The $60,000-a-month cellphone data plan

[RogerS]

The wire services have a story (http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-phonebill.html) about a Canadian oilfield worker whose $10 unlimited browser plan with Bell Mobility has resulted in $85,000 in charges for surfing and downloading.

Silly guy. What part of 'unlimited browsing' made him think his plan enabled unlimited internet use? Instead of reading the fine print in his contract, he was set straight by his November bill of $60,000. Imagine the kind of surfing luxury he got for $2000 a day!

Oh, sure, Bell has said it will let him off the hook for a mere $3400. We all know what big hearts the telcoms have. They're getting a lot more than $80,000 worth of free publicity from that goodwill gesture!Read the full article. (http://www.internettablettalk.com/2007/12/14/the-60000-a-month-cellphone-data-plan/)

[ldrn]

Oh my... O_o

I was going to say "Thank goodness I have Sprint", but reading the actual article, it looks like he got in trouble for using his computer to go online through the phone more than just exceeding a bandwidth quota. I think Verizon does do a quota on their unlimited bill stateside, though.

I hear the wireless data plans in general are worse up north... any truth to this?

[zerojay]

He got the bill because he canceled his regular internet service and instead routed it all through his cell phone thinking that "unlimited browsing" meant "unlimited tethered data".

[Hedgecore]

Hey, you don't like Canadian data plans, move to Rwanda!

No, seriously:
http://www.thomaspurves.com/2007/04/09/canada-worse-than-3rd-world-countries-when-it-comes-to-mobile-data-access/

[profusion]

This is the second time I have seen about this that is slightly different from what we in Canada have read in the local news papers or on the web. At least to what he has to pay back.

But in any event thats Bell for you got to love there last comment.

"Bouchard said Bell cannot monitor the activities of every one of its customers."

But they can bill you for it =) wonderfull.

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2007/12/12/cell-phone.html?ref=rss#skip300x250

[LouDdolinar]

What I don't understand, is, if Bell can retroactively assign him to a data plan (without notifying him) that appears to bill by the byte, why couldn't they retroactively assign him to an "all you can eat" tethering plan, e.g. something like Verzon's $59 per month plan. I think a lawyer could have some fun with this one had it occurred in the US. In fact, this is precisely the sort of nonsense the FCC should be regulating, e.g. if the carrier is not controlling access to its facility, they must bill at the lowest possible rate during the period in which inadvertent usage by the customer has occurred.
While we're at it, the FCC should also mandate that customers be allowed to use their regular minutes, and whatever free nights and weekends they have, for data services as well as talk.

[icerabbit]

Couldn't agree more. They're your pre-paid / post-paid minutes and you should be allowed to use them. Talking and surfing is all digital.

I've been looking a couple of those "unlimited" mobile data plans - with a hefty price tag (twice as much $ for a fraction of the use and allowed data transfer compared to broadband, but that's mobility) and it might not be a bad idea to get some bandwith monitoring app installed that you can toggle on/off when you're on 3G or whatever, so you can keep track of the amount of data in/out.

As for the free publicity, I only think the telco gets free publicity if they come up with plans to prevent this thing from happening, in response to stories like these. 80000 or 3400 it is still ridiculous.

[basco]

What I don't understand, is, if Bell can retroactively assign him to a data plan (without notifying him) that appears to bill by the byte, why couldn't they retroactively assign him to an "all you can eat" tethering plan, e.g. something like Verzon's $59 per month plan. I think a lawyer could have some fun with this one had it occurred in the US. In fact, this is precisely the sort of nonsense the FCC should be regulating, e.g. if the carrier is not controlling access to its facility, they must bill at the lowest possible rate during the period in which inadvertent usage by the customer has occurred.
While we're at it, the FCC should also mandate that customers be allowed to use their regular minutes, and whatever free nights and weekends they have, for data services as well as talk.

I agree. Most times you agree to a contact, they don't spell it out. You go to a store pick up your phone and the salesguy hands you hte phone and the voice over the phone says "do you agree to all the conditions?" You don't even see them.

[rm -rf]

I'd have taken the offer. He appears to have tethered on a non-tether plan. Bell made him a decent offer.

It took me a couple minutes on Bell's we site to figure out how many MB/mo are associated with each plan, and how many $/MB will be charged for overages.

In the hours that the guy spent waiting to download gig's of whatever, he could have surfed to bell.ca & figured out what it was costing him.

[LouDdolinar]

Would anyone be interested in putting together a petition to the FCC asking them to mandate that voice minutes and free weekend/evening minutes be made availble to tethered devices? The agency has been moving in the direction of requiring open access for any type of phone or device to cell networks, but the phone companies have been raising all sorts of objections about potential incompatibilities and support. This would be a very simple first step that would encourage use of non-proprietary devices. Any lawyers out there who could help draft something?

[Jaustin]

I dont know how anyone could consider this "good publicity" if it happens to one person why not others? Personally I wouldnt sign up with them after something like this.

[testerj]

Canada has a few service providers Fido (ex microcell) now owned by Rogers, Rogers Wireless, Telus and Bell and some other limited or 3rd party vendors that are using the same networks or buying time.

The data plans in Canada are ridiculous, hardly any provider offers unlimited and unlimited never really means that at all... The teleco companies compared to US and Australia and the rest of the world are completely outdated.

I used to have a data plan with Fido for $50 unlimited usage, now they don't have an unlimited usage, even their new 3g plans are increasingly stupid, I don't know why it seems in Canada there is no fair trade commission stopping these companies from milking people for whatever they can, no wonder Blackberry (RIM) opened up their own store in Detroit, the phone providers are even sick of the teleco's and they are hampering even the IT from being sold much much more.