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Tuesday 31 January 2017

T-Mobile Cell Phone Service Provider Offers it's New "One" Plan

T-Mobile has come up with another mobile plan. The company has announced a new and improved “One” plan at its “Un-carrier Next” event at CES 2017. It will combine monthly rates, taxes and fees into one price, and thus, offers a transparent rate to the customers.

Features of T-Mobile’s “One” Plan

T-Mobile is a well-known Government assistance cell phone service provider known for providing alluring cell phone plans. Its latest “One” plan is gaining everybody’s attention. It has several exceptional features, such as unlimited data, calls, and text messages, as well as other benefits like T-Mobile Tuesdays and data use in as many as 140 countries. According to Neowin’s report, this plan will exclude other offerings, such as Binge On, because with unlimited data, there is no need to have streaming services not count against your data use.



T-Mobile, Government assistance cell phone service provider’s statement on its plan

T-Mobile is a renowned Government cell phone service provider that made a statement about it’s “One” Plan. According to them, “Today, U.S. wireless customers have a choice — keep getting those confusing, fee-filled bills (like Verizon’s $110 plan that actually costs $210.70 on average for a family of four) or switch over to radical simplicity with T-Mobile One, now all unlimited and all in with monthly taxes and fees included”. Also, “With T-Mobile One, the price advertised is the price you pay every month. No surprises.”

Now, customers will be able to get the plan both online and in retail stores. It will cost them a set amount of money for 1, 2, 3, and 4 lines. You will be expected to pay $70 for one line, $120 for two lines, $140 for three lines, and $160 for four lines. For those who are not inclined to use all that much data, they can go for T-Mobile’s “KickBack” option. It basically returns you $10 back each month that you do not use more than 2GB of data. Also, those who make payments on time, and have good-standing credit can qualify for its KickBack option.

Read Also: FCC Claims Verizon and AT&T are Violating Net Neutrality Laws

Conclusion

The “One” plan of T-Mobile, a renowned Government cell phone service provider is certainly interesting and expectantly, other carriers will probably follow suit. Unexpected fees can be a real pain when signing up for wireless service, and it is great to see at least one chief carrier trying to do away with them. This Government cell phone service provider has certainly taken the right step by introducing its new plan.

Thursday 26 January 2017

FCC Claims Verizon and AT&T are Violating Net Neutrality Laws

The Federal Communications Commission issued a report claiming Verizon Wireless and AT&T’s ‘zero-rated’ services desecrated net neutrality plans. Tom Wheeler, the Chairman of the FCC, was the main supporter of the report, published by the Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Many people consider this policy review as one last rebellious shout before the Trump administration takes office on January 20, and Wheeler deserts his post as the head of the Government agency.

Verizon Wireless and AT&T Dismiss Allegations:

On the other hand, both Verizon Wireless and AT&T (Government cell phone service providers) have dismissed the FCC’s allegations, saying their business models only encourage competition in the market without causing any harm to the customers. Before covering all relevant details, it is essential for you to know about ‘zero-rated’ services, offered by both the Government cell phone service providers.



So, let’s gain some knowledge about zero-rated services:

In the case of wireless mobile carriers, ‘Zero-rated’ services are plans for consumers to stream content from some platforms without paying for the data they consume.

AT&T’s DirecTV Now and Verizon’s FreeBee Data 360 are subsidized data programs that offer access to certain platforms and services virtually free of data consumption charges. In the case of AT&T, the benefit to subscribers is enormous since the DirecTV catalog is immense, and the content they stream does not register on their monthly data cap. Similar is the case, but to a lesser extent with Verizon’s Go90 platform.

This Practice is Rapidly Spreading Across the Industry:

Evidently, the practice is against the Open Internet Order of 2015, which supports net neutrality above biased business practices and non-ethical competition in the consumer market. The FCC report is futile without legal action. Also, several outlets have said, the latest report by the FCC lacks purpose since the present leadership has not much time to take tangible steps against these companies and their misconduct.


Bernie Sanders Supports it:

Bernie Sanders is one of many Democrats who support the FCC's report. Upon learning of the FCC policy review, a Democrat parliamentary block headed by Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts (D) issued a statement supporting Commission’s conclusions on ‘zero-rated’ programs. Al Franken of Minnesota, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut backed Markey’s official statement.

At Last:

It is too early to come to a conclusion on how this will play out. Come back to this website to stay updated in this regard.

Sunday 15 January 2017

Attention AT&T Users: Get Ready to Pay Another $5 Rate Hike on Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plans

AT&T, cellular phone service provider, is augmenting the price of its grandfathered unlimited data plans by $5 per month from March 2017. This is the second such increase in the past 12 months. This price hike will affect the longtime mobile users who are availing the unlimited data plans for years after the company restricted selling them to new subscribers.

Know the AT&T's Statement on the New Pricing:

“Our Mobile Share Advantage plans and our AT&T Unlimited Plan provide several benefits that our legacy unlimited plan doesn't. If you have a legacy unlimited data plan, you can keep it; however, beginning in March 2017, it will increase by $5 per month”.



Further details of the unlimited data rate per month:

The unlimited data rate had been $30 per month for seven years, until AT&T upturned it to $35 in February 2016. Now, the price will come up to $40. This amount is for data only, including voice and texting, and it will be around $90 a month for the smartphone plans.

The company no longer provides separate unlimited data plans to its customers, but several people still hold to its unlimited data plans that were purchased before AT&T discontinued them in 2010. Those plans allow them to use unlimited data, but regulating does occur with excessive data usage.

Over last several years, AT&T has used data caps, and price hikes to encourage its grandfathered unlimited customers to switch to new plans. In the year 2014, the FTC propelled a federal court complaint against AT&T for its throttling practices leading AT&T to measure them back. In the beginning of 2016, AT&T reintroduced $100 unlimited data plans for its AT&T DirecTV or AT&T U-Verse plan subscribers.

AT&T, cellular phone service provider, encouraged customers to move to its new plans, having data limits, saying the newer packages "provide several benefits that our legacy unlimited plan doesn’t." For example, with its newer plans, users can share the Internet services with another device through mobile hotspot connections. AT&T had stopped selling unlimited smartphone data to new customers and for people who are switching plans. However, last year, they introduced a new unlimited plan, which is available to people who also subscribe to U-verse TV or DirecTV.

While Verizon Wireless encourages users to stop availing unlimited data plans if they use more than 200GB a month, AT&T has used several other tactics to limit the usefulness of the grandfathered plans. In 2011, AT&T started withdrawing unlimited data plans from customers who escape iPhones to use illegal tethering services. This cellular phone service provider also used to control unlimited data customers for the rest of the month when they used more than 3GB or 5GB, depending on what device they had. AT&T has made the throttling less disciplinary, now applying it after users use at least 22GB in a month, and even then only when customers connect to a congested cell tower. The Government agencies try to penalize AT&T for unlimited data throttling have so far come up empty.

Sunday 8 January 2017

T-Mobile Introduces Low Cost IoT Packs Offering Wireless Data



Cell phone service providers are doing everything to ensure considerable growth in the wireless sector. They are launching new devices and many kinds of schemes to attract new customers. T-Mobile, one of the four major cell phone service providers in United States, has gone a step further in this regard.

IoT (Internet of Things) Packs launched:

The company had been investing a lot of time and money to promote IoT (Internet of Things) for more than a year. The company is still making efforts in this direction.  T-Mobile has introduced two very affordable IoT access packs offering enough data for wireless service subscribers. The company has introduced these two IoT access packs with the objective of making it very easy to get IoT Devices online.

The Base Plan:

T-Mobile cell phone service subscribers can subscribe to this plan by paying just $20 for a year to get 5 MB data per device on monthly basis. This fee will get reduced to only $6 per year to get the same amount of data per device on a monthly basis. For this purpose, customers will have to complete a one year subscription successfully.

The Step-Up Plan:

This is the second IoT Access Pack introduced by T-Mobile. The company is offering unlimited data to its cellular phone service users at the speed of 64Kbps. As far as the fee for this plan is concerned, it will not exceed $25 per device for an entire year. The company also seems to be executing a marketing strategy on a psychological level by offering $5 off for every device for the first year. It is a limited time offer with the Step-Up Plan.

There are Plenty of Reasons for the Plan:
  1. “Like everything they do, the carriers overcomplicate the Internet of Things, and that leads to more hassle and cost for customers,” says Mr. Doug Chartier, the Senior Vice-President at T-Mobile.
  2. Usually cell phone makers get wireless modules from one vendor.
  3. They also have to buy a data plan from a cellular phone service provider in order to be able to introduce their IoT solutions in market.
  4. These plans offered by cell phone service providers are heavily overpriced.
  5. All these things together make the process very complex for all device makers active in the market at present.
  6. All customers using T-Mobile cell phone services will get modules and data for the development of the next great solution related to The Internet of Things.

What Else?

The company has announced covering the cost of the Sequans Cat1 Module through bill credits regardless of the plan chosen by cellular phone service users.

The T-Mobile think tank continuously is working on Category M and Narrowband IoT next generation modules capable of making use of T-Mobile’s LTE coverage to the fullest.

These next generation IoT modules are also capable of helping IoT customers using T-Mobile cell phone service get options for longer lifecycles and faster data as compared to 2G Networks.

A Few Words about This Announcement by T-Mobile:

The launch of the Base Plan and Step-Up plan for IoT customers, the latest effort by T-Mobile, is to be a recognized part of the fast growing IoT market. Partnerships with companies like Twilio, Sequans and Novatel Wireless proves it perfectly. Now we just need to wait and watch the impact of these IoT plans on the T-Mobile customer base and ROI. It won’t take much time.

Keep coming back to our website and stay updated in this regard.

Wednesday 4 January 2017

Verizon Wireless Agrees to Roll out Update to Brick Samsung’s Galaxy Note7


Verizon Wireless seems to be changing its tunes very soon. The cellular service provider has decided to issue a software update. This software update will affect its remaining customers using the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones.

What is actually cooking?

Samsung had issued a worldwide Note7 recall during the month of September 2016 because of battery issues. The compact body of the Note7 was causing some of those smartphones to catch fire in many parts of the world. An overheating problem was also identified. The company somehow came up with some solutions to the problem but, those solutions did not work at all. Samsung even tried to solve the problem by giving replacement units to the customers who returned their phones to the company. But even the replacement units had their own problems. This forced Samsung to issue a second global recall of the Note7 and permanently stop its production. Almost 93% of Samsung Galaxy Note7 owners returned their phones to Samsung and to their respective cellular phone service providers.

Samsung officially announced its plan about issuing an update for the rest of the 7% of the Galaxy Note7 owners. The company took this step with the objective of ensuring that the remaining 7% of the Galaxy Note7 owners turn their phones in. This specific update prevents the phone from charging and functioning as a mobile device.

Verizon Wireless Initially Refused to Issue This Update:

The largest cellular phone service provider in United States had initially refused to issue this update for its customers using the Samsung Galaxy Note7 phone because it will be a huge inconvenience for those that chose not to switch to some other phone. 

Verizon Wireless has Delayed This Update

However, Verizon Wireless Cell Phone Service users will not get this update because the company has delayed it. The company wants its customers using the Samsung Galaxy Note7 phone to be able to stay connected to their personal and professional contacts, first responders and all sorts of medical emergencies during the holiday travel season. This news has been confirmed by the largest cellular phone service provider in United States on its Note7 Recall website. Verizon Wireless customers having Samsung Galaxy Note7 will get this update either on 5th January 2017 or a little later.

What about the Rest of the Carriers in US?

Other leading cellular phone service providers in United States such as AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, are also pushing this specific software update from Samsung for their customers having the Note7 phone. T-Mobile cell Phone Service users may get this update on December 27, 2016. Talking about AT&T cellular phone service subscribers, they will get this update on 5th January 2017 whereas Sprint will push out this new software updates for its customers on 8th January 2017.

Final Words:

It looks like Verizon Wireless cell phone service users must gear themselves up for returning their expensive Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphones to their carrier. Verizon Wireless is already going through a topsy-turvy time in the wireless sector and this update from Samsung has suddenly come like a bolt from the blue for the company. Nothing can be said about the impact of Verizon Wireless’s decision to provide this update to its customers. Only the time will tell. Keep coming back here as we will keep on updating you in this regard.