AT&T Wireless drops rates February 04, 2014, 09:19:43 am Yahoo Message Number: 144871Don't know if the notice about the AT&T rate reduction last week picked up any steam or not. But check it out.They created something called Mobile Share Value Plan, which reduced the price of phone access from $45 to $15 per month per device and new shared data buckets beginning at 10 GB.I have 2 iPhones and was sharing a scant 1 GByte shared data package, for $130/month. The new plan gives me 2 iPhones and 10GB data for the same $130/month. If you share more data than that, you will very likely save quite a bit. Further, since the new program more heavily weights the shared data, if you have a group discount (mine is 24% through wife's employer) the discount will apply to a larger portion of the bill.The changed rates do not happen automatically. AT&T is very happy to keep you on your existing expensive plan as long as you want. But it is surprisingly easy to change plans, Just click on "change plan" next to your current plan description. You can review all the current options next to your existing plan.I suspect this was created in response to T-Mobile's more aggressive attack to the market. Now we just have to wait for Verizon to respond, heheh. In addition to the 2 iPhones on AT&T, I have 2 LTE modems and 2 iPads on Verizon Wireless.IMO, Verizon Wireless has the best and largest data network, now all LTE (thus my modems and iPads are on Verizon). But AT&T provides a superior voice network, with simultaneous voice and data, 6-party conference calling and other enhanced voice features. Let the price wars begin!... make that continue!-Dave '06 MB, Indianapolis
Re: AT&T Wireless drops rates Reply #1 – February 04, 2014, 10:13:47 am Yahoo Message Number: 144872IMO, Verizon Wireless has the best and largest data network, now all LTE (thus my modems and iPads are on Verizon). But AT&T provides a superior voice network, with simultaneous voice and data, 6-party conference calling and other enhanced voice features. Let the price wars begin!... make that continue!-Dave '06 MB, IndianapolisI live in Denver and have Verizon for my cell phone service. Most of my friends also have verizion. Once you get in the mountain country of CO, UT and AZ in the off areas you are lucky to find a tower with the other services. With Verizon you may not always have service but your chances are best with them. The othere services may have a little better vioce network,6-party conference calling and other enhanced voice features but what good is this when you do not have service. That is why they are still the best.
Re: [LD] RE: AT&T Wireless drops rates Reply #2 – February 04, 2014, 10:23:53 am Yahoo Message Number: 144873Verizon also has simultaneous voice and date....I've used it often. I was told when I bought my current phone that it would work in just 4G areas, but I've used it in 3G areas, too.Linda HyltonBut AT&T provides a superior voice network, with simultaneous voice and data,
Re: AT&T Wireless drops rates Reply #3 – February 04, 2014, 11:14:15 am Yahoo Message Number: 144876"Verizon also has simultaneous voice and date....I've used it often. I was told when I bought my current phone that it would work in just 4G areas, but I've used it in 3G areas, too."LindaAll 4G phone will work on 3G, just not the opposite.The question for many of us is how widely available the cell service is, not necessarily how cheap. I have camped many times with folks who have ATT, Sprint and T-Moble and couldn't get a signal where Verizon did provide a usable one. There are certain areas which are monopolized by one carrier but overall, Verizon still seems to have the best overall coverage. From my recent experience with T-Mobile, using a Millenicon iPad Mini, was that it is unavailable anywhere except in cities . Not worth much in my book, it should be free for the amount of convenience it provided.Larry
Re: [LD] RE: AT&T Wireless drops rates Reply #4 – February 04, 2014, 11:19:47 am Yahoo Message Number: 144877What I was talking about was using the phone as a hotspot and being able to make a voice call at the same time. When I bought the phone, the guy told me that the only way I could be online (using the phone as a hotspot) AND make or receive a voice call was if I were in a 4G area...but I've been able to make and receive voice calls while my phone was in hotspot mode when we've been in 3G areas.Linda HyltonFrom: lw5315us@...Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2014 10:14 AM To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.comAll 4G phone will work on 3G, just not the opposite.
Re: AT&T Wireless drops rates Reply #5 – February 04, 2014, 11:41:15 am Yahoo Message Number: 144880My point was to simply point out the significant rate reduction by AT&T Wireless, not so much about the feature differences between the carriers. I hope Verizon follows suit. I use both carriers in my un-wired world, and likely will continue to do so.-Dave '06 MB, Indianapolis
Iridium Reply #6 – February 04, 2014, 12:40:08 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144884This might be of interest to those who want an Internet connection in remote areas.http://tinyurl.com/o425yx8Dick
Re: AT&T Wireless drops rates Reply #7 – February 04, 2014, 05:18:15 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144885THANK YOU, Dick. With your heads up and good instructions, our AT&T bill just went from $250/mo to $170/mo for the same features.We really appreciate it! *Gold Star* to you!Tessa in TX '92 MB- Ciao Baby!
Re: AT&T Wireless drops rates Reply #8 – February 04, 2014, 05:48:50 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144887Here is another way to have your phone service and save money. $20 per month or less.Here is a "home phone connect" that is offered by Verizon that I got over 2 years ago. Cost is $20 month+ tax'shttp://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/device/home-phone-connect?selectedContractTerm=2WalMart also offers the same service and is through Verizonhttp://www.walmart.com/ip/Straight-Talk-Wireless-Home-Phone/22084643WHAT IT ISThis Straight Talk Wireless Home Phone provides you with the features you need and even calls 411. No high-speed Internet or landline is required with this Straight Talk Home Phone, and it is compatible with your existing corded or cordless phone. With this Straight Home Phone, you can also keep your current number or get a new one. This Straight Talk Wireless Home Phone is a portable wireless device and service plans are sold separately.Straight Talk Wireless Home Phone: Service plans are sold separately All the features you need at no extra cost, even calls to 411 Portable wireless device No high-speed internet or landline required Compatible with your existing corded or cordless phone Keep your current number or get a new one Works with $15 Unlimited Nationwide Calling Service Plan or $30 Unlimited Nationwide and International Calling Plan The unit is portable from you home to youR camper or any where else. When we go camping we take the unit with us. My home phone is now in the MH. ALL the calls to the home phone now come to the phone in the MH. My aunt has it and when she goes to Florida for the winter she takes it with her. Now here home phone in in the MH where ever she goes. What it really does is change your home wired phone into a CELL phone. We have a place where we go every 4th of July and NO cell phone will work at the camp sight but this unit has just that little extra and the home phone will work. But my Verizon hand cell phone will not.
Re: Iridium Reply #9 – February 04, 2014, 09:59:31 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144888Just keep in mind that Iridium's data transfer rate tops out at 2,400 bits per second, or about 300 text characters per second. By comparison, Verizon LTE transfers data to my Millenicom hotspot or my iPads at an average rate of 7,000,000 to 15,000,000 bits per second, according to my tests over the past year. In other words, for about the same monthly cost, you get roughly four thousand times the speed with Verizon. (That's not to mention that the Iridium satellite hotspot sells for about $800, versus $99 for the Millenicom/Verizon hotspot.)So why would anybody go with a satellite data system? One simple reason: unlike a cellular data plan, it works anywhere. If you want to send a tweet from the North Pole, Iridium will let you do it. Last I heard, Verizon has no towers in that area. ;-) But in general, Iridium-based systems are usable only for very brief text messages. You can forget about checking Google Maps or your daughter's Facebook page.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Re: Iridium Reply #10 – February 04, 2014, 11:39:22 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144891That was always my understanding, but the types of communications the Iridium Go! Is good for are as follows: Voice callsEmail accessApplications Social networkingPhoto sharingSMS two-wayGPS trackingSOS alert That would lead one to conclude that it is now more than just simple text messaging.Dick
Re: Iridium Reply #11 – February 05, 2014, 11:47:28 am Yahoo Message Number: 144894I used to be able to do most of those things using my old analog cell phone as a "Modem." Iridium only needs to provide "standard cellular phone voice communication path", maybe with some special interfaces. Of course the voice communication path will seriously restrict the speed at which things work; thing 1980 dialup service. In the past I have tried to run data via a "satellite phone." It worked, but not very well. Not only was the transmission bit rate low, but the overall data transfer rate was slow due to the "latency" of satellite communication links.Doug Baker
Re: Iridium Reply #12 – February 05, 2014, 04:12:32 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144897"...the types of communications the Iridium Go! Is good for are as follows..."To be blunt, that's pure wishful thinking on their part. The Iridium satellite system uses early-1990s technology, meaning its data rates are extremely slow.And there is no way to upgrade its capabilities without completely replacing the 66+ Iridium satellites, which cost six billion mid-90s dollars to put up there. That's not going to happen, and no amount of advanced technology on the ground can speed up the molasses-like data rates of those 66 birds.In fact, due to the extremely long lead time involved in designing, building and launching 66 (!) satellites into low earth orbit, the Iridium system was obsolete when service began in 1998. A year later, the company was bankrupt. Its six-billionb-dollar assets were sold to a holding company for a measly 25 million.Ever since then, they've been desperately trying to find uses for their obsolete satellites. The SPOT personal trackers are a good example--they're well suited to hikers, boaters and the like. But they are intended for sending very short text messages, because that's really all the Iridium satellites can handle at all gracefully.Here are the technical details, courtesy of Wikipedia:Iridium operates at only 2.2 to 3.8 kbit/s, which requires very aggressive voice compression and decompression algorithms. Latency for data connections is around 1,800 ms round-trip, using small packets.Despite the bandwidth limitations, transparent TCP/IP is supported. Iridium claims data rates up to 10 kilobits per second for their "direct Internet" service which utilizes v.42bis compression over a PPP dialup connection to Iridium's Arizona gateway. Actual data rates remain at 2,300 to 2,400 bit/s for any compressed data such as a JPG image or ZIP file, but plain text or HTML may transfer "up to" 10 kbit/s.Any way you slice it, that's s-l-o-w.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Re: Iridium Reply #13 – February 05, 2014, 04:22:10 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144898In a message dated 2/5/2014 2:12:36 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, andybaird@... writes: Quote Quote"...the types of communications the Iridium Go! Is good for are as follows..." Andy, What are your thoughts on the Globalstar Wi-Fi? Escondido, CA John LD 2003, 26.5 MB
Re: Iridium Reply #14 – February 05, 2014, 05:21:38 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144899"What are your thoughts on the Globalstar Wi-Fi?"GlobalStar's maximum data rate is 9,600 bits per second. That's four times as fast as Iridium, but it's still a thousand times slower than Verizon LTE. As with Iridium, I can't see this as a practical service for all-around internet access; it's just way too slow.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Re: Iridium Reply #15 – February 05, 2014, 05:25:50 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144900Agreed, but it sure beats the heck out of the 300-baud Hayes modem I started out with in the mid-80's. Even so, I regularly use 1200-baud packet in amateur radio to send and receive e-mails on the WinLink 2000 network. Still slow, but gets the job done. Nothing like the 52 mbps broadband I use at home of course. :-)Dick
Re: Iridium Reply #16 – February 06, 2014, 03:25:34 am Yahoo Message Number: 144907Quote Ever since then, they've been desperately trying to find uses for their obsolete satellites. The SPOT personal trackers are a good example--they're well suited to hikers, boaters and the like. But they are intended for sending very short text messages, because that's really all the Iridium satellites can handle at all gracefully.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels Andy,Spot is using GlobalStar. Delorme's InReach is using Iridium. Comparing these two "trackers", InReach is a little more expensive than Spot, but it is much more reliable in my experience. Plus InReach allows two way texting or emails while Spot is only one way. Both may be slow for computer use, but for, tracking position, SOS or communications where no cell coverage exists, they work.bumper
Re: Iridium Reply #17 – February 06, 2014, 10:37:52 am Yahoo Message Number: 144909"Spot is using GlobalStar. Delorme's InReach is using Iridium."Whoops! Sorry, I got the two systems mixed up. Thanks for the correction, Bumper."InReach is a little more expensive than Spot, but it is much more reliable in my experience."I'm going to guess that this has to do with the larger size of the Iridium satellite constellation. My understanding is that GlobalStar has a number of coverage "holes" worldwide."Both may be slow for computer use, but for, tracking position, SOS or communications where no cell coverage exists, they work."No argument--for those applications, they are indispensable. My point was merely that they're not suitable for the kind of day-to-day internet access that we RVers need.For that, Verizon's cell network has no real competition... especially when accessed by a Millenicom Jetpack router cradled in a Wilson Sleek 4G-V booster amp with roof antenna. This combination is a simple, affordable way to achieve very fast internet access in most US camping locations.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Re: Iridium Reply #18 – February 06, 2014, 03:28:07 pm Yahoo Message Number: 144918The "bankruptcy" was kind of a shady deal in some of the investors view. Shortly after the deal, USAF all of a sudden had an airborne comm system using 66 satellites. They still use them today.Google Iridium and USAF for more of the story.
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