Alright, so Sprint EVDO is down the drain, but why?

james_the_composer · EVDO User Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 34

So I know that everyone is facing a 5 Gigabyte Cap now a month, but has Sprint ever announced WHY this is happening publicly? I don't get it...

I have lived in the same house all my life, in a rural area. For 10 years I've been wanting, pleading to GOD for SOME kind of broadband service. Now I finally find out that it's possible and a half a year later all my hopes and dreams are thrown down the drain. It's not fair...seriously...

Cable used to be 5 miles away and now it's 1/2 a mile. So for the last 3 years it's been like dangling a piece of Steak in front of a starving dog.

I wouldn't mind 10KBps a month!!! Just 10!! As long as it's unlimited Bandwidth per month, running at every second, Up/Down...

The very ESSENCE of internet is unlimited. The internet of these days means Streaming HEAVY Video, Streaming HEAVY Audio, and Streaming HEAVY Games.

Then, what is it? Does it cost them much more money? Are people abusing the system? Why not a 30GB cap AT LEAST!? Hell why not 20GB? 5 GB is insane....

Damnit, I'm so frustrated right now...

n6gn

jackrodgers · EVDO Addict Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1131

It's simple economics and physics.

One tower can only produce some much bandwidth and that bandwidth can only produce so much data transfer. EVDO is far more limited than cable.

In order for a company to produce an EVDO tower it must make a profit.

If the bandwidth is in continuous use than it must be divided among xx people willing to spend zz dollars.

So dividing bandwidth/monthly fee = number of people to stay in business. If a small percentage of xx people use up all of the bandwidth, there is none left for the remainder of the people.

In that event the people getting no or bad service will cancel their contract and the company will go out of business.

Also if the small percentage of people were removed as users, then more subscribers could be added increasing income by 10 fold compared to the heavy users.

An exageration of course but it covers the basics.

The real numbers are probably incomprehensible and boring to most of us.

rickey318 · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 4:55 pm Post subject:

As the other two said "It's simple economics and physics." Plus people are running there towers down by thinking it is for running a small Datacenter. EVDO is just a way to get internet to do things as reading and sending email, a little forum posting, or for the RV people that need the lastest updates and maps. If the 5GB thing goes well all the providers will be updating to allow more BW and plus rollover BW that you did not use. If your trying to stream, host servers, or anything that should be done with something as Cable, T1, or in a datacenter. There just trying to save there towers and the old people that are trying to start using the internet. Very Happy

waynefoutz · EVDO Junkie Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 309

n6gn · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 5:40 pm Post subject:

rickey318 · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 5:50 pm Post subject:

orangepeel · EVDO User Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 65

rickey318 · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 5:59 pm Post subject:

mhtyler · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 143

I don't like the limit, but unless you're downoading video...I mean big videos, and living on the thing, it strikes me that for surfing, email, and the occasional download...even of a movie isn't going to put you over 5 gigs, and even if it did, there's no guarantee that they'll cut you off or even slow you down. I suspect its something that is simply at their discretion, and why would they be any more efficient at enforcing a limit than they are providing support.

I've talked to sprint people many times, and their programs are so complicated they don't understand them themselves. I've switched to the simply (almost) everything plan, and because we have two phones, we actually have 10 gigs as long as we monitor usage. However, we only use it as primary internet when we're on holiday.

I can understand the consternation of the fellow who started this thread, and who is out in the sticks feeling cut off, but if my choice was dial up, sat internet or sprint, I wouldn't hesitate to use the latter, and monitor usage. The VAST reduction in ping times means you'll have an experience similar to dsl, and you tough it out until cable makes it that last half mile, or dsl, which may be even more likely.

I would actually have more concern if bought the plan realizing that you'd have to roam most of the time, because then you're hosed for sure.

mark
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Mostly Harmless

waynefoutz · EVDO Junkie Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 309

rickey318 · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 6:30 pm Post subject:

mhtyler · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 143

BTW you can blame Verizon for making the limit specifically 5 gigs. Sprint has only matched it. I bet also that it won't be strictly enforced except in cases with chronic high usage.

It does indeed mean that using sprint as your primary ISP is not practical unless your usage is undemanding.
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Mostly Harmless

waynefoutz · EVDO Junkie Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 309

jackrodgers · EVDO Addict Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1131

[quote="orangepeel"]