October is shaping up to be a big month for mobile internet consumers.
- First AT&T announced they are offering double the data, but the offer MUST be claimed by the end of October.
- Then Verizon & Sprint followed suit with similar deals, and the same deadline.
- And then Verizon announced they are not going to be throttling LTE unlimited plans after all.
- And then in a surprise twist, Verizon acquired all Millenicom accounts, with no details yet on what options they'll offer those customers to move forward.
These are all potentially game changing announcements for us mobile folks who would love a lot of data at our fingertips. While we hope these are just the start of data wars that make some long term changes in the industry, it's always a guessing game determining if these are one-time offers, or a sign of things to come.
We deem October to be the month for RVers who rely on mobile internet to evaluate their setup.
Our recommendation:
October is a great month to re-consider your mobile internet arsenal.
We are now awaiting any news on what options Verizon will be presenting Millenicom customers for plans moving forward. We have no idea if they will be as competitively priced, especially against their own Mobile Everything double data deals this month.
Keep in mind:
- All of the double data offers don't need to be claimed until the end of the month. You have time. However, if you are activating a new account with new equipment, you do need to have your new equipment in and activated by Oct 31 to claim the deal.
- If you were a Millenicom customer.. stay tuned to see what Verizon offers. We hope the news comes soon enough so that folks can consider if taking advantage of the Mobile Everything double data deals will make more sense. Have your own 'decision date' in mind this month of when you need to proceed with with making other plans. Any guesses at this point as to what Verizon offers is pure speculation- it could range from grandfathering in the terms & pricing (as has been Verizon's history on other acquisitions), to changing everything entirely.
- If you were considering Millenicom as a potential, that is obviously no longer an option - and the next best alternatives we know about is going direct with the carriers, and taking advantage of the double data deals this month, or risking taking over a grandfathered unlimited plan. We'll be keeping a constant eye on any other options that come on the scene.
We'll share any news that comes in as soon as we know about it, so check back here on our news feed or subscribe to our RSS Feed.
Which carrier's do we recommend for RVers? Here's our breakdown of them: The Four Major US Carriers – Which is Best for RVers?
Additional Resources We Offer:
As a service to our Mobile Internet Aficionado members, we are constantly working hard to research and create in-depth resources to help them make informed decisions. Here are some we now offer related to these important October decisions:
- Now Online: Cellular Data ‘Wars’ – Guide to Picking Your Plans (October 2014 Options) - An in-depth written guide breaking down the various offerings, terms and plans, and revising our recommendations for various scenarios. It's over 5000 words and includes a comparison chart of the best deals for each carrier. It even includes a guide for switching from Millenicom to Verizon, if that makes the most sense for you.
- Hosting a series of webinars to go over the plans, and answer questions for our members. The first one was on Oct 9 (it's now available as an archive) and we have a second one scheduled for October 23 to go over any remaining questions and announcements.
- Now Online: Acquiring and Assuming Liability of an Unlimited Grandfathered Verizon Plan - We recently went through the process of acquiring a Verizon unlimited plan ourselves, and share the process, tips and resources. With these plans free from the risk of being throttled, taking over a grandfathered plan becomes a much more attractive option - but of course still has risks of just how long Verizon will continue to honor them. We will field questions on it during our member only Oct 23 webinar.
- And of course, our members have access to our Q&A forums, and we're happy to answer their questions and offer them advice on their situations. On this.. or any other mobile internet questions that come up.
- We also offer private mobile internet advising, where we'll assess your individual needs and make our recommendations. Our members also get a 15% discount on private mobile internet advising, but the sessions are available to anyone.
If mobile internet is vital to your RVing lifestyle, the Mobile Internet Aficionados was designed just for you. It's our premium membership service where we offer lots of exclusive in-depth content (including product reviews, testing data, guides and video content), webinars, regular newsletters & alerts and a Q&A forum where we respond to your questions.
We're extending the launch pricing of just $39/year for a while longer - so if the cellular data topic is on your mind, this might be an ideal time to come join us. You'll get access to not only the above upcoming resources, but our existing exclusive content and everything that is yet to come.
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Mobile Internet Resource Center (dba Two Steps Beyond LLC) is founded by Chris & Cherie of