Combination of iPad 4G LTE & data caps characterized as a 'speed trap'
The data cap issue with Apple's 4G LTE iPad was characterized in a piece by The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday as a "speed trap" that can catch users off-guard. The story featured one user who streamed just two hours of March Madness college basketball before he burned through his entire two-gigabyte monthly data allotment.
The Verizon customer's $30-per-month data plan with his new iPad offered great video quality over the high-speed 4G LTE network. But that higher video quality also led to him reaching his data cap faster than expected, requiring him to pay $10 for every extra gigabyte he uses over the montly limit.
"It has been only five days since users of Apple Inc.'s newest iPad first took the device out of the box," author Anton Troianovski wrote. "Some are now finding just how quickly the promise of superfast wireless connections collides with what the reality of those services cost."
In the U.S., mobile data plans are capped at the two largest carriers: Verizon and AT&T. Those are the same two carriers with 4G LTE networks compatible with Apple's new iPad.
AT&T began capping iPhone and iPad data plans in 2010, while Verizon followed suit last year. Sprint is the only major carrier in the U.S. without a data cap, but it does not offer a 4G LTE network, and Apple does not sell a version of its new iPad compatible with Sprint's network.
The combination of data caps and high-speed LTE devices was characterized as a "quandary for wireless carriers" by the Journal, which noted that carriers are "banking on mobile video" to push users to 4G-capable tablets, smartphones and other devices.
"The carriers, suffering from a decline in voice-calling revenues, hope that LTE boosts monthly bills for wireless service, and they charge by the amount of data consumed," the report said.
But streaming a high-definition video over 4G LTE to a new, Retina display-equipped iPad uses about 2 gigabytes of data per hour, Verizon said. Verizon's entry-level data plan offers two gigabytes for $30 per month.
131 Comments
Hopefully this pops the data plan bubble.
Well, no different than buying a tank of gas. I can drive fast all day and buy another tank right away or I can choose to walk/bike.
This is my only complaint thus far about the new iPad, and it's not even an inherent iPad issue. I'm not even touching video yet, but just being able to surf more is causing me to use more data. Seeing as LTE networks are far more robust than 3G networks, you would think that they'd also increase typical data plans. It was really disappointing to see the plans stay in place as is. This needs to improve very, very soon or I will just stop using the feature. I love having the cellular connection as it can be a lifesaver in certain circumstances, but there's no way in hell that I'm about to spend $50-80 a month on another data plan that I'm not able to expense.
Hopefully this pops the data plan bubble.
Wireless spectrum and bandwidth resources are finite. It's only going to get worse. This has been a known problem for several years that's starting to rear it's head now. Unlimited plans are not coming back, as much as I wish they would.
Imagine if you get the AT&T $15/250Mb plan. turn your iPad on and all of a sudden all of your email flies through and also any alerts, badges, etc and ZAP you are out of data in a flash!