How Verizon's "Share Everything" Neutralizes Over the Top Apps

By
The new Verizon Wireless  “Share Everything Plans", providing a single bucket of data usage in the same way that many consumers already purchase voice and texting services on family plans, illustrates one advantage mobile service providers have when competing with over the top application providers.

In essence, Verizon Wireless has created, for many of its customers, a basic bundle of value that includes the device, plus unlimited domestic texting and voice. And if you assume most people simply must have mobile phone service, Verizon Wireless now has made voice and texting essentially “free.”

So, aside from the other impact the new plans might have, they also illustrate one way a mobile service provider can create value offsetting the attraction of over the top voice and messaging. Though international calling remains an area where price arbitrage still has value, people who mostly call and text domestically now will find OTT voice and messaging of less value.

Generally speaking, matters are different in Europe, where “domestic” calling is more akin to “regional” calling. For that reason, European service providers so far have not been able to emulate the “unlimited” domestic calling or texting that Verizon now offers, simply because so many calls cross borders, requiring payment of roaming fees.

At least 20 percent of mobile broadband users on the continent face technical or contractual restrictions on their use of VoIP products, while more than a third of European mobile users also have restrictions on their P2P usage.

The results come courtesy of a new study conducted by the European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), representing national regulators in Europe.

Among the restrictions related to specific types of traffic, the most frequently reported restrictions are the blocking or throttling of peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic, on both fixed and mobile networks, and the blocking of Voice over IP (VoIP) traffic, mostly on mobile networks.

As regards to P2P, some level of restriction is reported by 49 operators (out of 266) on fixed networks and by 41 operators (out of 115) on mobile networks.

As regards to VoIP, some level of restriction is reported by 28 operators (out of 115) on mobile networks. Each of these types of restrictions affects at least 20 percent of subscribers.


Edited by Brooke Neuman
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. [Free eNews Subscription]

Contributing Editor

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Related Articles

Can Science Outsmart Deepfake Deceivers? Klick Labs Proposes an Emerging Solution

By: Alex Passett    3/25/2024

Researchers at Klick Labs were able to identify audio deepfakes from authentic audio recordings via new vocal biomarker technology (alongside AI model…

Read More

Top 5 Best Ways to Integrate Technology for Successful Project-Based Learning

By: Contributing Writer    3/19/2024

Project-based learning, also popularly known as the PBL curriculum, emphasizes using and integrating technology with classroom teaching. This approach…

Read More

How to Protect Your Website From LDAP Injection Attacks

By: Contributing Writer    3/12/2024

Prevent LDAP injection attacks with regular testing, limiting access privileges, sanitizing user input, and applying the proper encoding functions.

Read More

Azure Cost Optimization: 5 Things You Can Do to Save on Azure

By: Contributing Writer    3/7/2024

Azure cost optimization is the process of managing and reducing the overall cost of using Azure. It involves understanding the resources you're using,…

Read More

Massive Meta Apps and Services Outage Impacts Users Worldwide

By: Alex Passett    3/5/2024

Meta's suite of apps and services are experiencing major global outages on Super Tuesday 2024.

Read More