A response....

Thank you for notifying us about a complaint. We are working to resolve any issues as quickly as possible, and spoke with person in reference , and stated the same.

Update. What a difference a move makes.... oh wait.

After moving from the Valley of No Signal, I am in a different world. Only six miles away, my new house has phone service that works, even when it rains! Amazing. Cell phone calls are still problematic. Some days I must go outside to talk, other days making a cell call is not possible. It all depends on the weather, clouds, low flying birds and air traffic control patterns. As far as internet service, I started off using the Virgin Mobile internet connection. Then one morning, I saw a crane through the trees. It was lifting a large mast into the air. Wireless internet service was finally coming to me. A local wireless internet service provider, owned by a local man, was expanding its service area. I called and scheduled an install date once the new tower was up and running. Sweet. Unfortunately, before I had even received the bill for my second month of service, I got an email announcing that he had sold to company to a corporation, based out of Colorado. I did an internet search on the company and the most polite description of their service was "pathetic". Sure enough, once the takeover was complete, my speed dropped, slower and slower and slower. A thunderstorm knocked out service for days. Once service was restored, the connection speed stayed abysmal.

Virgin Mobile: Less is more (money for us)

Virgin Mobile has a new category on their connection page:

$10 100MB 10 days 5 hours Web Browsing Or 25 minutes Video Or 10,000 Emails
$50 Unlimited MB 1 Month Unlimited Access. 3G Speeds up to 2.5 GB
$40 Unlimited MB 1 Month UL Web Browsing AND UL Video AND UL Emails

The Virgin page has the new terms, "Virgin Mobile reserves the right, without notice, to temporarily limit throughput speeds when monthly data usage on the $50 Broadband2Go Plan exceeds 2.5GB."


And this little jewel from the data plan page, only visible while doing a mouse over the link 'more':

Customers will continue to have access to Broadband2Go service but maximum speeds may be limited to 356kbps or below for the remainder of the monthly service plan cycle. During this time, customers may experience slower page loads, file downloads and degraded streaming media. Throughput speeds will be restored when a new Broadband2Go Plan is purchased. Data usage per activity is based on an average. Actual usage caries depending on the types of websites, video, email and other internet applications accessed. State and local taxes and fees may apply.

So if you were lucky enough to be on the unlimited Broadband2Go plan, and continue to pay every month before it expires, then you can stay on an unlimited limited to 5GB plan. Forget to pay on time and for only Ten Dollars more, you get half the data. Ain't capitalism great?

And, as always in the wireless broadband world, Unlimited is not really unlimited.

More at DSL Reports.

Virgin Mobile chokes

If you thought it was too good to be true, you were right. Virgin Mobile announced starting February 15, 2011, Broadband2Go 3G service will have a 5GB limit just like the rest of the wireless broadband market. This tidbit was posted on the login page:

NOTICE: Broadband2Go Terms of Service have changed which potentially impact download and upload throughput speeds on the $40 Broadband2Go Plan when monthly data usage exceeds 5GB. The new terms and conditions will apply to new and existing customers purchasing Broadband2Go Plans on or after 2/15/11.

For more information, click to read from DSL Reports

Welcome to the future.

T-Mobile throttles the internet

From the Boy Genius Report : Recently, T-Mobile released a statement detailing how it would handle customers who utilize more than 5 GB of data per month on their mobile devices. The statement reads:

Beginning on October 16, T-Mobile will begin to reduce data speeds when a customer reaches 5GB of usage in a billing cycle, in accordance with T-Mobile terms and conditions. This change should only affect extreme data users (less than 1 percent) and is being made to ensure that all subscribers receive the best Web performance available by limiting the number of extreme data users on our network.

The majority of T-Mobile customers should not be affected by this change. The new 5 GB threshold limit, which is equivalent to approximately 125,000 yahoo.com page visits, is enough bandwidth to satisfy most customers’ Web and data needs.
If a customer happens to reach the 5GB limit, they will receive a free text message informing them their data speed will be reduced. Customers will continue to have Web browsing capabilities but at slower speeds, which will be determined by their device type. Once their new billing cycle begins, data speeds will no longer be restricted.

Customers can track their data usage through My T-Mobile, MyAccount, or the SIVR.
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Now isn't that better, rather than upgrade and expand broadband access, punish people who use too much internet.

The space between

Broadband via the so called White Spaces, or space between television channels may be coming soon. The FCC has approved use of these frequencies for rural broadband, after a two year waiting period. Fears of interference with wireless microphones and television broadcasts will require white space devices to scan for open frequencies before broadcasting. Learn more HERE

Waiting for rural broadband is more fun than watching paint dry....

So close....

A mile or two east of my house, area residents have access to internet service through LiveAir Networks, a wireless internet company. Their specialty is bringing high(er) speed internet to rural areas that otherwise only have dial-up over unreliable phone lines. Read more about the company by clicking HERE