New offer Unlimited Data Plan

Cricket now offers an unlimited 4G LTE data plan for $70 per month, or $65 with autopay. That’s $10 cheaper than Sprint and $30 cheaper than T-Mobile, but there’s a catch: All Cricket 4G LTE connections have data speed caps. The best speeds you can hope for are 8 Mbps. Given the best-in-class cell phone service you get from AT&T’s network, this is rather disappointing, though it’s par for the course with the smaller providers. The company doesn't have designated family share plans, but it does provide a $10 discount to every additional line of service you put on your account.

Home Internet (25 Mbps) costs $29.99 per mo.for the first year, and ups by $40/month in 2nd year, and $50/month for 3rd year. Now even the cheapest Verizon Prepaid unlimited talk and text plans are $30 month. So if you can get by with a phone this new Cricket service is an excellent price. While 8 Mbps doesn't seem super fast, most home systems were that speed a decade ago.

Who has unlimited data plans on their phone? Who get faster than 50 Mbps for home? Does anyone have these new 1 GB services? They are moving into larger cities now, like Atlanta.

Are there many practical reasons that one currently needs more than 8 Mps on their phone if they do not stream video? I use very little data on my phone but I am usually in front of a computer most of the time I am awake.

Quote: DRich

Are there many practical reasons that one currently needs more than 8 Mps on their phone if they do not stream video? I use very little data on my phone but I am usually in front of a computer most of the time I am awake.

I don't think 8 Mbps is much of a hindrance to streaming video. Netflix recommends

0.5 Megabits per second - Required broadband connection speed
1.5 Megabits per second - Recommended broadband connection speed
3.0 Megabits per second - Recommended for SD quality
5.0 Megabits per second - Recommended for HD quality

Obviously a family or multiple users in a home can achieve more cost effective use out of a traditional cable wifi system. But for a single person, unlimited data that works at home or on the road (especially with the coverage of AT&T network) for $65 a month may be a superb deal. Folio phones with a keyboard dock create a combined phone, tablet , and keyboard.

Being over 60, I cannot for the life
of me figure out why I would want
to use a hand held computer (smart
phone) to communicate with anyone
when I'm out and about. What a
nuisance that would be. I enjoy the times
when nobody can get ahold of me.
On a trip I can see it, around home
it seems pointless.

I see people in stores googling items
for whatever reason. I come prepared
with the info in hand. To me those
people look like idiots, squinting down
at their phones like they're totally lost.

I'm old enough that I don't get the attraction as much either. I also remember when the idea of getting a dedicated line for high speed internet (as opposed to the telephone line) seemed crazy expensive.

Internet @ 25 Mbps for $30/$40/$50 per month for first three years seems reasonable (+$5 modem rental). Personally, I don't use Cellular data as it seems to expensive.

But unlimited cellular data at 4 or 8 mbps for $65 a month plus cell calls seems like a really good deal.

But the industry seems to be moving towards cellular data. The plan is for 5th generation cellular to be able to achieve 50-100mpbs in some places, although I understand that some fourth generation phones can break 50 mbps in places.

Quote: Evenbob

Being over 60, I cannot for the life
of me figure out why I would want
to use a hand held computer (smart
phone) to communicate with anyone
when I'm out and about..

The answer is fun
I'm on Facebook now and really enjoy it
Saturday morning loaded up the Kayak on top of the car
Shared a picture of my loaded up car and said I was going gator hunting with my camera
The responses I got from friends were very funny.
"gator hunting?? what???"
"In a tippy Kayak no less. Good luck with that"
"Make sure you're the hunt-er and not the hunt-ee"
On the Hillsborough river, spotted a 5 footer on the bank catching some rays
Got some nice pictures and posted them
More funny remarks from my friends
It all about FUN and sharing experiences in real time

Quote: Evenbob

I see people in stores googling items
for whatever reason. I come prepared
with the info in hand. To me those
people look like idiots, squinting down
at their phones like they're totally lost.

Easy when you know what you want. The phone is a lifesaver when you don't. And when you live 90min round trip from retail...

Sump pump, lawn mower belt, Torx bits, there's a bunch of stuff I'm not savvy on and wind up getting to the store seeing there's 100 models of the thing I need. Without a phone, I'd be going alllll the way back home for specs. Or worse, having to detail with retail "expertise". With the phone, it's 30sec of bleeping and blooping and I know exactly what I need. So much better.

Huge money saver, too. Let's me get in and out of Lowe's in minutes. Keep me in there browsing or thinking and I'll buy half the store ><

Quote: terapined

The answer is fun

Only if you have a low self esteem
compulsion to share every minute
of your boring life so it actually
looks like it has meaning. Taking
pics of your food, selfies of yourself
in line at McD's drive thru or at
Walmart. It's never ending. I'm
on the FB extended family page
and we have a few of them. People
that think pics of their run of the
mill lunch is fascinating to somebody.

Of course your friends react, they want
you to react to what they post. Their
lives are just as deadly boring as yours
is, FB is their lifeline to keep from
snapping and hanging themselves in
the shower.

Quote: Evenbob

Only if you have a low self esteem compulsion to share every minute of your boring life so it actually looks like it has meaning.

Peace Bob! He did say gator hunting. Not showing photos of his McDonald's burgers.

Quote: Pacomartin

Peace Bob! He did say gator hunting.

This is the exception, not the rule. I
joked yesterday in the cooking thread
that I might take a pic of the 5 pound
meatloaf I was making. My family has
my permission to shoot me if my life
ever gets to that point.

I just ask in all situations, what would
Mark Twain do. It never lets me down.