[Discuss] [OT] Smart Phones

[greg at freephile.com (Greg Rundlett (freephile))]

The costs of smart phones are ridiculous.

I like having one, and I just bought a Nexus 4 to simultaneously get an
advanced piece of hardware, avoid the lock-in of a contract and also lower
my long-term costs.  I believe having a pocket computer is already a
necessity.  But rather than help bridge the digital divide, the situation
has only gotten worse.  The major operators expect each family to spend
$200/mo on cell service and another $200/mo on internet and content.
 Apparently everyone does because I pick my kids up at school and every 8th
grader is walking around head-down with a phone.

It used to be that you could connect your home to the internet for $20/mo
and have unlimited access.  You could also get a land line for ~$20/mo with
unlimited local calling and or you could get a Vonage account for that same
$20 with unlimited calling across the country.  Now you are metered and
filtered every which way.  For example, Comcast sells Digital TV, Internet
and Phone service (as three separate things across one pipe), with multiple
additional charges for all kinds of features like TV "on demand".  AT&T
offers "family share" plans where they illustrate a fee of $190 / mo for
two mobile devices plus a tablet and a hotspot.  I'm paying $65/mo to
Comcast for Internet only.  I'm paying $15/mo to Vonage for a "land line".
 I'm paying $10/mo to Netflix, (plus $90/year to Amazon), plust $50/mo. to
T-Mobile for prepaid wireless.  In order to add a cell phone for my son it
looks like it will be a minimum of $30/mo if I bring my own device.

The best network coverage in my area (Salisbury, MA) comes from Verizon,
and it's conceivable that I could get a phone, plus hotspot to have
Internet, wireless communications.  Then I would only have to pay Netflix
and Amazon for additional content.  But I've been abused by Verizon before.
 I will never be a Verizon customer again.

I wish we had public broadband internet and wireless in this country.