> On top of all of that 4G is still so data-restricted you cannot do anything with it that the speed was meant for.
Please don't confuse profit-oriented carriers with what 4G is capable of. Or states which through legislation create high network construction and operating costs. For example by having laws enabling unreasonable profiteering for cell tower site real estate. Or by collecting high fees for radio spectrum. Or by failing to shut down spectrum squatters.
And states where carriers "co-operate" with government (= provide hooks to their network trunks) and are practically untouchable even though they practice rather obvious collusion.
In other words, please keep technology and societal issues separate.
5G or any other technology with a high barrier of entry is not going to change any of that.
4G works just fine where those societal issues don't exist. In states which have real competition between carriers and a low barrier of entry. Regardless of population density.
If those issues didn't exist in the U.S., truly unlimited data-only 4G would be about $15-$30 per month -- in a small Alaskan town or in the heart of New York and anything in between.
I believe they meant that 4G use is data-restricted because of carrier pricing.
I get fantastic 4G speeds on my iPhone, for quite a while it was faster than my home connection. But I could never use it that way due to the carrier pricing structure.
At least in Verizon's case, they're able to keep that pricing structure because they have the best network. They're able to keep the blazing fast speeds because nobody can afford to use the network they built.
Right. That was AT&T's issue with unlimited iPhone plans. They calculated they could offer it because no one used much data. As soon as people starting actually USING it AT&T's network collapsed in busy areas.
Monopolies, oligopolies, not enough regulation, and very high switching costs mean phone companies can charge crazy rates with near impunity.
Please don't confuse profit-oriented carriers with what 4G is capable of. Or states which through legislation create high network construction and operating costs. For example by having laws enabling unreasonable profiteering for cell tower site real estate. Or by collecting high fees for radio spectrum. Or by failing to shut down spectrum squatters.
And states where carriers "co-operate" with government (= provide hooks to their network trunks) and are practically untouchable even though they practice rather obvious collusion.
In other words, please keep technology and societal issues separate.
5G or any other technology with a high barrier of entry is not going to change any of that.
4G works just fine where those societal issues don't exist. In states which have real competition between carriers and a low barrier of entry. Regardless of population density.
If those issues didn't exist in the U.S., truly unlimited data-only 4G would be about $15-$30 per month -- in a small Alaskan town or in the heart of New York and anything in between.