News about cell phone stuff
Ok guys I thought this was funny this is from RCR wireless news, it is a wireless industry magizine. This a discussion on the trend for the unlimited rate plans that most of you have seen lately. Pay attention to the minute breakdown for thew rate plan from T mobile (and think of your cell phone plan) ... the average person talks for at LEAST 5 minutes per call and there are 22 days in the month not nights and weekends. So with this in mind think of the number of calls you make a day that will not be unlimited (mobile to mobile) and then look at the rate plan you are on to see if you are spending too much ** gets off of the soap box to help his friends **
------- from RCR -----
Although I don’t have personal insight into upper-level executive meetings at the various nationwide carriers, I can only imagine the utter chaos on Tuesday. I’m sure it went something like this:
--Verizon Wireless (early Tuesday morning): “You know what would be funny? Offering an unlimited calling plan for $100 per month, thereby accelerating the commoditization of voice. Wouldn’t that be awesome?”
--AT&T (after Verizon Wireless’ announcement): “Holy cow! Did you see that thing from Verizon? Yikes. You know what? We should do the same exact thing!”
--T-Mobile USA (after its afternoon nap): “What? What’s going on? Unlimited? For $100 a month? Sure, whatever. When’s dinner?”
But now the real question is: What’s Sprint Nextel going to do? As RCR Wireless News reported in February 2007, the nation’s No. 3 carrier began testing an unlimited calling, messaging and data plan for $120 in San Francisco. For $150, the carrier threw in wireless Internet access for computers. Sprint Nextel in May expanded that trial to a few more cities, but hasn’t made a peep about it since.
Yesterday, the word from Sprint Nextel was that the carrier has no plans to expand its unlimited service.
Nonetheless, all eyes are on Sprint Nextel. Will the carrier attempt to turn around its fading fortunes by undercutting rivals’ unlimited plans with a cheaper service, a move that could spark an industrywide price war? Price wars are my favorite kind of war, because instead of paying extra (for tanks and ammunition and such) I actually get to save money. Tremendous.
Further, most carriers offer a lot of minutes in “bucket” form. T-Mobile USA offers 1,500 minutes for $70 (and that does include unlimited nights and weekends). So, for example, this month I would have to make an average of 71 minutes of calls every weekday (during the day) to use up that whole bucket before the end of the month. And since I have no one to talk to, and no one wants to talk to me unless they have to, it would be very hard for me to use up all those minutes.
But, hey, maybe someone really important would be able to use an unlimited calling plan, someone who had a lot of talking to do. Like, maybe, American Idol Kelly Clarkson. Or that guy who made all the funny sound effects in the “Police Academy” movies. People like that.
------- from RCR -----
Although I don’t have personal insight into upper-level executive meetings at the various nationwide carriers, I can only imagine the utter chaos on Tuesday. I’m sure it went something like this:
--Verizon Wireless (early Tuesday morning): “You know what would be funny? Offering an unlimited calling plan for $100 per month, thereby accelerating the commoditization of voice. Wouldn’t that be awesome?”
--AT&T (after Verizon Wireless’ announcement): “Holy cow! Did you see that thing from Verizon? Yikes. You know what? We should do the same exact thing!”
--T-Mobile USA (after its afternoon nap): “What? What’s going on? Unlimited? For $100 a month? Sure, whatever. When’s dinner?”
But now the real question is: What’s Sprint Nextel going to do? As RCR Wireless News reported in February 2007, the nation’s No. 3 carrier began testing an unlimited calling, messaging and data plan for $120 in San Francisco. For $150, the carrier threw in wireless Internet access for computers. Sprint Nextel in May expanded that trial to a few more cities, but hasn’t made a peep about it since.
Yesterday, the word from Sprint Nextel was that the carrier has no plans to expand its unlimited service.
Nonetheless, all eyes are on Sprint Nextel. Will the carrier attempt to turn around its fading fortunes by undercutting rivals’ unlimited plans with a cheaper service, a move that could spark an industrywide price war? Price wars are my favorite kind of war, because instead of paying extra (for tanks and ammunition and such) I actually get to save money. Tremendous.
Further, most carriers offer a lot of minutes in “bucket” form. T-Mobile USA offers 1,500 minutes for $70 (and that does include unlimited nights and weekends). So, for example, this month I would have to make an average of 71 minutes of calls every weekday (during the day) to use up that whole bucket before the end of the month. And since I have no one to talk to, and no one wants to talk to me unless they have to, it would be very hard for me to use up all those minutes.
But, hey, maybe someone really important would be able to use an unlimited calling plan, someone who had a lot of talking to do. Like, maybe, American Idol Kelly Clarkson. Or that guy who made all the funny sound effects in the “Police Academy” movies. People like that.