Verizon Wants to Limit Facetime Over 3G to Tiered Data Plans

[Phillip Swanson]

Unlimited data plan holders can't seem to get a break lately, and Verizon's plan to limit Facetime calls over 3G to tiered data plan holders only is lengthening the shaft.

Apple isn't happy with this move either. Apple wants 3G Facetime to be accessible to all iPhone users, providing a seamless and uniform experience. Verizon is arguing its usual "we need to limit the possible flood of traffic over our network because our towers are weak, and the confidence we exude in our commercials about having the best network is only shallow boasting," argument.

If users have limited bandwidth they'll temper their Facetime usage accordingly and prevent Verizon's service from buckling, but honestly how often do any of us actually Facetime? And how many actually do it outside of their homes where a WiFi connection is readily available?

Adrian Covert of Gizmodo made the guess that Verizon might use it as a ploy to get customers to move away from their grandfathered unlimited plans when upgrading their iPhones this fall.

Fat chance.

Source: 9to5Mac [via Gizmodo]

[Donald Trumps Hair]

Osama bin Laden uses FaceTime?!!

[wolverinemarky]

who the hell would come off their grandfathered unlimited data plan i never would lol

[Dizi]

Typical Verizon douchbaggery.

[i.Annie]

I can count how many total minutes I have spent using FaceTime on my two hands. it's not a big deal to me, like someone else said, how many people use FT enough for this to affect them? I'm fine with jailbreaking and using My3G as I always have.

[cmwade77]

That's pathetic...I think limited plans are stupid anyway, data is cheap.

[chad daddy]

I currently have unlimited if they try to change my contract to limited data I'm leaving. I pay enough money to have unlimited and I want it to stay that way. I'll get rid of the iPhone if that's how they wanna be, who's with me???

[TheOrioles33]

Before Verizon got the iPhone all we heard was how awesome their network was and that they could handle iPhone traffic. So why the limit?

AT&T and Verizon need to offer an unlimitted package. Just charge for it. I'm sure people will pay.

osama bin laden uses facetime?!!

lol!

[fbiryujin]

Typical Verizon douchbaggery.

There will be a jailbreak tweak to correct the blockage I'm sure. I think it depends on how Verizon handles the blocking of FaceTime. This is just disgusting though. They are making the cost of data too high, and if I am paying for my data, I should be able to use it however I want. It's already mine!

[thetoothfairy]

All these neat things you can do these days as far as apps like this and many others and now AT&T and Verizon want to limit data.... what a joke! I tried watching a show on my iPad the other day and I kept getting messages stating the data was limited and I have unlimited!

[fbiryujin]

Oh yeah forgot to mention. FaceTime is a neat concept, but I'm not giving up unlimited data for something that I rarely use as it is. Most of my friends/family don't even have FaceTime compatible devices anyway. I like not having to worry about going over. Same reason I pay for unlimited minutes.

[vantheman169]

I understand its a mobile device, data is falsely inflated among wireless carriers. I think the prices they charge are absurd!! I pay 40 bucks a month for 20MB per second internet with my ISP i understand its regular internet and not mobile, but i stream tons of media and download anything i want, no limit what so ever. Why the hell should mobile data cost 2/3's the cost of regular internet. We are all being robbed!

[aimetti]

Next it will be youtube and then maybe safari.

These companies are a joke.

[iN2K]

Maybe Apple should buy...them all.

lol

[fbiryujin]

It's plain and utter BS! We need to all start a petition to Verizon and AT&T. So far only Sprint still offers unlimited everything without a hassle. If they get the iPhone, I'm switching.

[garstie]

Osama bin Laden uses FaceTime?!!

Says who ????

[PRKnight]

I'm getting tired of all this limiting stuff. Its time we and apple really let these phone services know that we are not happy. Of course i don't know how we could do it but its just getting tiresome that these phone companies r constricting our pleasure

[Nest]

I've used facetime on my macbook more than I have on my iPhone... and I have had my new macbook for less than 3 months.

[sziklassy]

I understand its a mobile device, data is falsely inflated among wireless carriers. I think the prices they charge are absurd!! I pay 40 bucks a month for 20MB per second internet with my ISP i understand its regular internet and not mobile, but i stream tons of media and download anything i want, no limit what so ever. Why the hell should mobile data cost 2/3's the cost of regular internet. We are all being robbed!

The infrastructure for much of your landline data has been there for ages. In other words, they are not going from edge, to 3g, to 4g, to whatever other fancy buzz words you want on an evolving basis. The cables are there, under ground, and have been for decades for the most part. It costs much more to run and maintain and upgrade wireless technology...

[kennethpetro]

It's plain and utter BS! We need to all start a petition to Verizon and AT&T. So far only Sprint still offers unlimited everything without a hassle. If they get the iPhone, I'm switching.

I'm with you - SPRINT FTW! I only switched from Sprint to get the iphone w/ unlimited on AT&T, but i'll happily go right back!