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Topic: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase (Read 3 times) previous topic - next topic
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FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Yahoo Message Number: 145542
Just heard this on another forum.

Beginning May 1, your bill is going to increase by $20. This is a direct result of Verizon increasing their charge to Millenicom.  The only positive is that if you go over the 20GB allowance you can buy an additional 20GB for $90 without having to buy another device and plan.  No one is grandfathered.
 Current customers will receive an email prior to May 1st about the price increase.  Millenicom:  " our plan is to have usage updated in our Members Center as close to real-time as possible with email warnings going out to everyone every 5GB unless they opt-out of that warning system,  Service should automatically suspend at 20GB unless we receive approval from the client to continue their service with an additional purchase of 20GB."

The additional 20 GBs you purchase is only good for the current month; so if you run out on the 20th you can pay $90 more for 20 GBs that will expire at the end of the month.  If you have a second device you can reactivate it (with the $19.99 fee) and be prorated for the rest of the month.

This will all be spelled out in an email to customers, probably tomorrow if not the day after.
Harvest Hosts + Boondockers Welcome #23975
Escapees SKP #138195
2007 23.5' Twin King
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145543
Sorry for not signing my post.
Charles
Harvest Hosts + Boondockers Welcome #23975
Escapees SKP #138195
2007 23.5' Twin King
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145546
Charles,

I just talked to Millenicom customer service and she said she knew nothing about this. Can you share the forum where you heard this?

Andrea
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145551
I use truconnect where I pay as I go 3.6 cents per gigabyte. Use all I want and is affordable.
Richard first time poster long time lurker
Re: [LD] Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145552
Which network does TruConnect use...couldn't tell from their website.
 From what I can tell, the Novatel 2200 that TruConnect is currently offering on their website is only 3G.  While the price may be attractive, after living with 4G, I could not go back to 3G!

Linda Hylton

From: Richard rose

Sent: ‎Tuesday‎, ‎April‎ ‎1‎, ‎2014 ‎1‎:‎05‎ ‎PM
To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com

I use truconnect where I pay as I go 3.6 cents per gigabyte. Use all I want and is affordable.
Richard first time poster long time lurker
Linda Hylton
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145553
Linda,
 Per their FAQs "TruConnect coverage is provided on the nationwide Sprint® network covering 98% of the United States population."

Richard,
 TruConnect says you pay $4.99 per month plus 3.9 cents per Megabyte. That's a huge difference! I don't see any mention of a data allowance; is there one?

Charles
Harvest Hosts + Boondockers Welcome #23975
Escapees SKP #138195
2007 23.5' Twin King
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145554
Perhaps you meant 3.6 cents/MB, or $36/GB? That's close to the pricing I found on Truconnects website. For $30, Verizon will give my iPad 2 GB, and the network coverage is far better. Truconnect seems best for people that don't use very much data.

Eric Greenwell
2005 Jayco 24SS
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145555
PC Mag's review says the data usage cost is 3.9 cents per MegaByte, or $39.00 per GigaByte.  That is a lot for any speed of connection.

Dale Ellis

left

Which network does TruConnect use...couldn't tell from their website.
 From what I can tell, the Novatel 2200 that TruConnect is currently offering on their website is only 3G.  While the price may be attractive, after living with 4G, I could not go back to 3G!

Linda Hylton

From: Richard rose Sent: Tuesday, April 1, 2014 1:05 PM To:lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com

I use truconnect where I pay as I go 3.6 cents per gigabyte. Use all I want and is affordable.
Richard first time poster long time lurker
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145556
Thanks for that information, Dale.  I didn't read the website that closely since, once I found out that the device they offer is only 3G, that was a "no go" for me, so didn't delve into it any farther.

Linda Hylton

From: Dale Ellis

Sent: ‎Tuesday‎, ‎April‎ ‎1‎, ‎2014 ‎1‎:‎53‎ ‎PM
To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com

PC Mag's review says the data usage cost is 3.9 cents per MegaByte, or $39.00 per GigaByte.  That is a lot for any speed of connection.

Dale Ellis
Linda Hylton
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145567
I just received the official rate increase email from Millenicom. A 29% increase. Will be looking for other alternatives (again).

Charles
Harvest Hosts + Boondockers Welcome #23975
Escapees SKP #138195
2007 23.5' Twin King
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145571
Good luck Charles and let us know what you find. While the increase aggravates me I need Verizon and it would cost $130 a month with VZ to get the same 20GB and yes we use a lot of data.

In my view, AT&T and VZ are the two major players in the U.S. with VZ having the most extensive coverage. We are not enjoying the imagined fruits of competition in the cellular data market. One wonders if VZ would like to kill off Millenicom.

Jim C
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increas e
Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145573
"From what I can tell, the Novatel 2200 that TruConnect is currently offering on their website is only 3G."

Which is OK for casual, infrequent use, but far inferior to 4G/LTE. More to the point, TruConnect's reliance on Sprint makes it unsuitable for RVers, because Sprint's network coverage is extremely thin outside major metro areas. (You can easily check this with the "Coverage" iPhone app.) Sprint claims to cover 98% of the US. That sounds impressive, but to arrive at that inflated percentage, they include 1xRTT (incredibly slow), 3G (half-fast) and not-quite-4G areas, roaming zones, and even towers that are planned but not yet built (yes, the fine print on their network maps includes these!).

I hate to say it, but if you travel outside of cities, as most of us do, there simply is no choice but Verizon. Ten years of experience confirms this, and there's no prospect of any competitor catching up with Verizon's coverage in the forseeable future.

Companies like Sprint and T-Mobile focus on major population centers, because that's where the money is. But outside of those population-dense areas, Verizon is the only company making a serious attempt to provide cellular coverage in the boonies. And Millenicom depends upon Verizon.

Anybody remember "Dumbo"? Well, Millenicom and similar resellers are mice that live on the peanuts dropped by circus elephants. As long as peanuts are plentiful, the elephants can spare a few. But if the elephants ever felt that the mice were a serious threat to their food supply, they could stomp them into the ground.

You can read the Technomads' explanation for the details, but the key points are simple:

1. This price increase is entirely Verizon's fault, not Millenicom's.

2. Millenicom is still a bargain for what you get: 20 GB of very fast internet connections on the US's best network, for slightly more than half what Verizon charges for the same service.

Andy Baird - http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: [LD] Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increas e
Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145576
"Sprint claims to cover 98% of the US."
 Actually, what Sprint claims is that they cover 98% of the U.S. "population."  That's very different than claiming to cover 98% of the U.S.  Considering that probably the vast majority of people live in and around cities where Sprint has their coverage, that's probably not too much of an inflated claim, even though, as you say, it includes speeds less than 4G.

Linda Hylton
Linda Hylton
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increase
Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145577
Well verizon is still advertising for anyone to become a reseller on thier web site. So I doubt if they have any immediate plans to kill all of them..
The 20.00 is a real bite for us as we dont use it regularly but want it when we are away from home.  And our trips aren't very predictable. Makes turning it on and off not a good option.
Re: FYI: all Millenicom customers bills are to increas e
Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 145580
"Actually, what Sprint claims is that they cover 98% of the U.S. 'population.' "

Fair enough, and perhaps the claim is technically accurate if it's understood to mean that Sprint offers some kind of coverage to the urban areas where most of the US population lives. Nevertheless, outside those populated areas, Sprint isn't likely to be there when you need it, as I and people I know can testify from experience.

Andy Baird - http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"