Mobile Broadband and why Verizon is stupid.

Send Email to Sprint Customer Care:

Mobile Broadband Connection Plan

discounts:

Mobile Broadband Connection Plan: If I had this in addition to voice service would Sprint reduce the total amount due?  For instance, $40 voice plus $60 Broadband  = $70 instead of $100.

Also, does Sprint handle Broadband the same way that Verizon does, i.e., assign a cell phone number and apply "tax" at about 25% in New York?  That increased my Verizon bill from the already outrageously overpriced $60 for Broadband to $75.  I canceled but am disappointed to see that Sprint has the same price.

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Yes, the noble experiment to achieve mobility to the Internet has hit a big bump.  I canceled my Verizon Wireless BROADBANDACCESS service within the thirty day trial period.  The tech companies force you to speak to them so that they can attempt to dissuade you.  However, the Verizon Wireless person with whom I spoke made no such attempt.  She tried a stick instead of a carrot: YOU MUST PAY THE $175 EARLY TERMINATION FEE!  I asked for a supervisor and after a long wait she returned with the good news that I was correct, that no such fee was due.

I explained that cost was the reason that I was canceling.  Still no attempt to mollify the customer.  I later thought that I should have explicitly asked for a discount but, no, Verizon should have made the effort.  Verizon is really in trouble.  Any other tech company would have tried to keep me.

I immediately had cancellation remorse.  I used the Verizon supplied FedEx label to return my nice small wireless broadband modem, the one that stinky old Cradlepoint made no attempt to test with its wireless broadband routers, another reason for my canceling the service: limited mobile functionality.

The Verizon Wireless person who took my cancellation referred to the "other company", by which she meant regular home service Verizon from which I get FIOS video and Internet service in my suburban New York apartment and for which I get the only meager attempt that Verizon makes to leverage its unmatched varied services: a flex bundle discount.  My Verizon Wireless voice service counts towards a Verizon FIOS discount: voice ($13), Internet ($8) for a monthly FIOS total for two services of $85, not much below what Verizon FIOS charges for its triple play, a stupid reaction to that offered by cable TV companies.

It is stupid because video, Internet and home voice are the only three services that cable TV companies have to bundle.  Verizon has much more but is too stupid to creatively leverage them, such its three Internet services: home, wireless on smartphone, wireless for laptops.  As mentioned previously, the retail prices are $53, $30 (plus 25% "tax"), $60 (plus 25% "tax") respectively.  Verizon also has home voice and mobile voice services.  OK, home voice service is still regulated but that is the only Verizon service that is regulated and Verizon could and should be allowing consumers to combine multiple services at big discounts.

I like the Verizon services but if I can find a way to get what I want for substantially less money I would not hesitate to dump Verizon completely.

Plus, WiMax is coming.  My guess: within 24 months.  Verizon, wake up!