prioritized traffic - if towers are congested, carrier customers get priority over prepaid customers
name brand recognition - most have heard of Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T, few have heard of Tell, Ting, or RedPocket
financing - you can get “free” upgrades from bigger carriers, whereas I pay cash w/ my prepaid service
features - most big carriers support roaming (sometimes international roaming), whereas those tend to be ala carte w/ prepaid
In short, you get a bit more hassle w/ prepaid, but you get a lot of savings. I pay <$10/month for my service (1GB data, unlimited text, 300 minutes call), and I could get unlimited everything for $25-30 (depending on prepaid carrier). I bought my phone for <$400, whereas cost is less of a concern for big carriers since they often offer financing issues. I hate monthly payments, so I prefer to buy devices in cash and keep my monthly service payments low.
Because prepaid customers get lower priority on the tower. If I’m in even a moderately crowded area, my connection speeds go to shit and nothing loads.
There are still a ton of MVNOs though, and from what I can tell, MVNOs are generally not getting bought out by other telecoms, but by companies looking to diversify/transition their business. For example, Dish bought Ting and Boost, probably because they see their core offering (satellite TV) dying out w/ streaming taking over, and they want to diversify a bit. I’ve been seeing a lot of internet companies trying to offer mobile service, and it honestly doesn’t bother me if that’s the kind of consolidation we’re seeing.
Verizon buying Tracfone is a lot more troubling, but that seems to be more of the exception rather than the rule. I don’t necessarily like it because any acquisition tends to change the business model, but I don’t think it’s dangerous in any way, it just means customers may end up needing to shift around who they get service through to find what they’re looking for.
Yeah, that one is painful too. But again, those deals are fairly rare, and for every Mint, there’s another MVNO.
The only real change we should make here is to require network operators to offer their service to MVNOs at reasonable rates. Ideally, the network would operate as a separate business from the carrier. But we only really need to enforce that if MVNOs disappear, and there are still a ton of options.
One of the three carriers in Canada is about to do away with prepaid entirely in December. That said, I have a pretty affordable monthly plan and I buy my phones outright.
I don’t play this game. I buy my own unlocked phone and find prepaid cell service at a fraction of the cost.
Why is prepaid service cheaper? I never understood why plans cost more. You would thing it would be the opposite.
Some reasons:
In short, you get a bit more hassle w/ prepaid, but you get a lot of savings. I pay <$10/month for my service (1GB data, unlimited text, 300 minutes call), and I could get unlimited everything for $25-30 (depending on prepaid carrier). I bought my phone for <$400, whereas cost is less of a concern for big carriers since they often offer financing issues. I hate monthly payments, so I prefer to buy devices in cash and keep my monthly service payments low.
Money up front vs people just not paying the bill at the end of the month.
Because prepaid customers get lower priority on the tower. If I’m in even a moderately crowded area, my connection speeds go to shit and nothing loads.
Is it not normal that you can use any phone with any abonnement?
Yes, but some carriers lock the phones they sell so they only work with their subscriptions.
It just sounded like TOs only choice with a non-abo-phone was prepaid.
This is the way
It won’t last, oligopolies are buying out mvnos to consolidate further. Maybe anti trust fear will halt them but doubtful.
There are still a ton of MVNOs though, and from what I can tell, MVNOs are generally not getting bought out by other telecoms, but by companies looking to diversify/transition their business. For example, Dish bought Ting and Boost, probably because they see their core offering (satellite TV) dying out w/ streaming taking over, and they want to diversify a bit. I’ve been seeing a lot of internet companies trying to offer mobile service, and it honestly doesn’t bother me if that’s the kind of consolidation we’re seeing.
Verizon buying Tracfone is a lot more troubling, but that seems to be more of the exception rather than the rule. I don’t necessarily like it because any acquisition tends to change the business model, but I don’t think it’s dangerous in any way, it just means customers may end up needing to shift around who they get service through to find what they’re looking for.
Mint and Tmo?
I shot off the hil based on tmo and vz deal.
Point being if they want to, they can cut us off.
Mint was taking too much biz from tmo is why it was bought out is my understanding
Yeah, that one is painful too. But again, those deals are fairly rare, and for every Mint, there’s another MVNO.
The only real change we should make here is to require network operators to offer their service to MVNOs at reasonable rates. Ideally, the network would operate as a separate business from the carrier. But we only really need to enforce that if MVNOs disappear, and there are still a ton of options.
The planet won’t last. I just have to make sure my cell coverage is cheap until society collapses.
Ten-twenty years?
One of the three carriers in Canada is about to do away with prepaid entirely in December. That said, I have a pretty affordable monthly plan and I buy my phones outright.