In a move that would surprise absolutely no one, the major wireless carriers may be preparing to eliminate voice plans entirely, and instead replace them with unlimited calling plans. The plan? It sounds like the major plan is to lock in customers to only one, healthily marked up voice plan and then eliminate their ability to downgrade their service so that customers can’t cut into the company’s profit margins.
From The Wall Street Journal:
To make sure monthly billings don’t follow usage downhill, carriers expect to get rid of plans that let contract subscribers buy only the number of minutes they need and replace them with a flat rate covering unlimited calls … Carriers say a move to unlimited-only calling plans would simplify what can be a confusing array of options. But it also would keep a cash cow healthy by depriving customers of the option to trade down to cheaper plans—even as their phone use drops as they spend more time texting and using Internet-based calling services such as Skype.
Clearly they don’t understand. Clearly a group of morons is running the show across all of these major carriers. Customers went to text messages because voice plans were too expensive. Now the tipping point has been reached and more people are texting than calling. Parallel that with what’s happening right now with the segmented data plans, and it’s likely only a matter of time until an alternative rears its head in that market too, hopefully.
Honestly, when was the last time you took a phone call instead of a text message, or worse a Facebook instant message? If you’re over thirty, there’s a good chance you’re still taking regular phone calls, but if you’re under thirty, there’s probably a better chance you’re taking things to text message. What do the carriers plan on doing about it? Charging you more for less. Putting a premium on the cost of taking minimum calls no matter how little you use voice on your mobile phone.
Customers adapt, and no matter what the carriers do, outside of wake up and understand that the public feels like they’re getting gouged, they will continue to change their habits to ensure they’re paying less on their bills. Locking them into some scheme — and it sounds like a scheme through and through — isn’t the answer. It never is, unless you’re running one of these carriers, and if that’s the case, it’s clearly the answer for everything.
