Verizon's 3G (data)

[skijay]

When I first got my iPhone (Verizon) back in April the data speed was decent. I could stream from Pandora, Iheartradio, radio.com and even watch a movie on Netflix without any buffering or freezing or "lost connection" issues. Starting in July I noticed that it takes longer to open sites and I get increased "lost connection" type messages.

This only happens when using the data plan and not if I am on wifi.

When I checked my IP address while on 3G it shows the name of the provider DBA Verizon and the connection as Dial Up. If I do the same IP check on wifi, it shows the cable provider and the connection as Broadband.

Sometimes it feels like I am on a Dial Up connection (when not on wifi). It's not just me, my coworker has the same slowness on the Droid (Verizon)

So even though I am on 3G, my data plan is actually passed through as Dial-Up???? Is it because too many users on 3G causes it to slow?


I forgot to add I do have 4 bars for signal.

 

[Edd]

Do you have one of the grandfathered unlimited data plans? Isn't Verizon throttling these days?

 

[mondeo]

When I first got my iPhone (Verizon) back in April the data speed was decent. I could stream from Pandora, Iheartradio, radio.com and even watch a movie on Netflix without any buffering or freezing or "lost connection" issues. Starting in July I noticed that it takes longer to open sites and I get increased "lost connection" type messages.

This only happens when using the data plan and not if I am on wifi.

When I checked my IP address while on 3G it shows the name of the provider DBA Verizon and the connection as Dial Up. If I do the same IP check on wifi, it shows the cable provider and the connection as Broadband.

Sometimes it feels like I am on a Dial Up connection (when not on wifi). It's not just me, my coworker has the same slowness on the Droid (Verizon)

So even though I am on 3G, my data plan is actually passed through as Dial-Up???? Is it because too many users on 3G causes it to slow?


I forgot to add I do have 4 bars for signal.

I would assume that it's just that VZW is classified as a dial up provider, not an actual indictation of network speed. And I don't think you'd have a chance of streaming media on a dial up connection anyways. I don't want to even think about using 56kbps with modern web sites. It's probably too manys users.

 

[Geoff]

Verizon Wireless recently adopted "network optimization" where they now throttle their heaviest users when they're on congested cell sites.

To be put in the penalty box, you need to be using more than 2 GB per month. You're in the penalty box for 2 months. Streaming about 75 hours of Pandora in a month will do it. It wouldn't take too many streaming videos to put you there.

If you think about it, this is fair. You don't want to penalize the 95% light users because somebody is streaming audio and video.

There are stories on the web about it. A quick Google turns up:
http://www.fiercemobileit.com/story...g-bandwidth-heavy-smartphone-users/2011-09-21

 

[Nick]

I'm definitely in that data throttling category. I use my phone for everything.....

 

[skijay]

I did 11.1 GB receive / 8.5 GB send when I was in FL before, during and after Irene hit up here. That was 8 days in FL and 22 days up here. My previous billing cycles I never broke the 2GB. I do try to use a WiFi connection when available since I can talk and surf the web at the same time.

I do have the unlimited $29.99 data plan.

 

[skijay]

I think the $29.99 unlimited data plan has become a 2GB for $29.99 and then $$$ for 1GB of overage. Not sure the exact amount. I wonder when my or other people who have the $29.99 unlimited plan would be grandfathered into the same plan when they upgrade to a new phone and sign for another 2yrs or will they have the limited 2GB plan.

There must be people out there with DROIDs on VZ whose contracts must be coming up soon.

 

[Geoff]

I have the Verizon Wireless "Global Blackberry EMail" plan. Unlimited data worldwide. They called me up 3 or 4 months ago and told me they were doing away with that package. I told them I'd cancel if they did so. So far, I seem to be grandfathered.

 

[TheBEast]

I've got AT&T with an unlimited data plan for my iPhone (an OLD 3 version) and the unlimited data plan is set for life as long as you don't drop it, so I can change other parts of my plan around, but can keep the unlimited (for now at least). Upgrading both the wife and I (wife has the 3G) to the iPhone5 when it's out in a couple weeks. We both capture a good amount of our kids lives on our phones and use them extensively for communication and e-mail during the day so are really lookng forward to the upgrade since mine doesn't take video and the picture quality isn't so good in anything but full on sunshine, not to mention my phone is VERY slow.

 

[BackLoafRiver]

I think the $29.99 unlimited data plan has become a 2GB for $29.99 and then $$$ for 1GB of overage. Not sure the exact amount. I wonder when my or other people who have the $29.99 unlimited plan would be grandfathered into the same plan when they upgrade to a new phone and sign for another 2yrs or will they have the limited 2GB plan.

There must be people out there with DROIDs on VZ whose contracts must be coming up soon.

Definitely sounds like you are part of the "network optimization" crowd.

I was in a VZ store yesterday talking about my upcoming Upgrade. (still using my OG Droid...waiting for the IPhone announcement next week to make a decision) They said, yes my unlimited data is grandfathered so, in theory, I shouldn't see a change in pricing or data cap.

 

[Grassi21]

Definitely sounds like you are part of the "network optimization" crowd.

I was in a VZ store yesterday talking about my upcoming Upgrade. (still using my OG Droid...waiting for the IPhone announcement next week to make a decision) They said, yes my unlimited data is grandfathered so, in theory, I shouldn't see a change in pricing or data cap.

I just switched from a BB to an iPhone 4 and I was grandfathered in on the data plan. Woo hoo!

 

[drjeff]

I just switched from a BB to an iPhone 4 and I was grandfathered in on the data plan. Woo hoo!

My guess is that Verizon won't kick out too many of their in good standing longterm customers from their unlimited data plan, just based on not wanting to loose any of their already existing customer base. Its the new enrollee, "iPhone" chasers that will more than likely be the ones on their "pay to play" data plans. So if you're a former AT&T iPhone person, who seems to think that the vast majority of their status in life is based on how many movies and apps they have on their iPhone and would rather look up where the nearest Starbucks is via an App (rather than open their eyes for a minute and probably see on of those green/white signs within 100 yards of where they're currently standing ) well then get ready to pay up

 

[Geoff]

My guess is that Verizon won't kick out too many of their in good standing longterm customers from their unlimited data plan, just based on not wanting to loose any of their already existing customer base. Its the new enrollee, "iPhone" chasers that will more than likely be the ones on their "pay to play" data plans. So if you're a former AT&T iPhone person, who seems to think that the vast majority of their status in life is based on how many movies and apps they have on their iPhone and would rather look up where the nearest Starbucks is via an App (rather than open their eyes for a minute and probably see on of those green/white signs within 100 yards of where they're currently standing ) well then get ready to pay up

The Starbucks app doesn't consume 2 Gigabytes worth of bandwidth. You have to be doing a lot of streaming and downloading to hit the limit. I would imagine that Pandora is what really chews up the 3G network.

For cable broadband networks, it used to be that BitTorrent was the heavy hitter from everybody running peer-to-peer to steal media. They had a constant 30% load on their network from it. Now, it's Netflix streaming. Fortunately, that traffic is mostly downstream and it's way easier to traffic engineer downstream traffic on the cable plant than upstream traffic.

 

[Glenn]

We stream a decent amount of Pandora driving to and from VT. I'd say about an hour and a half/hour and 45 each way. I don't think we've ever hit the 1gig mark for data in a month. The nice things about most phones, they'll default to wifi if it's available.

I'm thinking high data useage must be from constant streaming; like if you're using pandora all day at work through your phone...that's gonna chew up some bandwidth.

I listen to a lot of podcasts, but I have them set to only DL when I'm on wifi. I try to be pretty conservative with the 3G streaming. Plus, stuff always streams better on wifi.