I have been reading on HoFo about tethering on unlimited MEdia Net plans. There have been a lot of threads about this but none of them answer this question: What does it take to get busted?
Having someone at the company bust you *ba dum ding* . Thank you, I'm here all night.
Well, just think about how much data usage you're using for the price you're paying. With an unlimited service, there is an expectation that some users will be heavier than others so it isn't a hard limit, but there are clearly amounts that Cingular would get mad at you for downloading.
So, for $40/month you get ~500 minutes. Now, for that $20 data plan one could say you're intitled to 250 minutes worth (~225MB GPRS, ~1.5GB EDGE, ~7GB HSDPA). I'm guessing those are decently good numbers for what you're paying for.
But I'm guessing Cingular doesn't think of it that way - they'd be smart if they did. Data usage on HSDPA uses less spectrum than usage on EDGE or GPRS. So, if it takes 5 rsource units to transfer 1MB over GPRS and only 2 resource units to transfer 1MB over EDGE, EDGE customers should be allowed to download more than GPRS customers. Makes sense, doesn't it? I'm a little surprised Cingular hasn't been pushing 3G more because of this.
But anyway, as I've said, an unlimited system assumes some very light users and some very heavy users so there will be decently large deviations from those numbers that won't bother Cingular much since they're offset by other people. For every 15GB downloader, there's probably a 25MB downloader on the same plan.
But this is just my thinking. I could be completely off from Cingular's thinking.
user: hello my name is < cingular user > .. i cant connect my V3xx my comp to use as a modem ..
csr: you have the wrong media plan .. i can fix that ,,
user : no.. never mind,., ill do it myself ..
csr : have a great day ... < notes added to act >
user post on HOFO on how cingular busted him on the media 19.99 and they are the devil !!!11 OMG ..
followed by 20 threads on " will cingular catch me ? " .. : " will i go to jail if im not on the data connect plan and tether ? "
So, for $40/month you get ~500 minutes. Now, for that $20 data plan one could say you're intitled to 250 minutes worth (~225MB GPRS, ~1.5GB EDGE, ~7GB HSDPA). I'm guessing those are decently good numbers for what you're paying for.
But I'm guessing Cingular doesn't think of it that way - they'd be smart if they did. Data usage on HSDPA uses less spectrum than usage on EDGE or GPRS. So, if it takes 5 rsource units to transfer 1MB over GPRS and only 2 resource units to transfer 1MB over EDGE, EDGE customers should be allowed to download more than GPRS customers. Makes sense, doesn't it? I'm a little surprised Cingular hasn't been pushing 3G more because of this.
You're forgetting that although 3G is more efficient in terms of bits/s/Hz, the reason you can transfer so much faster is that you're using more spectrum at any given time. For example, a voice call on GSM uses 200 kHz 1/8 of the time (one timeslot), which is like having 25 kHz of spectrum. GPRS on a single timeslot uses the same amount, and if it grabs more timeslots you get a higher rate. The most you can do on EDGE is use all 8 timeslots, or 200 kHz of spectrum. On WCDMA, you're probably using a lot more than 200 kHz. Now let's say you're using 400 kHz. You're getting more than double the speeds of EDGE, so it is more spectrally efficient, but you're occupying double the spectrum for the same amount of time. So, to use your above example, if you're entitled to 225 minutes worth on GPRS/EDGE, you should only be entitled to 112.5 minutes worth of WCDMA at that rate.
Please note Sprint just today stopped using InPhonic and is taking orders directly so things are changing by the hour. I got it through that number, but you may not so keep tabs on the thread below for new email addresses. I don't think they have caught on to the newest changes yet.
Recently I bought a Samsung printer that had a Samsung retail price on $214.00, but I got it at Staples for 100 bucks. So I investigated some more and found out that the only devices that are sold at retail (inflated x2) were wireless devices. So you have the horse behind the cart.
Oh dear, OpenSignalMaps says Lte 3% of the time! And ATT map say Good to go Lte! If interested you can get OpenSignalMaps from Anroid play.
You're forgetting that although 3G is more efficient in terms of bits/s/Hz, the reason you can transfer so much faster is that you're using more spectrum at any given time. For example, a voice call on GSM uses 200 kHz 1/8 of the time (one timeslot), which is like having 25 kHz of spectrum. GPRS on a single timeslot uses the same amount, and if it grabs more timeslots you get a higher rate. The most you can do on EDGE is use all 8 timeslots, or 200 kHz of spectrum. On WCDMA, you're probably using a lot more than 200 kHz. Now let's say you're using 400 kHz. You're getting more than double the speeds of EDGE, so it is more spectrally efficient, but you're occupying double the spectrum for the same amount of time. So, to use your above example, if you're entitled to 225 minutes worth on GPRS/EDGE, you should only be entitled to 112.5 minutes worth of WCDMA at that rate.
That's not really correct. UMTS achieves its increased data speeds through increased efficiency, not increased spectrum usage. If you were getting the whole 2Mbps, then yes you would be using more spectrum, but the 400-700kbps number assumes the same network utilization that other technologies use. If it didn't assume that, you wouldn't get that speed in any real-life situation since you'd start using less resources because of what other people are using.
So, the 550kbps that I used does account for similar network utilization.
user: hello my name is < cingular user > .. i cant connect my V3xx my comp to use as a modem ..
csr: you have the wrong media plan .. i can fix that ,,
user : no.. never mind,., ill do it myself ..
csr : have a great day ... < notes added to act >
user post on HOFO on how cingular busted him on the media 19.99 and they are the devil !!!11 OMG ..
followed by 20 threads on " will cingular catch me ? " .. : " will i go to jail if im not on the data connect plan and tether ? "
Please note Sprint just today stopped using InPhonic and is taking orders directly so things are changing by the hour. I got it through that number, but you may not so keep tabs on the thread below for new email addresses. I don't think they have caught on to the newest changes yet.
How is this great plan any different than the ones Cingular tenders via grandfathered, 50% off business plans and phones, or even the biggest fiasco(the big idea that took wireless into inferior codecs) m2m?
Please note Sprint just today stopped using InPhonic and is taking orders directly so things are changing by the hour. I got it through that number, but you may not so keep tabs on the thread below for new email addresses. I don't think they have caught on to the newest changes yet.
How is this great plan any different than the ones Cingular tenders via grandfathered, 50% off business plans and phones, or even the biggest fiasco(the big idea that took wireless into inferior codecs) m2m?
Not exactly sure what you're asking... IMHO if you're not entitled to something, then you don't try to get it anyway. Whether that's a SERO plan with Sprint-Nextel or a FAN discount at Cingular(at&t) or an extra scoop of Pistachio at Baskin-Robbins, the principle is the same.
If you're not being referred into SERO by a Sprint employee, then you shouldn't try to sneak your way in. And judging by the hub-bub a few months back when Sprint started investigating the widespread fraudulent Sprint Employee Referral Offer sign-ups, my guess is that somebody at Sprint corporate feels the same way. As for Cingular(at&t), I have read some things on HoFo to suggest that they do act on fraudulent FAN sign-ups (as they should).
i just attended a update training class so i can tell you what's going to happen. first can they tell you are tethering even just a little, well that's a yes.
the way they can tell is that the brower that is on the devices is registers different then if you are tethering and just using the device as a modem. they haven't been doing anything about it up till this point but they will be within next 6-9 months possibly sooner. what they are doing is they are testing software they either/developed or had developed that will prevent tethering unless the plan allows tethering.
we were told about this today. what will happen is that unless have a package that allows tethering then when you try, you will get a error message. we actually got to try the software out on of these test accounts using a blackjack.
now plans have always stated certain ones allowed tethering and others were not allowed, but it wasn't enforced, that's what are closing the door on. it doesn't matter if you use a old phone or a new phone they are setting up in the system itself and you can't get around it. they said max 6-9 months but possibly sooner.
Originally Posted by AG8000
. Thank you, I'm here all night.
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