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Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T

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  Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2014-09-09 10:52 +0000
    Re: Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T Whiskers <catwheezel@operamail.com> - 2014-09-09 17:04 +0000
    Re: Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T polygonum <rmoudndgers@vrod.co.uk> - 2014-09-09 18:11 +0100
    Re: Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2014-09-10 16:27 +1000
      Re: Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2014-09-10 09:13 +0200
    Re: Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2014-09-12 08:43 +0000
    Re: Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2014-09-13 22:41 +1000
      Re: Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> - 2014-09-13 12:12 -0700
        Re: Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2014-09-14 15:13 +1000
        Re: Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T Kees Nuyt <k.nuyt@nospam.demon.nl> - 2014-09-14 19:28 +0200

#4759 — Wi-Fi Should Scare the Hell out of Verizon and AT&T

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-08/wi-fi-should-scare-the-hell-out-of-verizon-and-at-and-t#r=hp-ls

   A major threat looms over wireless carriers that have invested billions
   in lightning-fast cellular networks: the humble Wi-Fi router.

   Well more than half of the online activity produced by smartphone users
   happens over Wi-Fi, according to newly released data from Adobe Systems
   (ADBE). Although the report just came out on Monday, Adobe's research
   found that Wi-Fi had already surpassed Web browsing via cellular
   networks by early 2013. The data come from more than 10,000 websites.

   ...

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#4763

On 2014-09-09, Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
> http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-08/wi-fi-should-scare-the-hell-out-of-verizon-and-at-and-t#r=hp-ls
>
>    A major threat looms over wireless carriers that have invested billions
>    in lightning-fast cellular networks: the humble Wi-Fi router.
>
>    Well more than half of the online activity produced by smartphone users
>    happens over Wi-Fi, according to newly released data from Adobe Systems
>    (ADBE). Although the report just came out on Monday, Adobe's research
>    found that Wi-Fi had already surpassed Web browsing via cellular
>    networks by early 2013. The data come from more than 10,000 websites.
>
>    ...

I'm surprised that mobile (cellular) data was ever used for more data
than 802.11 WiFi.  I don't know of anyone who would think of using their
slow unreliable costly and tiny mobile data allowance for anything at
all if they could manage to find a WiFi access point instead - but I do
know people who found after the event that they had been using mobile
data without realising it, and been financially embarrassed as a result.

Here in the UK, mobile telephone companies are also heavily involved in
providing WiFi access points - both the 'free' sort found in cafés, and
the sort for which a specific contract is required (or included as part
of a fixed internet service or fixed or mobile telephone service).

Many tablets have no mobile data provision at all, they depend solely on
WiFi.

-- 
-- ^^^^^^^^^^
--  Whiskers 
-- ~~~~~~~~~~

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#4765

On 09/09/2014 11:52, Rich wrote:
> http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-08/wi-fi-should-scare-the-hell-out-of-verizon-and-at-and-t#r=hp-ls
>
>     A major threat looms over wireless carriers that have invested billions
>     in lightning-fast cellular networks: the humble Wi-Fi router.
>
>     Well more than half of the online activity produced by smartphone users
>     happens over Wi-Fi, according to newly released data from Adobe Systems
>     (ADBE). Although the report just came out on Monday, Adobe's research
>     found that Wi-Fi had already surpassed Web browsing via cellular
>     networks by early 2013. The data come from more than 10,000 websites.
>
>     ...
>
Quite a lot of my tablet use would count as both Wi-Fi and cellular. My 
tablet uses Wi-Fi to connect to anything (too cheap to buy a SIM for it) 
- that includes my phone (as a portable hotspot) which uses 3G.

Therefore interesting how the figures are calculated.

-- 
Rod

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#4776

On 9/9/2014 8:52 PM, Rich wrote:
> http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-08/wi-fi-should-scare-the-hell-out-of-verizon-and-at-and-t#r=hp-ls
>
>     A major threat looms over wireless carriers that have invested billions
>     in lightning-fast cellular networks: the humble Wi-Fi router.
>
>     Well more than half of the online activity produced by smartphone users
>     happens over Wi-Fi, according to newly released data from Adobe Systems
>     (ADBE). Although the report just came out on Monday, Adobe's research
>     found that Wi-Fi had already surpassed Web browsing via cellular
>     networks by early 2013. The data come from more than 10,000 websites.
>
>     ...
>

Here in Australia, I think the telcos have rather shot themselves in the 
foot by having post-paid plans with meagre data allowances coupled with 
truly punitive rates in excess of the allowance (quoted in cents per 
kilobyte to hide their true nature). As a result, "bill shock" is a 
phrase that's entered the language, and people are running scared when 
it comes to using cellular network data.

Sylvia.

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#4778

On 2014-09-10, Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
> On 9/9/2014 8:52 PM, Rich wrote:
>> http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-08/wi-fi-should-scare-the-hell-out-of-verizon-and-at-and-t#r=hp-ls
>>
>>     A major threat looms over wireless carriers that have invested billions
>>     in lightning-fast cellular networks: the humble Wi-Fi router.
>>
>>     Well more than half of the online activity produced by smartphone users
>>     happens over Wi-Fi, according to newly released data from Adobe Systems
>>     (ADBE). Although the report just came out on Monday, Adobe's research
>>     found that Wi-Fi had already surpassed Web browsing via cellular
>>     networks by early 2013. The data come from more than 10,000 websites.
>
> Here in Australia, I think the telcos have rather shot themselves in the 
> foot by having post-paid plans with meagre data allowances coupled with 
> truly punitive rates in excess of the allowance (quoted in cents per 
> kilobyte to hide their true nature). As a result, "bill shock" is a 
> phrase that's entered the language, and people are running scared when 
> it comes to using cellular network data.

Bill shock takes a long time to wear off.  When I got onto CompuServe in
1995 via dialup I was plagued by dropped lines and busy signals (at the
time British Telecom were charging for engaged calls, which they were not
supposed to do).

That first BT bill dwarfed what I had spent on CompuServe itself and even
when I moved to Switzerland and got solid and comparatively cheap
connections I could not resist the urge to terminate the connection ASAP
to avoid a nasty bill.

-- 
So excited for the Apple Watch. For centuries, we’ve checked the time
by looking at our phones. Having it on your wrist? Genius.
                                                   -- Ellen DeGeneres

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#4834

Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
> http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-08/wi-fi-should-scare-the-hell-out-of-verizon-and-at-and-t#r=hp-ls
> 
>    A major threat looms over wireless carriers that have invested billions
>    in lightning-fast cellular networks: the humble Wi-Fi router.
> 
>    Well more than half of the online activity produced by smartphone users
>    happens over Wi-Fi, according to newly released data from Adobe Systems
>    (ADBE). Although the report just came out on Monday, Adobe's research
>    found that Wi-Fi had already surpassed Web browsing via cellular
>    networks by early 2013. The data come from more than 10,000 websites.
> 
>    ...

Wifi had "already" surpassed cell net browsing?

I advance that cell net browsing has always been a mere fraction of web
activity from phones and tablets.

It doesn't matter and the phone companies aren't scared.  They are doing
just fine with their exorbitant rates, and there are so few open wifi nets
these days that it is hardly worth arguing about.  Also it is tough to
connect to wifi when riding the train, bus, when you are outside the core
urban area in a city...

This article seems to be an attempt to make something out of nothing.

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#4867

On 9/09/2014 8:52 PM, Rich wrote:
> http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-08/wi-fi-should-scare-the-hell-out-of-verizon-and-at-and-t#r=hp-ls
>
>     A major threat looms over wireless carriers that have invested billions
>     in lightning-fast cellular networks: the humble Wi-Fi router.
>
>     Well more than half of the online activity produced by smartphone users
>     happens over Wi-Fi, according to newly released data from Adobe Systems
>     (ADBE). Although the report just came out on Monday, Adobe's research
>     found that Wi-Fi had already surpassed Web browsing via cellular
>     networks by early 2013. The data come from more than 10,000 websites.
>
>     ...
>

My experience of trying to use free WiFi hotspots over the last week was 
that they're slow and/or overloaded. Several times I just gave up, and 
switched back to cellular network access instead.

With web sites seemingly designed to soak up as much bandwidth as 
possible, this situation is unlikely to improve.

Sylvia.

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#4879

On 9/13/2014 5:41 AM PT, Sylvia Else typed:
> My experience of trying to use free WiFi hotspots over the last week was
> that they're slow and/or overloaded. Several times I just gave up, and
> switched back to cellular network access instead.
>
> With web sites seemingly designed to soak up as much bandwidth as
> possible, this situation is unlikely to improve.

Also, don't trust those insecured free wifi spots. What if they are 
sniffing your insecured connections?
-- 
"Even the ant has his (her) bite." --Turkish
    /\___/\         Ant(Dude) @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
   / /\ /\ \                Ant's Quality Foraged Links: http://aqfl.net
  | |o   o| |
     \ _ /        If crediting, then use Ant nickname and AQFL URL/link.
      ( )         If e-mailing, then axe ANT from its address if needed.
Ant is currently not listening to any songs on this computer.

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#4887

On 14/09/2014 5:12 AM, Ant wrote:
> On 9/13/2014 5:41 AM PT, Sylvia Else typed:
>> My experience of trying to use free WiFi hotspots over the last week was
>> that they're slow and/or overloaded. Several times I just gave up, and
>> switched back to cellular network access instead.
>>
>> With web sites seemingly designed to soak up as much bandwidth as
>> possible, this situation is unlikely to improve.
>
> Also, don't trust those insecured free wifi spots. What if they are
> sniffing your insecured connections?

For sure.

Email is a particular concern, in that software may be using unencrypted 
connections by default. Access to an email account can often be 
leveraged into access to most of one's more secure stuff.

Just the other day I made exactly that mistake with a laptop, realised 
about 5 seconds later, and had to make a quick (and secured) change to 
my password.

Sylvia.

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#4896

On Sat, 13 Sep 2014 12:12:50 -0700, Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote:

>
> Also, don't trust those insecured free wifi spots.
> What if they are sniffing your insecured connections?

The hotspots may sniff, but even worse, if the hotspot is not able
or not configured to isolate users from eachother, anyone
connected to the hotspot is on the same subnet and can sniff
along.

The only answer is to use a secure tunnel (usually VPN, TOR, or an
SSH tunnel to a server you control yourself) to pipe all your
traffic through.
-- 
Kees Nuyt

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