WiFi mobile hotspots

Discussion in 'Trucking Electronics, Gadgets and Software Forum' started by truckerjoe06, Feb 4, 2013.

  1. Dieselboss

    Dieselboss Technology Contributor

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    Same here. I have an aircard and a Droid with hotspot that are both 3G but both unlimited with VZN. But I am wanting a new phone some day and they are going to get me if I change anything...
     
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  3. k7tkr

    k7tkr Medium Load Member

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    Had unlimited for years but for a series of events involving my brother and a heart attack still would. So here I am paying through the nose for a dataplan. Don't how I arrived here but I'm fairly certain now that I would have a hard time without it. Told Verizon I'd be willing to shell out a lot of green to get unlimited back..... but no go. Good wifi in most truckstops is nearly non exsistent so use the hotspot now 90% time on-line. I do believe a 4g Mifi is in the near future...but we'll see.

    Mark

    Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
     
  4. k7tkr

    k7tkr Medium Load Member

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    Think I saw this in Fox or read it in on of the tech feeds I get but Verizon made it crystal clear they were going after the "grand fathers" on unlimited data. I think I understand why- I don't like it but I understand it at least in how it was explained to me anyway.

    Mark.

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  5. Dieselboss

    Dieselboss Technology Contributor

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    Oh ya. I understand perfectly why.

    1. The cellular wireless data consumption has EXPLODED in the last 5 years. The vast majority of cell-phone are now "smartphones" with internet and built-in tethering or hotspots and the mifi / jetpack / aircard market has also exploded. Their infrastructure can't even keep up with the current demand. I was connected to a driver's screen this week removing viruses off his system and as it got closer to peak hours I could see my connection getting worse and worse. I was on a cable line but he was using VZN in his truck. By 8pm we had to basically give it up because the connection slowed to a crawl. Now I know that sounds like what you would hear when talking about wifi in a truck stop. But this was the cellular bandwidth coming to a halt as more people were getting on in the peak hours. In the morning I was able to get back onto his system lickety-split and he had not even moved.

    And it isn't a bust on Verizon - they are all seeing and doing the same thing. So they all are slowly migrating their grandfathered users as soon as is legally allowable. And Sprint is saying unlimited but automatically doing load-throttling when needed.

    Aaaah, supply and demand.
     
  6. MsJamie

    MsJamie Road Train Member

    One of my friends told me that he could upgrade to a new phone and not touch his plan, but he'd have to pay "cash price" (non-subsidized) for the new phone.
     
  7. Roadmedic

    Roadmedic Road Train Member

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    I had a samsung phone with unlimited with verizon.

    I upgraded in April to a new droid and my plan is still unlimited. My wife did not have a smart phone, and upgraded to one in April when I did and hers is limited to 5 gig.
     
  8. WV_Daddys_Girl

    WV_Daddys_Girl <b>Crusty Ole' Wifey</b>

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    My husband & I both have smart phones and a Mi-Fi Jetpack through Verizon. We have unlimited text/calls and 10 G of data shared through the 3 devices. Our bill runs @ $185 a month. I've had the Mi-Fi for about 6 months and have yet to go over the data limit. The coverage is pretty good; the only pitfall I have (so far) is the device runs out of battery fairly quickly - if you're using it a lot. Maybe 3-4 hours on a single charge.
     
  9. k7tkr

    k7tkr Medium Load Member

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    &#8594;Diesel Boss

    Lack of enough infrastructure and lack of available bandwidth. More and more people on less and less space means more packet collisions and undeliverable communications. You're right Don, even with tighter spread spectrum spacing and increased spectrum allocations, the current systems especially those in the major market areas, are unable to handle what you so right term explosive PCS growth.

    And so here I sit in the Colorado urban corridor of I25 taking up some of the band width posting to this forum using my 4g hot spot.


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    Last edited: Feb 6, 2013
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