Why data expires – Explained by a hacker

Nice article, explains the providers' predicament. I still don't have any sympathy for them, bastards.

@RoganDawes, based on your posts in the Networking subforum, I've always wondered what line of work you were in, now I know. :wink:

Thanks for the input
 
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If none of the subscribers use their data for the first 50 weeks, but start in the middle of the last month to ensure they use all their data, 10PB over 14 days would require capacity of 8267195 bytes per second.
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And the odds of this happening are?
 
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If they buy their services by capacity then surely they would be able to sell a service limited by capacity?

So for example, you can buy a 1 month bundle of "data" that allows you to download as much as you want but limited to a certain level of speed.
 
konfab said:
If they buy their services by capacity then surely they would be able to sell a service limited by capacity?

So for example, you can buy a 1 month bundle of "data" that allows you to download as much as you want but limited to a certain level of speed.
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Sure they can, will be too expensive for the average person though.
 
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Seriously, I have almost completely stopped coming here because it is turning into the BuzzFeed of tech.
 
supersunbird said:
Sure they can, will be too expensive for the average person though.
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Possibly, but ISP's are milking things to the absolute limit right now... But they can hardly be blamed, they are profit driven companies after all.
 
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supersunbird said:
You can explain it better?
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The article is clearly written by a shill - not a hacker.

The example "thought experiment" does not reflect any real life usage pattern and is thus BS

I've just returned from Italy,
€15 (~R240) bought a PAYG Vodafone SIM with 25GB dats, calls and SMS.
 
system32 said:
The article is clearly written by a shill - not a hacker.

The example "thought experiment" does not reflect any real life usage pattern and is thus BS
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When I still had a capped connection on ADSL I used it in exactly this way. Not going to waste data that expires at the end of the month, and I have to survive with what I have, so I conserve at during the month, splurging at the end. I do the same on my 30 day mobile data bundles, though I purchase as small as possible, of course.

I could be the only one in the country doing that, yes, you could be correct.

Now that I have an uncapped fibre connection I use it as needed throughout the month, with few large spikes.
 
Valerion said:
When I still had a capped connection on ADSL I used it in exactly this way. Not going to waste data that expires at the end of the month, and I have to survive with what I have, so I conserve at during the month, splurging at the end. I do the same on my 30 day mobile data bundles, though I purchase as small as possible, of course.

I could be the only one in the country doing that, yes, you could be correct.

Now that I have an uncapped fibre connection I use it as needed throughout the month, with few large spikes.
Click to expand...
I use my mobile data packages as they should be with a self enforced per day allowance that, under normal circumstances will see me get through the month comfortably. BUT, I want to be able to save up some if I could to use at times when I only have mobile access that is why this BS of expiring bundles irritates me no end.
At least a FIFO process will go a long way to address the loss of saved up "data". Now that you are on an uncapped package, you no longer have to worry. You are effectively releasing back into the pool, data that the industry can sell to others! They then get paid more than once for the same data. And then the industry cries.
No, the key is the industry needs to come up with a better business plan model.
 
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whatwhat said:
Bullshit article.
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The headline was bullshit. The content was interesting. I can't say I agree with it but I do value the resident "hacker" explaining the reasons from the cell network's perspective.
 
Geoff.D said:
I use my mobile data packages as they should be with a self enforced per day allowance that, under normal circumstances will see me get through the month comfortably. BUT, I want to be able to save up some if I could to use at times when I only have mobile access that is why this BS of expiring bundles irritates me no end.
At least a FIFO process will go a long way to address the loss of saved up "data". Now that you are on an uncapped package, you no longer have to worry. You are effectively releasing back into the pool, data that the industry can sell to others! They then get paid more than once for the same data. And then the industry cries.
No, the key is the industry needs to come up with a better business plan model.
Click to expand...

You definitely do not understand how data works. There is no pool.

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Geoff.D said:
No, the key is the industry needs to come up with a better business plan model.
Click to expand...

Agreed with that statement. Data caps encourage end-of-period splurging, as there's no cost to the user, and a perceived cost if they don't. Using data in a "last-purchased bundle first" method encourages people to not purchase bundles until they run out. So you can't buy a bundle to cover anticipated use (going on holiday, for example), if you still have an active one as you would lose the current one you use.
 
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