| Author |
Message |
    
magmasystems
Citizen
Username: Magmasystems
Post Number: 350
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 8:33 am: | 
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A few months ago, we got one of those Verizon 620 wireless cards for the laptop. This lets you connect to the Internet from anywhere in the US for $60 per month.
This morning, we found out that they terminated our service for downloading data. It seems that the Verizon service only lets you read email and browse the Internet. Streaming audio and video are prohibited (a fact that was not mentioned by the Verizon salesperson), which is a shame, because I listen to NPR every day from work.
For $60 per month, I would have thought that they would let you do whatever you want.
Is there any competing service that is far less restrictive???
By the way, any thoughts I might have had of switching from Comcast to Verizon have now been put on hold.
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davidbuckley
Citizen
Username: Davidbuckley
Post Number: 656
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 9:22 am: |
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If so (not that I doubt you but I'd go to store and ask for manager before sucking it up) that is OUTRAGEOUS!
Excuse me but what internet do they use?? Practically every single site these days has streaming content.
I will be terminating as many relationships as possible (not all possible due to local cell phone reception lack of competition) with Verizon due to this; I encourage others to do the same.
Please report back on what you find out when you escalate at the store.
Download well, all.
David |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 14777
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 9:34 am: |
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Excuse me but what internet do they use??
Verizon is a Tier 1 provider of internet service, which is to say that they wholesale it in bulk, even to large ISP's. In other words, they are one of the biggest in the world. Your question is moot.
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magmasystems
Citizen
Username: Magmasystems
Post Number: 351
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 10:08 am: |
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My wife called, and she was on the phone with a few Verizon reps. They absolutely refuse to turn the service back on.
I think that the problem is that this card is nothing more than a gloried modem ... it dials an outside line, and the speeds seem to be in the 9600 baud range. So, if they have too many people clogging the lines with streaming content, then their service bogs down everyone. This is why they are probably so sensitive to how you use their service. However, at work, we typically have streaming media presentations all of the time.
I am also not happy that they are sitting there, monitoring your Internet usage.
One of the rocket scientists at my wife's work recommended a service from Sprint. According to him, the Sprint service has no restrictions. I wil report back what I find.
This is amazing, considering that we have Verizon customers for years. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 14779
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 10:14 am: |
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I'd be as dissatisfied as you, since they didn't tell you this in their terms of use.
But don't worry "sitting there" about monitoring your use. I'm sure a program, not a human, noticed the high level of usage.
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Paper Bag Bandit
Citizen
Username: Glock17
Post Number: 1186
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 3:54 pm: |
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They did tell them the terms of service. They were in the contract. |
magmasystems
Citizen
Username: Magmasystems
Post Number: 352
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 4:19 pm: |
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Yes, mea culpa. I am sure that the terms were in the contract, but like many people, we did not bother to read a multi-page, small-typefaced document before signing on the dotted line at the Verizon Store in the Short Hills Mall with 50 people waiting behind us. And, the salesman did not say "Remember, you are paying $60 per month to check your email".
In addition to paying the $60 per month, we had to renew our cell phone service for another 2 years. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 14796
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 4:31 pm: |
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Go to the T-Mobile store at the Mall at Short Hills. Those guys are great, and they're always offering good deals.
But I hear that there's something about the technology that Sprint uses that will give you the fastest data throughput, if that's key for you.
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Politicalmon
Citizen
Username: Politicalmon
Post Number: 182
Registered: 9-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 10:19 am: |
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Why anyone would bother with cell based technology to gain Internet access puzzles me? With all the access to Wifi hot spots available both public and private sites that users don't secure. This make it very easy to hop on the digital highway from most places at much greater bandwidth then the 3G service Verizon is selling. I set up a 802.11n system using MIMO and was able to access 5 unsecure wireless routers and gained Internet access for free - I guess if I was in the middle of the South Mountain Reserve I'd have problems. |
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