Thread: Apple vs Nokia
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rs-px is offline rs-px
2007-11-01 , 09:46
Posts: 255 | Thanked: 15 times | Joined on Oct 2007 @ United Kingdom
#79
Originally Posted by benny1967 View Post
BTW, only because I read this term so often here: Whats a "data plan"? My interpretation so far was it was some kind of additional contract you need to get online with your mobile carrier. Is it? Or is it the mobile internet-access you sign up for (with extra hardware to be plugged into your laptop) independent of any mobile voice contract you might have?

I'm confused because here, when you own a phone thats capable of any kind of data mode, you just go online with it. No need for an extra contract/"data plan"/whatever. (There are special rates for heavy users, as there are for people who do a lot of voice calls or primarily international calls, whatever, but thats an extra...)
Here in the UK, you can add a data plan to any standard call package, by paying extra for it, or just get a call package that includes data.

You can also get SIM cards specifically to go into mobile devices that never make voice calls, which come with data plans rather than voice plans.

Of course, all modern cell phones use 'data' plans, because they're digital networks. But telcos still insist on making strict distinctions between data and voice calls, particularly in terms of cost. Maybe another reason why they're destined for eventual fossilisation?