FollowVerizon plans to degrade internet speed for clients with unlimited plans. If you are one of those old Verizon clients with unlimited data plans, get ready to face slower mobile internet speeds from October 1. The mobile carrier introduced a similar measure for 3G data back in 2011. Now, LTE speeds will suffer similar consequences. Verizon throttles 4G unlimited data speeds, but calls it Network Optimization.
Verizon is unhappy because some users with unlimited data plans are heavy bandwidth consumers. Specifically, Verizon tries to stop the top 5 percent of the heaviest users. As of today, it means that if you transfer more than 4.7 GB, you qualify as a top 5 percent consumer. The number will change over time according to the average data transfer patterns.
Throttling will happen if a network cell is congested. Because the network might not support the data transfer requests in a crowded area, users without unlimited data plans might end up with very slow connections. With Network Optimization, Verizon plans to redistribute the bandwidth from heavy LTE users to the rest of users. Throttling might happen for a very short while or for many hours, depending on when the congestion dissolves.
It’s not all bleak, cause a couple of days ago Verizon introduced the Smart Rewards program. By letting Verizon accessing your usage habits, you can obtain up to 40 percent discounts to products from retail partners.
Verizon throttles 4G unlimited data speeds in an attempt to convince clients to take new offers
The mobile carrier dislikes how the measure is called by the media, but throttling is what Verizon plans to do. In 2011, Verizon introduced the same policy called Network Optimization for subscribers with 3G unlimited data plans. Because now LTE devices operating in the network account for 54.5 percent, Verizon translates the policy to the faster data transfer technology.
Unlimited data plans are not profitable enough for Verizon, which discontinued the offer in 2011. Instead, the wireless carrier plans to focus on offering users limited data package. Verizon throttles 4G unlimited data, but the bad news will affect only the clients who already fulfilled their contractual terms. Those with renewed contracts in the last two years will not be affected. According to Gigaom, Verizon will soon finish a massive LTE upgrade which will translate in a doubled or even tripled LTE capacity. The mobile carrier prefers to work with individual data packages which can be subjected to easier change.
