Wow, I'm at $160 for more minutes with Sprint on 4 phones and I have full data on one of them. Though with cell carriers, all have their good and bad coverage areas.
----- Mike Hammett Intelligent Computing Solutions http://www.ics-il.com -------------------------------------------------- From: "Mike" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 9:09 AM To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [WISPA] Metered Billing > There are those (the 5%?) who will just try to max out the pipe all > the time if that's what they perceive they are paying for. > > This thread is making me think through some of the cob webs which are > rising uses on ALL of our networks. Christmas is coming, so are new > game consoles. > > I constantly look at my Verizon bill and try to figure out how to > trim it; I can't. Four phones, national plan, unlimited > texting/pictures, 1200 shared minutes; we pay about $240.00 per > month, or about $60.00 per phone. I view that as obscene, but also > feel somewhat trapped. Verizon, ex-Alltel, ex-GTE, has the best > network between Iowa and Florida where my phones reside. > > We've weaned ourselves away from the local rapacious monopolist -- > Iowa Telecom -- but still throw money at Verizon and Dish network > every month. If I wasn't a Hawkeye fan, I'd toss Dish out too, but I > can't get the Big 10 network over-the-air. > > My point is, as far as communications costs go, Internet, if we were > a customer instead of the vendor, would be a small portion of total > monthly costs. Maybe it is time to rethink the whole > paradigm. Except, if I make a bold move, competition would have to > do the same thing, or I'd lose customers. > > I tried a tiered service once. My basic contract says 512 kbps. I > let them burst to 2 or 4 M, whatever the pipe will let them do at the > moment. If they have a persistent connection, and the pipe gets > congested, I throttle them back by delaying packets. When I tried to > sell tiered service with escalating minimum guarantees, I had few takers. > > Most of my customers are rural, unsophisticated, and bursty > users. The business customers pay more and expect that to be the > case. There seems to be a pain threshold of $45.00 for rural > residential users. > > Mike > > At 08:45 AM 11/8/2009, you wrote: >>Not everyone uses 6Mbps all day long. >> >>On Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 7:52 PM, RickG <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > Thats one way to utilize bandwidth shaping but how do you " guaranteed >> > minimum of 1.5Mbps, 4Mbps and >> > 6Mbps" at those low rates to every use and make money? Maybe I'm wrong >> > but >> > the problem I see is that you will end up having unhappy subscribers >> > when >> > their expectations are not met. Thats where the premium rates can come >> > in. >> > I >> > find people all the time who would pay more for committed speeds if it >> > can >> > be delivered. >> > >> > BTW: Cricket Communications, subsidiary of Leap Wireless has lost money >> > since its inception and continues to do so. Give me an example of an >> > non-subsidized "all you can eat service" company in a competitive >> > market >> > that actually makes money (bottom line). >> > >> > >> > On Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 4:55 PM, Jayson Baker <[email protected]> >> > wrote: >> > >> > > Ya know, we've looked at this many times over the past couple years, >> > > and >> > > even tested it for a bit. >> > > >> > > Fact is, people like unlimited, and not having to guess. I, myself, >> > being >> > > a >> > > fairly lite user of the Internet, would still always opt for an >> > > unlimited >> > > plan--even if I knew my bill may be lower on a pay-per-use plan. I >> > > have >> > > unlimited cell phone minutes, txt messages, etc. If I could pay for >> > > unlimited utilites, I'd certainly do that too! >> > > >> > > We've got the infrastructure in place for a pay-per-use, and could >> > activate >> > > it at anytime. We tried selling it about a year ago, and people just >> > > didn't >> > > understand the concept. People aren't used to it--most people got >> > > online >> > > when Internet was $19.95/mo for dialup (or, $22.95 for AOL!), and >> > > don't >> > > remember the 10 for $10 dial-up packages. Nobody knows what ISDN >> > > with >> > 300 >> > > hours is. >> > > >> > > We currently offer 12Mbps service for $24.95/mo. This makes us the >> > fastest >> > > in the area, and the cheapest. We have local sales, support and >> > > installations. We decided the way to win is to shape traffic--we >> > > offer >> > > three 12Mbps packages; one with a guaranteed minimum of 1.5Mbps, >> > > 4Mbps >> > and >> > > 6Mbps. If you do nothing than browse, share pictures, etc. (i.e. >> > > "normal >> > > use") you'll always see the 12Mbps. But once you fire up a torrent >> > > or >> > > Netflix, you only get that speed for 10 minutes--after that, you get >> > > your >> > > guaranteed minimum. Prices double from 1.5 to 4, and double again >> > > going >> > to >> > > 6Mbps. We have never had a complaint about speed or price with this >> > > structure. >> > > >> > > I'm hoping that the "big guys" do go to pay-per-use plans. Just one >> > > more >> > > way we can advertise and win against them. "Tired of counting your >> > > bits >> > > and >> > > bytes? We're unlimited" Look at Cricket wireless--they've just >> > > exploded >> > > with customers on their unlimited-everything service. >> > > >> > > Just my 2 cents >> > > >> > > Jayson >> > > >> > > On Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 2:24 PM, Travis Johnson <[email protected]> wrote: >> > > >> > > > The cellular guys don't charge by the minute... I have an >> > > > unlimited >> > plan >> > > > on my cell phone. I can also get unlimited text and internet access >> > > > for >> > > > $9.95/mo extra. >> > > > >> > > > People don't want to guess what their internet bills are going to >> > > > be >> > from >> > > > month to month. Would you want that at your own home? >> > > > >> > > > Travis >> > > > Microserv >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > Gary Garrett wrote: >> > > > >> > > > You sound like the cell phone company. >> > > > I am convinced the big failure in my business model is I charge by >> > > > the >> > > > month while the cellular guys charge by the minute. >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > Travis Johnson wrote: >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > Hi, >> > > > >> > > > You are talking about having to add additional resources (radius, >> > > > etc.) >> > > > to track it. Then you have to bill it. Then you get to deal with >> > > > the >> > > > phone calls from users that say "My computer wasn't even turned on >> > > > during those times. Remove the charge or I will go elsewhere." So, >> > even >> > > > that one extra phone call costs you money (because you have to >> > > > think >> > > > about scaling). Imagine if you have 100x the number of customers >> > > > you >> > > > have now... does the same solution work? Probably not. >> > > > >> > > > The easier solution would be to call that customer and get them to >> > > > upgrade to the next plan up (which would provide higher speed as >> > > > well). >> > > > This works very well for us... and then I have that guaranteed >> > > > extra >> > > > income each month, even if they don't use it. >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > >> > >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > > > WISPA Wants You! 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