Thursday, October 25, 2007
Fine Print
With the iphone (eventually?) coming to Canada, there is a lot of talk about data plan and reform. apparently, our data plans are ridiculously overcharged and the highest. I have a Treo, but i don't use the plan b/c it is quite unreasonable. and i think that when the iphone comes in, i'll use it like my Treo (use everything that makes it a great phone and pda, nothing that makes it what its real potential is).
The key issue with the data plans lately, seems to be not just the price, but the "unlimited" part of the promotion. According to Michael Geist's post, a lot of mobile providers have ridiculous fine print associated with what you can and cannot do with the data plan. Bell (ever notorious for B.S. practices), states the terms of use of their $75 plan ($84 with system fees):
on top of that, unlimited, doesn't mean unlimited. hopefully, the recent American Verizon settlement (undisclosed bandwidth cap on "unlimited" data plans) will guide a light on this reform.
i don't intent to get a data plan. if i want to access the internet on my phone, esp. with the Treo, i'll buy a Wifi adapter, and use that. there are plenty of hot spots in Toronto. i'm not paying as much as a typical $200 for a plan that is not really unlimited and prohibits me from doing what i want to do with it in the first place.
The key issue with the data plans lately, seems to be not just the price, but the "unlimited" part of the promotion. According to Michael Geist's post, a lot of mobile providers have ridiculous fine print associated with what you can and cannot do with the data plan. Bell (ever notorious for B.S. practices), states the terms of use of their $75 plan ($84 with system fees):
You shall not use or allow others to use the Service or your Device if such use:
So, what's the point then of paying $75 for a data plan that restricts you from doing what you want the plan for in the first place? I esp. love the "Bell's reasonable opinion". if you're not aware, we have some very ambiguous terminology in most of our codified laws.- consumes excessive network capacity in Bell's reasonable opinion, or causes our network, or our ability to provide services to others, to be adversely affected;
- is for multi-media streaming, voice over Internet protocol or any other application which uses excessive network capacity that is not made available to you by Bell;
- is to operate an email, web, news, chat or other service.
on top of that, unlimited, doesn't mean unlimited. hopefully, the recent American Verizon settlement (undisclosed bandwidth cap on "unlimited" data plans) will guide a light on this reform.
i don't intent to get a data plan. if i want to access the internet on my phone, esp. with the Treo, i'll buy a Wifi adapter, and use that. there are plenty of hot spots in Toronto. i'm not paying as much as a typical $200 for a plan that is not really unlimited and prohibits me from doing what i want to do with it in the first place.
The End of Privacy - Whitaker