How I plan to beat the cell phone companies ripping us off

[NOFX]

So do you guys also pay a ridiculous amount a month for cell phone service??

 

I get 1000 text messages and 450 minutes for around 60 bucks a month. If I want internet also, it is somewhere around 75-80 a month. So I had an idea and if it works *crosses fingers* I can get unlimited internet, text messages and calls for around $35 a month.

 

So here it is:

Almost everyone here has heard of skype right? If not, check it out here.Skype. Its basically 30 dollars a year for unlimited calls to any mobile or land line using your internet connection.

 

My current cell phone provider(Cingular) offers unlimited internet access for 29.99 a month. Within a few days, I will receive this TMobile MDA. Since it runs a mobile version of windows, I can install all kinds of apps on it(like skype). See what Im getting at? So if I can get skype to work through my data plan for 29.99 a month. I can then cancel my voice plan, have unlimited internet and unlimited phone calls for 29.99 a month..

 

I shall keep ya updated if anyone is interested

Edited April 10, 2007 by NOFX

[Chimmpp]

I saw it at think geek: http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/avcards/7cf5/

 

Looks like an interesting plan.

[Fairweather]

if only more people i knew used skype, awsome plan though

[anonymo]

I likey...I guess you can get a cellphone with no actual plan other than unlimited internet...doesn't seem like something my service carrier would go for...

[Vovik]

sounds like it ain't going to work

[ZesteR]

I read somewhere on cingular's site that the data rate plans are "add-ons". You need a voice plan inorder to have the data plan.

also, cancellation fees ftl.

[stutters]

I read somewhere on cingular's site that the data rate plans are "add-ons".

yeah, he's right. i think business accounts can get a data only plan though - e.g. using your phone to provide internet to your laptop in wifi dead zones. (why can't i think of the name )

[Thief_Lord]

You Mean people actually use Skype to call people for real?!?!?! 5 of my friends and I pitched in 5 bucks each to purchase the program for use by all of us. A friend called two buisinesses located next to each other at the same time, thus they both answered thinking the other person called them......we he did this 3 times in a row; While I watched from across the street in another parking lot. The person from buisiness 'A' walked outside ovber to Buisiness 'B' angered. Man I wish I could have heared their converrsation.

[TheGeek]

You Mean people actually use Skype to call people for real?!?!?! 5 of my friends and I pitched in 5 bucks each to purchase the program for use by all of us. A friend called two buisinesses located next to each other at the same time, thus they both answered thinking the other person called them......we he did this 3 times in a row; While I watched from across the street in another parking lot. The person from buisiness 'A' walked outside ovber to Buisiness 'B' angered. Man I wish I could have heared their converrsation.

 

MEAN!

[Thief_Lord]

You Mean people actually use Skype to call people for real?!?!?! 5 of my friends and I pitched in 5 bucks each to purchase the program for use by all of us. A friend called two buisinesses located next to each other at the same time, thus they both answered thinking the other person called them......we he did this 3 times in a row; While I watched from across the street in another parking lot. The person from buisiness 'A' walked outside ovber to Buisiness 'B' angered. Man I wish I could have heared their converrsation.

 

MEAN!

......but Hilarious!!!

[appalachian_fox]

It used to be the cat's scat to sign up for the unlimited phone net (MEdia net?) for whatever it was, $20 a month or so, and use a Bluetooth phone to hook up your PDA/laptop. Certain phones, apparently, worked quite well as a Bluetooth modem. Cingular started freezing accounts when they saw some people were sucking ridiculous amounts of bandwidth. I don't think a reasonable amount of Skype usage would qualify, but if they are watching the type of traffic that is passing, I'm sure that'd be against their TOS.

 

I'd make sure you know the terms of the account (as I recall, you do need a voice line as well to get the data rate, but they seem to change fairly regularly) and I'd test the theory out on your current service and pay by the half-bit or whatever small unit they charge by to make sure you can reliably place and receive Skype calls. Contracts can really suck if you get stuck in one and find out that Skype doesn't work as well as planned.

 

I am interested to know how it works, though, because I've considered doing something similar with a PDA/phone link to a desktop PC at home.

[[LaW]Maverick]

The only problem with that is that most cell-phone companies require you to have a voice plan before any other. In other words, you have to have both voice AND data on your phone, and can't do just data.

 

That being said, if you CAN do just data, you're going to have to cancel your contract for the voice-line, and that will cost you an early termination fee. I've had the same idea myself. I have an xv6700 through Verizon, which does successfully run Skype.

 

There's another minor problem. You need a fairly good connection for Skype to work. Wireless internet coverage is fairly spotty anywhere that isn't a major (and I mean MAJOR) metropolitan area.

 

 

I do wish you luck, however, because the cell-phone companies are dumb expensive.