Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Unlimited data - can it replace your home broadband?

The FCC has recently released an inquiry on the current state of broadband in the U.S. One of the questions they raise is whether or not it's necessary to have a wired broadband connection (fiber or cable) and to reach the previously set targets of 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up for home users. Or is a cellular connection enough?

This report from 2016 shows that the U.S. lags well behind most of the rest of the world in cellular data download speeds at around 10 Mbps.
See how painfully slow 4G LTE is in the U.S. compared to the rest of the world
That's also about what I've gotten on personal tests on Verizon in my area.

But there are also questions about data caps and throttling. So, along come new unlimited data plans from the major cellular carriers.
VERIZON'S UNLIMITED DATA PLAN HAS CHANGED. HERE'S HOW IT COMPARES TO OTHER CARRIERS

You can see there are limits on mobile tethering. So, the data is not unlimited if you want to use it with a tablet or PC. Plus there are limits on video quality and the data can be throttled even if you stay under a given level.

This may be good news for some cellular users. But it doesn't look like an adequate replacement for high speed broadband, particularly in areas with spotty cell service.

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