data cap on our connection. The fact that it's currently unlimited is about one of the few things they're actually doing right.