Verizon to Throttle Data Speeds for Bandwidth Hogs
Verizon to Throttle Data Speeds for Bandwidth Hogs
Posted 02/03/2011 at 10:29am
| by Paul Lilly
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Boy Genius Report discovered a new memo (PDF) up on Verizon Wireless' website that's sure to ruffle a few feathers, particularly if you're one of the wireless carrier's heaviest data users. Here's the short and sweet of it:
"If you use an extraordinary amount of data and fall within the top 5 percent of Verizon Wireless data users we may reduce your data throughput speeds periodically for the remainder of your then current and immediately following billing cycle to ensure high quality network performance for other users at locations and times of peak demand," Verizon explains.
Many wondered how Verizon would handle the increased data demands that an influx of upcoming iPhone 4 subscribers would put on its network, and here's your answer, or at least one of them. The wireless carrier also said it's "implementing optimization and transcoding technologies" to help transmit data more efficiently. These techniques will include caching less data, using less capacity, and sizing the video more appropriately for the device, Verizon said.
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tekknyne
February 03, 2011 at 8:17pm
Man, this is terrible news. I live out in the country in lower Michigan and Verizon is my only option for high speed internet. My last wireless bill showed 140 gigs of data usage- you should have seen the rep's face when I asked about changing my plan. Garnteed I fall in the top 5%. The only reason that I can get away with this is because we grandfathered in through Alltel and had unlimited data.
You can imagine living out in the sticks, there's nothing to do- specially since I work second shift. I have next to no social life outside of work. I play wow online, download games and movies, watch Netflix... so given my geography, I could not have asked for a better internet solution. I guess all good things must come to an end *cries self to sleep*.
someuid
February 04, 2011 at 9:04am
Put the arguement (as in discussion, not whining) to Verizon that you are in a low population area and your frequent high bandwidth usage of their service isn't lowering anyone else's service quality, because there are so few and aren't power users like yourself.
Who knows - maybe they'll agree with you and not hammer you access speeds.
Peanut Fox
February 03, 2011 at 11:31am
I honestly think Verizon could not subsidize the iPhone, or not have as good a deal as AT&T, and still have it sale relatively well.
Now Verizon has got Apple all up in the mix ruining things.
kamikaji
February 03, 2011 at 11:26am
Now that Verizon has the iPhone, they're going down the tubes. I FUCKING HATE APPLE. THEY RUIN EVERYTHING. Verizon should have just stuck with Android and said screw you to Apple. They're going to lose tons of money selling the damn anti-christ phones anyways.
"Verizon would essentially be paying heavily to upgrade its own subscribers. Hodulik figures that even with the iPhone's boost to service revenue, iPhone subsidies would reduce Verizon earnings this year by a net 15 cents per share, or about $425 million."
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