Uh Oh, Internet: Basic Mobile Video Will be YouTube-Only With MetroPCS Plans

Post by ajkirwin » Wed, Jan 05, 2011, 5:51 PM UTC

grantheaslip wrote: post #37

motters wrote: post #9

Blocking sites because they're "not on the service plan" is likely to be much more acceptable in western countries than explicit censorship, as in Iran or China. It's authoritarianism dressed up as commercialism. In the post-Wikileaks era my bet is that governments will either encourage, or at least not do anything to hinder, the erection of walled gardens which make it more difficult for the average internet user to…

Oh come on, do you really think that governments are so shook up over WikiLeaks that they might encourage ISPs to turn the internet into a series of walled gardens? For that matter, do you really think that they're that evil? Obviously they're not happy about WikiLeaks, and I'm not saying that governments or ISPs are perfect, but some perspective is badly needed here. What you've written screams hyperbole and is veer…

Post by trotsky » Wed, Jan 05, 2011, 6:06 PM UTC

tzs wrote: post #24

trotsky wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sprint usb type mobile broadband plan: $59.99/mo for 5 gigs on 2 year contract. Verizon usb type mobile broadband plan: $50/mo for 5 gigs on 2 year contract AT&T usb type mobile broadband plan: $60/mo for 5 gigs on 2 year contract T-mobile usb type mobile broadband plan: $39.99 for 5 gigs no contract So yeah, it seems rather unlikely that any cartel like cooperation on tiering would evolve in this market. (EDIT: Upda…

That's misleading in a couple ways. First, you have omitted other providers whose prices are not similar to those above. Clear, for example. Second, competition is about more than just price. It is also about features and restrictions. The provider that this thread is about is offering a lower priced plan WITHOUT a contract, but with restrictions on what you can do with it. (EDIT: continuing, as I thought of another…

Post by detst » Wed, Jan 05, 2011, 6:12 PM UTC

Post by SkyMarshal » Wed, Jan 05, 2011, 6:27 PM UTC

dantheman wrote: post #42

rb2k_ wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was shocked too when I came to the US for a few months. In Germany, I just pay 9 cents per SMS/Minute and 10 Euros for a Gigabyte of data (per month). In the US, I had to pay about 50 USD per Month on T-Mobile. It would have been more if I actually told them I had a smartphone ("Nah, I've got an old Nokia, I just want to be able to get eMails").

I don't know what plan you have, but tmobile for me is 60 a month for unlimited internet, sms, 500 minutes, unlimited nights/weekends.

Post by aw3c2 » Wed, Jan 05, 2011, 6:34 PM UTC

maeon3 wrote: post #12

Facebook Fee: $.95 Youtube Surcharge: $1.53 blogging package: $.25 Roaming charge (non approved sites): $5.21 Wikileaks download penalty: $10.00 Destroying net neutrality, killing what made the Internet great in the first place: priceless.