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Ask HN: Hypothesis: Cellular providers are deprioritizing voice calls?

21 points · 49 comments · tkdb

  1. SnorkelTan · · focus · HN ↗
    They should remove unlimited voice calls and make everyone using the phone network pay by the minute. It would eliminate robodialing instantly.
    1. what · · focus · HN ↗
      I wish they would bring back prepaid/pay as you go service. I want a number where I can receive/send an occasional call or text without having to pay a monthly contract.
      1. iknowstuff · · focus · HN ↗
        That very much does exist still? <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;reddit.com&#x2F;r&#x2F;nocontract" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;reddit.com&#x2F;r&#x2F;nocontract
        1. what · · focus · HN ↗
          No, pay as you go. I want to put $5 and pay whatever per minute&#x2F;sms until it runs out.
          1. drivingmenuts · · focus · HN ↗
            Then you&#x27;ll have to be the change you want to see in the world. Otherwise, it&#x27;s not coming back because it gives accountants, executives and investors nightmares about the bottom line.
            1. what · · focus · HN ↗
              This doesn’t make sense. Are you suggesting I start a telecom so I can offer pay as you go?
              1. drivingmenuts · · focus · HN ↗
                Yes.

                Alternately, you can bribe&#x2F;buy enough legislators to get them to enact laws allowing&#x2F;requiring pay-as-you-go plans, but if you have the money to do that, you might as well just form a company so you can do it at scale.

          2. toast0 · · focus · HN ↗
            The voip provider I use charges about $1&#x2F;month for a (US&#x2F;CA) phone number and $1.50&#x2F;month for e911 service; my voip provider charges me $10 or $25 or something when the balance is low. A large cell phone company may have somewhat lower costs for those services, but I think the pricing floor is probably $3&#x2F;month that has to come from somewhere.

            T-Mobile used to have a plan for you, but they stopped offering it to new customers in 2014; it does have a yearly minimum, but once you added $100 in topups, the minimum was $10&#x2F;year; I think my mom must have more minutes than she&#x27;ll ever use, but she still has to add ~ 100 minutes per year. Similarly, I had a SIM from virgin mobile UK that I got in 2008 that would stay active as long as it had activity, which included receiving SMS (which was free!). I doubt those are still available either and mine lapsed when I stopped using the SIM as the phone I had it in was 2G only and I lost coverage.

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