Verizon wants you to pay an extra $10/mo to remove unlimited plan video streaming quality...

Polycount

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Back in August, Verizon surprised many of its customers by splitting their unlimited data plans into two individual offerings. This split resulted in millions of customers being locked into either the phone carrier's $75/month "Go Unlimited" plan (which implemented a 480p streaming resolution cap) or the more expensive $85/month "Beyond Unlimited" plan (which capped video streaming at 720p).

Mobile hotspot speed restrictions had also been tightened, with speeds being capped at 600Kbps. Additionally, customers of either plan could still have their data throttled at any time, though those who subscribed to the more expensive Beyond Unlimited plan were given throttle immunity for the first 22GB of data used per month (25GB with a 2-year device contract).

Being that Verizon's unlimited data plan didn't have any of these streaming quality restrictions prior to this move, some customers have been left feeling frustrated and disappointed by the news. If you count yourself among them, though, Verizon has come up with a solution of sorts.

For an extra $10 per month, the company will allow you to eliminate these streaming quality caps entirely. Doing so will let you view videos at whatever resolution your device of choice can support, including 4K.

However, there is a catch. This $10 charge is applied on a per-line basis, rather than as an account-wide upgrade. If your entire family subscribes to one of Verizon's unlimited data plans, that extra $10/month could become unmanageable pretty quickly. Regardless, this option will be made available to all Verizon unlimited data plan customers starting on November 3rd.

Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash

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I go down the video store get a dvd to watch the crap I like. Costs a hell of a lot less
 
NET Neutrality. Not necessary right? As long as the service provider 'promises' not to prioritise certain traffic.

Idi0t Pie.
there is usage, and then there is abuse. Abuse happens when it negatively effects others.

The others is the Network operator and their bottom line, not necessarily the customers. Service provides are supposed to deliver data. The same data you put in one side should be what you get out the other. That is the principle of network neutrality. However now the content provider (Netflix) puts in video data at 4k resolution, and oh magic, Verizon transcodes it on the fly and delivers it to you at 480p. And then they have the cheek to charge you a different price to not interfere with your data traffic ? These sorts of practises should be illegal. Once the cat is out of the bag, its never going back again. Trump and his administration if they completely do away with Network Neutrality will cause the worst mess the Internet has ever seen, and the only ones loosing are the end consumers. Also note that completely altering and transcoding video data is not the same thing as prioritization either. Its a different concept, but gets easily confused as being part of the same thing.

Wait until Verizon starts transcoding every jpeg you view at 10% quality, and then wants to charge you another $20 to put them back the way they should be? Are you going to moan then ? Its pure extortion that nobody should put up with.

Oh, and one more thing, Netflix and Hollywood should be suing Verizon for copyright infringement as they are taking the the Source Video (4k) and producing a derivitive work (480p). They are then doing this copyright infringement for their own financial gain. When will somebody test this legal theory ?
 
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If they would just expand the network like IP's "promised" in the beginning, the speed and saturation issues would be a thing of the past .... Now if somebody would shove a hot poker up that FCC Chairman's ars, we might see some movement in that direction .....
 
Yet another play out of T-Mobile's "uncarrier" playbook. I'm a long term T-Mobile subscriber, but for the last couple years their "uncarrier" moves have been terrible for consumers and the wireless industry.
 
NET Neutrality. Not necessary right? As long as the service provider 'promises' not to prioritise certain traffic.

Idi0t Pie.
there is usage, and then there is abuse. Abuse happens when it negatively effects others.

The others is the Network operator and their bottom line, not necessarily the customers. Service provides are supposed to deliver data. The same data you put in one side should be what you get out the other. That is the principle of network neutrality. However now the content provider (Netflix) puts in video data at 4k resolution, and oh magic, Verizon transcodes it on the fly and delivers it to you at 480p. And then they have the cheek to charge you a different price to not interfere with your data traffic ? These sorts of practises should be illegal. Once the cat is out of the bag, its never going back again. Trump and his administration if they completely do away with Network Neutrality will cause the worst mess the Internet has ever seen, and the only ones loosing are the end consumers. Also note that completely altering and transcoding video data is not the same thing as prioritization either. Its a different concept, but gets easily confused as being part of the same thing.

Wait until Verizon starts transcoding every jpeg you view at 10% quality, and then wants to charge you another $20 to put them back the way they should be? Are you going to moan then ? Its pure extortion that nobody should put up with.

Oh, and one more thing, Netflix and Hollywood should be suing Verizon for copyright infringement as they are taking the the Source Video (4k) and producing a derivitive work (480p). They are then doing this copyright infringement for their own financial gain. When will somebody test this legal theory ?
This is the reason why the "free market" is what it is. People have the right to fire Verizon and hire another carrier. They also have the right to not have a cell phone. No smart phone, no data, no problem. Besides, who watches 4k movies on a cell network? 99% of phones don't utilizes 4k video anyway! However, data traffic would be much more abundant if the regulations on fiber were less constricting to allow other players to develop more networks. The FCC has to allow competitors licenses in areas where the big names, (Verizon, T-mobile, ATT, etc.)who fight to keep others out of their areas!! It took 17 years to get cell service near where I live because the local municipality (ATT) wouldn't allow a FCC license to other companies in our area! DATA, DATA, DATA, we need bandwidth more than DATA!!
 
NET Neutrality. Not necessary right? As long as the service provider 'promises' not to prioritise certain traffic.

Idi0t Pie.
there is usage, and then there is abuse. Abuse happens when it negatively effects others.

The others is the Network operator and their bottom line, not necessarily the customers. Service provides are supposed to deliver data. The same data you put in one side should be what you get out the other. That is the principle of network neutrality. However now the content provider (Netflix) puts in video data at 4k resolution, and oh magic, Verizon transcodes it on the fly and delivers it to you at 480p. And then they have the cheek to charge you a different price to not interfere with your data traffic ? These sorts of practises should be illegal. Once the cat is out of the bag, its never going back again. Trump and his administration if they completely do away with Network Neutrality will cause the worst mess the Internet has ever seen, and the only ones loosing are the end consumers. Also note that completely altering and transcoding video data is not the same thing as prioritization either. Its a different concept, but gets easily confused as being part of the same thing.

Wait until Verizon starts transcoding every jpeg you view at 10% quality, and then wants to charge you another $20 to put them back the way they should be? Are you going to moan then ? Its pure extortion that nobody should put up with.

Oh, and one more thing, Netflix and Hollywood should be suing Verizon for copyright infringement as they are taking the the Source Video (4k) and producing a derivitive work (480p). They are then doing this copyright infringement for their own financial gain. When will somebody test this legal theory ?
This is the reason why the "free market" is what it is. People have the right to fire Verizon and hire another carrier. They also have the right to not have a cell phone. No smart phone, no data, no problem. Besides, who watches 4k movies on a cell network? 99% of phones don't utilizes 4k video anyway! However, data traffic would be much more abundant if the regulations on fiber were less constricting to allow other players to develop more networks. The FCC has to allow competitors licenses in areas where the big names, (Verizon, T-mobile, ATT, etc.)who fight to keep others out of their areas!! It took 17 years to get cell service near where I live because the local municipality (ATT) wouldn't allow a FCC license to other companies in our area! DATA, DATA, DATA, we need bandwidth more than DATA!!
Sorry, 90% of smart phones are not 4k.
 
Sorry, 90% of smart phones are not 4k.
That may very well be true, however what's to stop this sort of tactic from creeping to other devices too? I mean if Verizon can do it, so can all the other nasty providers. If you let this train of thought run its course, then soon you will be paying extortion money to have your data connections unmolested on your TV, Your Console, your PC, your Mac, you name it ... wait until they start trying to charge you per device on your LAN, and not just for the Cable/Fibre/xDSL connection too ? I mean there are so many ways for the provider to abuse you in an unregulated environment, where there is not enough competition for the "free market" to actually have any traction.
 
That may very well be true, however what's to stop this sort of tactic from creeping to other devices too? I mean if Verizon can do it, so can all the other nasty providers. If you let this train of thought run its course, then soon you will be paying extortion money to have your data connections unmolested on your TV, Your Console, your PC, your Mac, you name it ... wait until they start trying to charge you per device on your LAN, and not just for the Cable/Fibre/xDSL connection too ? I mean there are so many ways for the provider to abuse you in an unregulated environment, where there is not enough competition for the "free market" to actually have any traction.
I think it is the "regulated" market is worse, it doesn't allow for competition. However, the real truth is, "we" have all the power. "We don't have to use any of the products. That is what all those vendors don't realize, because millions of people are addicted to their devices. Until the people who pay the providers decide to change their spending habitrs the providers will be able to hold your data hostage.
 
Only in US .. .go beyond unlimited haha ... when unlimited is limited and you can go beyond unlimited in two tiers but it is still limited ...
 
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