Why exactly are we charged for DATA?

[scooterville1289]

To some people this question might be elementary but I was thinking of how much data I personally consume each day, week, month and im at 8gb-$80.. But have yall noticed how phone/T.V companies are going up on prices steadily every year?..

 

[FWAmie]

Actually I have noticed. I think it is because they have to pay so much to have the data themselves as well... Then again right now I really have no clue. Now with that question going in my mind I am going to have to go search for an answer because if not, ill drive myself crazy.. LOL If I find out the answer Ill let you know.

 

[ProjectSHO89]

You're paying for the usage of their network to transport the data to and from you. Such infrastructure ain't cheap to build, operate, and maintain, even when spread across many, many users.

 

[James]

Since my workplace was purchased by a HUGE private corporation I have learned that business gets very complicated when you are part of something multi-level and multi-national. Each business segment must support its own weight plus make profit to support other business segments plus pay stockholders. Simple math..like it cost us $1 and we can sell it for $2 and make $.10 profit after expenses no longer works. So I am saying things go up for more than the obvious reasons. I have mixed feelings on the corp world I am living in now.

 

[FWAmie]

Since my workplace was purchased by a HUGE private corporation I have learned that business gets very complicated when you are part of something multi-level and multi-national. Each business segment must support its own weight plus make profit to support other business segments plus pay stockholders. Simple math..like it cost us $1 and we can sell it for $2 and make $.10 profit after expenses no longer works. So I am saying things go up for more than the obvious reasons. I have mixed feelings on the corp world I am living in now.

That is like when my great grandmother was a live. She would always talk about when gas was only like .50- 1.00 but when she did that the gas prices were near like 3-4$. I never really thought much of it except that how cool it would be if gas was still that cheap. I have to say that was most likely my first experience with how things go up in the economy. I still have mixed feelings about everything related to money.... But at the same time, it makes me wonder how things really used to be...

 

[bunny22]

Companies do need to make money, but I think the telecom industry (phone, internet, cable, etc, they're all the same companies now) overcharges because they get away with it.

On cell phones, for example, they make you think you're getting a deal by giving you a phone for $200, but then over two years they charge you a higher fee every month for two years, and it ends up being $300 more than you'd have paid if you just bought the phone outright.

About a year ago I got a Nexus 4 from Google, and signed up for T-mobile prepaid at $30 a month, dumped Verizon which was charging me $90, and it only took a maybe four months before my savings paid for the phone.

And my internet service keeps sending me letters to upgrade my service to a higher speed because I'm using the internet a lot, but I just ignore them... and I'm satisfied with the speed, and rarely have any problems.

So if you're paying too much for data, you might want to look for alternatives. It just depends what features you absolutely need.

 

[rachellove22]

I can understand the aspect of paying for the amount of data that you use. Not saying that I like paying for it but I do understand. It's just like paying to drive on a toll road. Although we aren't physically doing anything to the road there has to be money made to main the road. In addition to paying the salaries of the workers who work at the toll booths.

 

[SamuelB]

Well, all the technicians must be paid, servers maintained, there's probably some customer service too... It all takes money. They are probably riping us off with the current prices but some payment for the companies that give us access to data is definitely needed and explainable

 

[Funafuti]

That is like when my great grandmother was a live. She would always talk about when gas was only like .50- 1.00 but when she did that the gas prices were near like 3-4$. I never really thought much of it except that how cool it would be if gas was still that cheap. I have to say that was most likely my first experience with how things go up in the economy. I still have mixed feelings about everything related to money.... But at the same time, it makes me wonder how things really used to be...

The rise of the price of gasoline over time was for decades below the level of inflation. In recent years it has caught up, but there's some interesting information here: Vehicle Technologies Office: Fact #741: August 20, 2012<br />Historical Gasoline Prices, 1929-2011