In this age of interconnection of everything, the internet has long been an indispensable demand for our people's homes, as has water and coal。
Every day you go home from work, whether it's a play, a short video, a game, or a kid's internet class, or a big housekeeper's office. However, when it comes to broadbanding, many begin to suffer and fall into a consumption trap without realizing it。
It is believed that many of your friends have experienced the experience of going to the office or contacting a guest for broadband, and that you are often strongly recommended for a “cell phone + broadband” integration package. Their reasons also sound tempting: "it's more cost-effective, a fixed monthly call, a free broadband delivery, and a flow and call time."
And? It took several months for many families to run this broadband for cell phones, and to find out that the monthly payments were not insignificant, but rather that they wanted to change their food packages because of such constraints as bottom consumption, contractual deadlines, etc., and to save money, to make good use of it, to pay “in vain”。
Today, let's get to the bottom of this and clear our minds and avoid the pits that seem to be a good figure and burn money。
I. So-called “breathing packages”, whose hands and legs are tied
Let's see first why operators like to push this "cell phone plus broadband" bundle。
Commercialally, it is called “increasing user stickiness”. For operators, if you run a single broadband, one day you'll find it expensive or cheaper, and you'll leave at any time, move another operator or move away at a very low cost。
But once you tie your cell phone and broadband together, you're locked in. You want to change your cell phone number? No, change your cell phone broadband. You want to cut down on the phone set? Not either, because the contract requires you to keep the minimum to get broadband benefits。
It's better than buying food. The boss says buying a bundle of onions for you. You only wanted to buy onions, but for that cocoon, you had to take a bundle of onions, and then you found that the onion couldn't rot and that it wasn't the kind you wanted to eat, it was a waste。
In doing so, many families tend to see only the apparent benefits of “broadband delivery” or “free installation”, while ignoring the hidden threshold behind them:
The first is the contractual limitation. Usually, this bundle is signed for two or even three years. In the meantime, if your cell phone number is out of use or if your job is changed, and you want to cancel, the default money may be higher than the broadband fee itself。
The second is the bottom consumption trap. It sounds beautiful in the words of the clerk, "you can get broadband free of charge as long as you have spent $ xx a month." but do you really need to make so many calls and so many traffic? In many cases, in order to get enough of that margin, we had to buy a higher-level flow pack, which actually doubled the amount spent per month。
The third is the mismatch between speed and price. In some cases, broadband in bundled packages, although labelled trillions of gigabytes, is not optimal in actual use for reasons such as shared bandwidth. And you have to pay very high cell phone calls every month to keep this broadband。
Breaking the myth: broadband alone is the real "saving the money."
Now that there are so many pits for bundling, what is the best option for ordinary people
The central conclusion here is that for most families, especially those with a heart cell number, who do not want to change, or whose family members have their own master card card, the broadband business is often more flexible and less expensive than bundling mobile phone sets。
Why do you say that? We'll settle the score。
Assuming an integrated package offered by an operator at a monthly cost of $199 includes 60 gb traffic, 1,000 minutes of telephone calls and a gigabyte of broadband. At first glance, it seems comprehensive。
However, the reality may be that the old people and children in the family are mostly using wifi, and mobile phone traffic is not running out at all; cellular phones are almost empty and 1,000 minutes are wasted. If your original phone set only cost $59, now it's $140 for the broadband upgrade to $199, it's actually paying for non-essential services。
On the contrary, if you choose to handle broadband separately, single broadband operations are now very mature in many areas. In most regions, for example, a stable 300 or 500 gigabytes of independent broadband may cost only hundreds of dollars per year, or tens of dollars per month。
Plus your original e-mail card, the total expenditure may be less than half of the integration package. The difference is enough for you to drive a few more nights in the summer or buy some good books for the kids。
More importantly, single broadband gives you the freedom to choose。
You can always decide whether to renew the fee next month, or to switch to another operator, depending on how well the network experiences. And you don't have to worry about the whole family getting cut off because of the phone. In particular, for renters, students or people who are often away from home, the flexibility of broadband alone is an unparalleled advantage。
Iii. One by one: “broadband best” for different households
Of course, we can't kill all the blenders with a stick. After all, the situation of each family is different, and we need to “take the seat” according to our actual needs。
Case one: large multi-population family with family operating in the same family business
If you're the kind of big family you're in for generations, and the whole family uses the same operator's number, there is a certain advantage to the integration package. For example, family flows can be shared, broadband costs can be distributed to everyone's say, and it seems that the per capita burden has actually decreased. In such cases, binding is meaningful, but care is taken to see the contract details and avoid forced consumption。
Case ii: young couples or small families with low-cost internet cards
Most of the young people today have an internet set of 19 or 29 dollars, which is in high traffic and low prices. At this point, another $199 integration package would be the worst. For this group of people, the “sample package + single broadband” is the best combination. The retention of the original cheap mobile card and the deployment of a single broadband do not affect the original welfare but also enjoy access to high-speed networks。
Scenario iii: older persons living alone or with little use network
For many older persons, they may just look at the news occasionally and not need too much speed. There is no need for expensive broadband at this time. Consideration could be given to processing mobile cards with gift flows or using community-provided public wifi resources. If broadband is to be installed and the base money is to be paid on an annual basis as much as possible, it is important not to go to high contracting machines for so-called “free cell phones”, which are often the most vulnerable places for older persons to be deceived。
Iv. Catalyst guide: a few details to keep a close eye on when doing broadband
Whether you finally decide on a blend or a single broadband, in order to avoid a loss, the following details must be followed:
Question whether there is a “equipment deposit”
The installation of broadband usually requires light cats and routers. Some undesirable agents or operators, under the banner of “free installation”, actually charge a high level of equipment deposit or metering fee. It is important to ask whether the cat is for sale or rented before installation. Can the deposit be returned when the net is withdrawn? Do routers need to be purchased by themselves
Verification of “public internet ip” and “inline ip”
This is important for users with special needs. If you need to build a nas storage server at home, or if you need remote access to a home camera, you need a public internet ip. Many of the low-cost packages are default internet ips and cannot be accessed remotely. While ordinary users may not be able to use it, it is always good to know。
Watch out for subsequent price increases for “free speed up”
Some of the operating chambers of commerce operate, saying that “the first year is free to speed up to 1,000 m”. It sounds nice, but the next year is often an automatic recovery of the price, or you're required to apply for a reduction, or you're going to charge a high fee. It was important to keep the date of commencement of the activities clearly in mind, preferably in the contract notes。
4. Confirmation of route attribution in the subsector
Sometimes it's not what you want. There may be only one operator in the old district and many new districts. Before making a decision, ask the neighbour or the property to see which operator has a good reputation and a low failure rate in your district. After all, network stability is more important than mere prices。
Technology benefits the people, and every penny is spent. Let's go
In the end, we are talking about how to save money and how to avoid pits, not for the sake of the door, but in pursuit of a more rational and scientific view of consumption。
The broadband market is now becoming more transparent and competitive, as national “speed-down” policies continue. As consumers, we have the right and the duty to understand these fundamentals, not to be misled by fancy propaganda, not to be blindly consumed。
A clear logic is that there is no absolute good set, only the best set for yourself. Breading a cell phone for broadband sounds like a package, but it could be a double-edged sword. It locks not only your number, but your choice. And broadband alone, it's like an open platform that allows you to go free with mobile cards, tv boxes, etc., and really do what i do。
In addition, with technological developments, many families are now experimenting with new ways of accessing the internet. For example, “smart community” broadband has been introduced in some places, targeting older user groups with simple operations and low cost; there are also web-based technologies based on power lines that address the problem of old house wiring. These indicate that the broadband market is moving in a more refined and humanistic direction。
When we choose, we may ask our friends around us more about the real user evaluation on the internet, or even to call the operator's official customer service phone to ask if there are preferential policies for older users, low-income households or specific groups. Many times, there is a policy, but you need to do it yourself。
Concluding remarks
The internet world is vast, but our wallets are limited. It is to be hoped that today's article, like a little light, will light up your path in the broadband maze, so that you will not spend too much money on information asymmetries。
Remember, smart consumers are not born, but practiced over and over again. Next time you go to broadband, you might want to turn this article over and consult with the questions, and believe you can make the best decision。
