Archive for May, 2010
How Future Cell Phones SHOULD Work
By the end of the year, Verizon Wireless will begin rolling out it’s new LTE based network. For those who dont know what LTE is, it’s the next high speed wireless data network with crazy fast connection speeds.
As it stands today, if you buy a smart phone you can pay upwards of $40-60 a month for just the right to TALK and another $30-60 a month if you want to have a data plan. In the future, this needs to change. We are moving into a culture where data and voice connectivity is almost mandatory to function in today’s society. E-mail, Facebook, Twitter, GPS, and basic web browsing is needed on the go. But seriously, who wants to pay $120 a month for a cell phone!?
The new model should be simply this: Buy a “bucket of megabytes” (as Verizon Chief Executive Lowell McAdam calls it). Included in that bucket is all voice and data transmissions. Yes, this bucket would include all text messages as well. Since LTE is an all IP network, you dont need a cell phone number through Verizon unless you choose to. If I like, my cell can be linked to a Skype number, or Google Voice number.
That my rant, now I am done.
The Real Cost of Text Messages
Text messages is a money making machine for cell phone companies. It’s an absolute cash cow. At 160 characters, a single message would be 1280 bits. Therefore, 6553.6 text messages equals one megabyte of data. At 20 cents a message on Verizon (assuming you don’t have a text plan), that would cost $1,497.97…. per megabyte of data. As a simple comparison: If I use data on my “feature phone”, it’s $1.99 per megabyte of data.
Here is the math for those who are interested:
1 character = 8 bits of data
140 characters = 1120 bits
1 megabyte = 8,388,608 bits
8,388,608 bits/1120 bits = 7489.8285 messages
7489.8285 messages * $0.20 = $1,497.97 per megabyte of data
In another example: my wife has 250 text messages a month for $5. Sounds like a great deal, right? umm… not really. That’s 2 cents per message. That doesn’t look too bad really. It’s significantly cheaper than then 20 cents per message fee when you don’t have a texting plan. But, let’s break this down again…
250 messages * 1120 bits= 280,000 bits of data
$5/280,000 bits = $0.000017857 per bit of data
1 megabyte = 8,388,608 bits
8,388,608 bits * $0.000017857 = $149.80 per megabyte of data
Text Message cost prices are from Verizon Wireless as of May 10th, 2010.
All computer unit conversions were made by using the simple conversion tool over at unit-conversion.info
