Does boost mobile offer truly unlimited data usage?

[angel beats]

I have been looking for a prepaid cell phone provider that has truly unlimited data usage without being throttled for long time! I have had two different android phones on different carriers, And both had claimed to have unlimited data usage! While virgin mobile does have unlimited data usage they cap the speed and make it unbearable to do anything! I am looking into boost mobile and have been in the past. I want to know if there data usage is Truly unlimited without any interruption or throttling the speed??? I plan on using 20GB-50GB of data each month! (streaming tether p2p etc) And while when I called boost mobile they said they will allow that amount of data, Under there terms and conditions say that unlimited data does not mean excessivee amounts of data! So can I use 20GB-50GB of data each month without any problem?

[fonezfonz]

Yes they do. One user claims 3 gigs a DAY or 150 gigs a month. BUT you have to use THEIR phones/devices with some exceptions.
NO BYOD for the cool stuff (4g/wimax/Android) . Not without breaking the law.

Or you can TRY the Windows Mobile to Android trick. Google it.

The only prepaid carriers offering UNLIMITED data and meaning it are 1)Net10 Unlimited . 2) Verizon prepaid. 3)Boost cdma and iden. 4)Att Gophone feature phone plan. Oh yeah, and Virgin Mobile. Unthrottled. Uncapped. Thus far.

[LargePrime]

Virgin throttles, Right? Don't the rest too! Excepting boost, of course.

[deathtrip]

Zapp is also unlimited, but there are rumors that Boost is going to throttle next year, just like Virgin.

I personally hope they do.

Sent from my PC36100

[angel beats]

Thanks! I guess I will go with boost mobile so I can use as much data as I want! If they do start to throttle the data usage in the near future wouldn't existing customers be garndfathered in to the original plan?

[deathtrip]

Nope, There won't be anyone grandfathered to unthrottled data on Virgin, or Boost when they do initiate it. Speeds are expected to throttle down to 256kbps after 2gb or 5gb (not released yet for Boost).

But, did you think to check what your average speeds are where you live? There are quite a few places where Sprint's 3G speeds are so slow, you couldn't pull in 100mb in a day.

Personally, I like that, especially when you hear people constantly talking about hogging all the data they can.

[angel beats]

Yes I have my speed is very good at least before it gets throttled, And then it makes it impossible to even gey a 100mb a day! I was able to download a 1.5gb torrent anime file in lesss then 3 hours before my speed got capped! And some people are not purposely data hogs! It just that all the want as far as the service goes! I know for a fact for the month I had virgin mobile I used less then 30mins out of my 300mins and sent less then 800 text for the entire month! My only interest in my wireless carrier is data usage and texting! So I am trying to find the right and affordable prepaid carrier that will allow me to usage the amount of data I want, Especially seeing how I use very little of there cellular minutes or other features!

[deathtrip]

The problem is, you, as well as many many others... want to use the service for something it isn't sold for.

To many people think that because they can get unlimited 3G for $.50/day (ON THE PHONE ONLY) that it means they're entitled to whatever their PC/Consoles can pull in while tethered to the phone and according to the Terms you agreed to when signing up (or when you sign up)... you aren't allowed to do that. The service isn't sold so you can tether and download torrents, or from newsgroups, or whatever you do from a PC. When you do that, you are breaking your agreement to Boost, and you are hurting others around you, and those who use the service as it is sold to them.

You're not allowed to tether, you're not allowed to use the service in a manner that would be constituted as abusive usage, or unacceptable usage.

That's why everyone is starting to throttle, and set caps. The reason why everyone who only needs to use 3-5gb per month will be limited to less than that (at higher speeds) is because of people who think they're holier than thou and can abuse the system.

It's people who think everything is theirs for the taking that causes the rest to suffer.

Thanks!

[LargePrime]

Personally, I like that, especially when you hear people constantly talking about hogging all the data they can.

how does one hog data? is there a limited amount of data, to be doled out, offered on a first come first served basis? Like a big plate or buffet?

How anyone who understands anything about networks can say things like 'hogging data' is beyond me.

Carriers have capacity. They sell that capacity. People buy that capacity. People use that capacity.

That capacity is not a big plate you can hog from, it is a per user slice with a limited bandwidth. If you use the full bandwidth for a minute or a solid month, why should the carrier care? They sell capacity, not an amount.

If you are pulling 5GB a day, you have to be pulling the VAST MAJORITY of it when the network is off peak. In these cases the network is just sitting there doing nothing, so why should it not be used by paying customers?

[DP102288]

I plan on using 20GB-50GB of data each month! (streaming tether p2p etc) And while when I called boost mobile they said they will allow that amount of data

I'm curious, do you think that amount of usage warrants a home broadband connection? And do you think it would be faster and/or easier to use a broadband connection?

[deathtrip]

Too many people are always trying to pinch here and pinch there to save $5.00 a month.

Not only that, the luxury of mobile broadband is a benefit to those who leach off the network.

I pay almost $150 per month for my home and office internet connection... and with the speed, support, reliability, and service I receive, it's well worth it not to be a leach.

[ksp12]

Too many people are always trying to pinch here and pinch there to save $5.00 a month.

Not only that, the luxury of mobile broadband is a benefit to those who leach off the network.

I pay almost $150 per month for my home and office internet connection... and with the speed, support, reliability, and service I receive, it's well worth it not to be a leach.

So happy for you that you can afford to throw your money flippantly everywhere and that you simply do not care if you are ripped off. Others of us are consumers who spend much time researching to, INDEED, get the best value for our money. I am not independently wealthy and I DO watch the prices. It is folks such as you who promote insane pricing by these companies and hurt the rest of us. If more people paid attention to pricing and weren't LAZY and just shelled out $$ without end, we might experience more reasonable pricing...but again, not with people such as you around.

[robertapert]

Let me explain.

1. Let's say they give you 3 GB before you get capped.

2. let's say you can download this 3 GB of data at 5 Mbps.

3. Now let's convert 5 Mbps into Kilobytes (not Kilobits Kb or Megabits Mb). 5 Mbps = 5000 Kbps / 8 (bits) = 625 KBps

4. Now let's convert 3 GB into Kilobytes (so we can do math at the same level as the connection above, remember algebra!). 3 GB * 1024 = 3072 MB * 1024 = 3145728 KB

5. Now let's find out how long it would take to run out of 3 GB using the 5 Mbps connection. 3145728 KB / 625Kbps = 5033.1648 Seconds / 60 = 83.88608 Minutes or 1.39 Hours.

6. Now let's assumed that the cap speed is 256 Kbps after the 3 GB are spent.

7. Let's figure out how much data you will be able to pull out for the whole month, remembering to take out 1.39 hours out of the total equation.

8. Lets find out how many seconds are in a month, minus the 5033.1648 from the 3 GB. I'm going to use 31 days for my calculations of a month. 31 days * 24 hours of a day = 744 hours * 60 minutes = 44640 Minutes * 60 Seconds = 2678400 Seconds in a month!

9. Let's see how many seconds are left after removing the 5033.1648 from the first 3GB it in a month.
2678400 seconds in a month - 5033.1648 from 3 GB = 2673366.8352 seconds total at 256 Kbps

10. Let's convert the cap connection from kilobits to kilobytes. 256 Kbps / 8 bits = 32 KBps

11. Let's find out the total amount of data we can download in this month at 256 Kbps. 2673366.8352 * 32 KBps = 85547738.7264 KB total

12. Let's convert the total from KB to GB. 85547738.7264 KB / 1024 = 83542.7136 MB / 1024 = 81.58468125 GB!

13. So, let's put all numbers together. 81.58468125 GB + 3 GB = 84.58468125 GB

14. Final answer. The maximum amount you can download if you were to download for 31 days without stopping is LIMITED to around 85.54 GB and no more!

84.54 GB is the number for unlimited and the maximum amount of data you can download...you could say this is the limit to your plan...so at the end of the day is kind of limited!

[angel beats]

When I talked to boost mobile they said they do allow tethering per their terms and conditions. I also do have cable internet and plan on keeping it.

[deathtrip]

Well, whoever you spoke to was either misinformed, didn't understand, or has no idea what you were talking about.

The Boost Terms of Service Agreement are as follows:

UNLIMITED USE DOES NOT MEAN UNREASONABLE USE.

To ensure that all customers have access to reliable services provided at a reasonable cost, you may not use our service in a manner that interferes with another Boost Mobile customer's use of our service or disproportionally impacts Boost Mobile's network resources. Prohibited Uses: Boost Mobile services are provided solely for live dialogue between, & initiated by, two individuals for personal use & as otherwise described in this policy. Boost Mobile services may not be used for any other purposes, including, but not limited to, conference calling, monitoring services, data transmissions, transmission of broadcasts, transmission of recorded material, interconnection to other networks, telemarketing, autodialed calls, other commercial uses, or other connections that do not consist of uninterrupted live dialogue between two individuals. If your plan includes data services, such services are provided solely for purposes of web browsing, messaging, & similar activities.

Examples of Prohibited Use of our data services include but are not limited to use thereof (1) with server devices or host computer applications, or other systems that drive continuous heavy traffic or data sessions, including, but not limited to, disproportionate Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, automated machine-to-machine connections, peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing applications broadcast to multiple servers or recipients such that they could enable "bots" or similar routines; (2) as a substitute or backup for private lines or frame relay connections; (3) to send or receive unusually high numbers of messages (4) to engage in atypical web usage behaviors; (5) for tethering your device to a personal computer or other hardware; & (6) for any other reason that, in our sole discretion harms our network. We will presume you are engaging in a Prohibited Use, in violation of these terms and conditions, if you are placing an abnormally high number of calls, or repeatedly placing calls of unusually long duration (as compared to other customers on the same service plans), or if your usage is harmful or disruptive to Boost Mobile's systems or services. If we determine, at our sole discretion, that you are using an unlimited service in violation of the Boost Mobile General Terms & Conditions of Service, these Terms of Service, or in any other manner that we deem to be unreasonable or excessive, then we may terminate individual calls, or, after providing notice to you, terminate your service, decline to renew your services, or offer you a different service plan with no unlimited usage components.