shepd's Journal: Idiotic GPRS charges...

Get this...

GPRS internet service here costs $10 per MB (for the best priced plan), yet regular GSM phone service costs only 20 cents per minute.

GSM has a data rate of 22.8 kbps, meaning that 20 cents buys you 171 kb. That makes the per megabyte cost $1.16.

I'd try an acoustic coupler, but it looks like because of the encoding GSM uses, those are out of the question.

Any ideas apart from being wallet raped?

(I suppose this would make an interesting ask slashdot)

Try Sprint (or go CDMA!)

[Jouster]

Sprint PCS has unlimited "Vision" plans for $50 or so.

For work, I have a Nokia 3650 from T-Mobile, with an (approx.-) $100-a-month service plan. That covers 600 minutes, free nights and weekends, and 50 MB of data.

Yeah, it sucks.

Will EDGE solve all of this, by making it more economical for the carriers? I sure hope so. Meanwhile, I'd jump on CDMA if it weren't for the fact that I really need the 3650.

Jouster

Re:Try Sprint (or go CDMA!)

[shepd]

Well, I just picked up Fido's unlimited internet for $50 a month (for one year) GRPS promo plan for my 8390. Hopefully when the year is up they'll still feel this generous (especially after they see my 2 GB per month usage!). :)