OT- Bandwidth Usage

[lakeside53]

But it's not "fraud"; you get what you agreed to. The wireless (and terrestrial) system can't support have pig users, and doesn't want them, so it weeds out or limits the few. Even my cable system has language to cap you or worse, bill you for "usage overages"; even the "gig" service.

[RichR]

Are we still talking about plans that are called "unlimited"?

[lakeside53]

Yes. They are "unlimited" but not to "infinity"... you have to read the agreement. What is unlimited anyhow? You are not guaranteed any particular speed at any point in time (depends on network congestion and other factors ), and for a typical agreement when you reach a max download limit you can be restricted to even less speed, but you can keep using it to the start of your next billing period when the higher speed rates can kick back in.

For most users it's a non-issue.

[RichR]

... What is unlimited anyhow? ...

It means there are no limitations. You can use as much data as the system can handle at any given point in time. If the system is congested
and data rates drop to 5 Mbit/Sec, you can have all the 5 Mbit/Sec data you want. Conversely, the same applies if the system is lightly loaded and
data is available at 500 Mbit/Sec. If a customers data rate is intentionally slowed down due to data consumption, it's not "unlimited". Terms in
the agreement due not change the definition of the word unlimited.

[danlb]

Then it's not unlimited. If you advertise unlimited data and then throttle back the speed it's called fraud.

Unfortunately, the legal system appears to allow stupidity such as redefining common phrases to mean something totally different as long as you trademark it. Thus you end up with things like "Sprint unlimited"(tm) that is slowed to 3g rates after a certain number of GB per billing period. It's what allow car warranties to cover the power train, but not the parts that wear out or break.

Fraud's just not what it used to be. (tm)


Dan