Get your iphone on Verizon EVDO Rev A speed

[TheForce]

Here's a way around the AT&T exclusive lock on the iphone business.

It's called MiFi from Verizon, cost's $59 and you have to subscribe for 2 year contract. It receives a Verizon EVDO Rev A signal and then connects to your iphone via wifi service as well as up to 5 computers using 802.11b or g wifi.

The Mifi device is small enough to stick on the back of your iphone and take anywhere. Sling all you want with MiFi at Maximum throughput of 3.1Mb/s download and 1.8Mb/s upload but beware Verizon's two-year contract for $59.99/mo (5GB allowance with $50/GB overage) so be careful with streaming too much video.

Consider that this device is more useful than an EVDO card or USB dongle, I see it replacing those cards soon. I have a built in EVDO card in mt Dell laptio but it is difficult to use on a network but works fine with the laptop. MiFi will work with up to 5 computers.

 

[JAG72]

Great, so it only costs $60 for the Verizon plan on top of the $30 AT&T data service. $90 for using 5GB per month on Verizon

 

[JonE]

fail.

 

[DodgerKing]

Or you can download the ORB app on your iPhone and use ORB on your PC to stream Sling to your iPhone

 

[JAG72]

Or you can download the ORB app on your iPhone and use ORB on your PC to stream Sling to your iPhone

At a one time $10 cost. Why limit yourself to the 5GB cap on Verizon when you can have unlimited with the iPhone plan.

 

[TheForce]

jag72- You don't need the ATT data plan. That would be redundant.

There are a couple of advantages to MiFi.

1. Data speed for the iphone that is 3 times what the ATT service offers.
2. Legal way to use sling application. ATT officially announced it is not allowing sling over it's network, not just iphone but over the network using any connection.

The disadvantage I see of this MiFi is you have to carry another iphone size device.


My prediction on these caps is as soon as the companies get their technology up to speed, they will do away with them. All it will take is one to offer it to grab (churn) customers from the competition and then it will trigger the price war. Maybe next year but this year they are taking the service backwards.

 

[LER]

Sprint has no caps on the Data plans on Simply Everything, and Simply Everything Shared Minutes.

I know I use a TON of data each month.

They (Sprint) do have a 5GB/mo cap on the Data Cards, IIRC.

 

[JAG72]

jag72- You don't need the ATT data plan. That would be redundant.

If you buy an iPhone from AT&T or Apple you must have the data plan while the phone is active. They won't activate it without the data plan. If I remember correctly you can not even remove the data plan while the phone is in use.

 

[Neutron]

The only way to do this I think is to pay full retail for the iPhone or get one from Ebay.

Either that or jailbreak an existing iPhone.

 

[TheForce]

Is it a state issue? The apple store rep explained it differently. Data plan was optional but text plan was mandatory. iphone can be activated with wifi only but does require phone service. Unity plan is not available in Florida as I recall. Only Family plan is optional. Son in law got iphone plus text and uses wifi. He will add the data plan later when he gets more income. PS- still got the $199 deal which he was eligible for after May1.

 

[Pepper]

Really, maybe they have different rules in different areas or he was grandfathered into some old plan, but the data plan is 100% required here.

Be careful with that, no way to disable it using 3G/edge for data unless you jailbreak, and the per kB charges are horrendous. And if it goes to "sleep" it has a habit of dropping the WiFi connection and using 3G/edge to do whatever it wants such as checking for email. First time he gets a bill for $500 for data usage the $30 per month will seem cheap by comparison.

 

[JAG72]

Don't forget that voicemail is also done via the data plan on 3G. I think the apple rep had it backwards. Data plan is mamditory and text is optional.