Verizon EVDO Data Usage - Would Overage Charge Affect You?

dima · EVDO User Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 98

VZW used to terminate quite agressively in the 2005-2006 time frame from the posts I read on other forums. Somwhere around 13,000 users were terminated prior to the NY AG filing suit against them demanding clear language concerning their bandwidth limits. The terms of settlement mandated the refund of hardware fees for those who were so terminated.

VZW then moved to a policy of throttling speed after the 5 gig limit was reached until March 2, 2008. Now they assess overage charges amounting to $490/gig for monthly usage over 5 Gig. And there have been incidents of people who signed contracts at Best Buy receiving $4000 bills for overage charges and demanding BB "fix it". I'm not exactly sure how that personal lack of responsibility can be construed to be Best Buy's fault unless they intentionally mis-sold the service, wihich I am inclined to doubt.

daschor · EVDO Newbie Joined: 10 Oct 2006 Posts: 9

In my description of activity, I have included details such as:

My average monthly data usage, as actually reported by verizon:
Currently around 3-4GB (after being terminated twice last year for ~7GB usage)

Verizon EVDO is my primary internet connection. I do have access to blazingly slow wifi for free as a resident of the city of Portland.

Typically I use the connection all of the time, and share when there is reason to. Mostly just one person, but up to 8 at (rare) times.

I routinely use the connection for email, web surfing, working on my website, working from home, and for music, video and other large files.

I think my connection is 'active' 24/7, unless I'm taking the laptop with me in my backpack.

I do not use an EVDO router with my device. I use a powerbook.

I am still on Rev0 - no need to upgrade to RevA as I would surely break 5GB again.

Sad - but at least I have no overage charges, and Verizon can do a lot if you speak with retention - they want to keep their customers, they just want you to be reasonably light on their network.

I have been considering AT&T HSDPA service, but need to do more research once I have an iPhone 3G to do coverage testing.
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PBX48K650S720?

Peterfield · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 09 Mar 2008 Posts: 124

jackrodgers · EVDO Addict Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1131

Isn't it scandalous that they are charging one user 7 times as much for the same amount of data used by another user? In Florida there is a law about exploiting people during and after a hurricane when in the past gasoline was sold by the roadside for $20 a gallon, tools for 5 times the store price and so on.

I could see capping it at the same price, $60 for each 5 gigs and any portion there of.

Why, because the heavy user could simply by pass the 7x overcharge by subscribing to multiple accounts and getting multiple 'free cards'.

Phone plans have a rate structure similar to this idea.

cbenn · EVDO Newbie Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 6

-- your average monthly data usage, as actually reported by verizon.

Last few months:
15 G/B (recently learned I could stream unlimited movies from netflix wife really likes that)
3 G/B
2 G/B
6 G/B

-- verizon EVDO is your primary or secondary internet connection.
Primary -- I live in the sticks and cable/dsl are not available.

-- how many people typically use the connection at any one time.
2 (wife and myself)

-- what kinds of activities you routinely use the connection for.
web surfing, streaming netflix video, gaming, u/l pics and movies of kids

-- how many hours a day you think your connection is 'active'.
4 hours per day with weekends being higher.

-- whether or not you use an EVDO router with your device.
No router.

howdymi · EVDO Newbie Joined: 05 Jul 2008 Posts: 8

We travel and were going to go with Verizon data plan, But now with the limit of 5GB we have changed our plans and will not go that route. Really there are plenty of public WIFI hotspots for our usage.