Finding the perfect internet package for your needs can be a tall order, but it’s even more difficult when it comes to wireless internet. After doing a search for internet services near me, you also need to consider a few more things. For example, you not only need to make sure you find a plan that’s fast enough for you, but you also need to make sure data limits aren’t limiting what you can do with your wireless internet or hiking up your monthly bill when you go over the allotted amount. If you’re wondering what the deal is with unlimited internet packages, here’s what you need to know.
What Are Data Limits?
If you’ve ever dealt with an internet plan from a cell phone carrier, chances are you’re very familiar with data limits. Cell carriers put a cap on the amount of data each user can use throughout each month because it allows them to control the amount of activity on their network. In fact, many ISPs even have data caps.
The main purpose of this is to make sure that the network is never overloaded, especially on busy days at peak hours. However, this is only a problem when you take users with very high data usage into consideration. This is why a lot of networks are offering unlimited data as an option for users who pay a bit more.
Quantifying Data
When you hear numbers in gigabytes and megabytes, it may not mean a whole lot to you. The important thing is what you can do with that data, which depends a lot on how you use your phone. One important thing to understand is that there are 1,024 kilobytes (KB) in a megabyte (MB) MB, and there are 1,024 MB in a gigabyte (GB).
Cell phone carriers will commonly offer data plans with caps of 2 GB, 4 GB, 6 GB, 8 GB, and other similar amounts. So, what does that mean for you in terms of what you’re able to do with your wireless internet?
With 1 GB of data, here are some of the things you can expect to do:
- Load about 400 websites on a computer or 800 mobile websites on your phone
- Stream about 4 hours and 10 minutes of 480p video
- Stream about 8 hours of high-quality audio or 16 hours of standard-quality audio on Spotify
- Send approximately 10,000 email
Understanding what you can do with various data allowances is important because it helps you avoid going over your limit. On top of that, you should also check on your data usage through each month to make sure you’re not on pace to exceed your limit if you’re on a limited plan.
Is Unlimited Internet Really Unlimited?
With all the hype around unlimited wireless internet, you may have heard arguments against the term “unlimited.” Many consumers falsely believe that unlimited internet is a false claim because of what they’ve heard in commercials, but the truth of the matter is you do get unlimited data when you pay for it.
The one caveat is that you may switch from high-speed to standard-speed internet when you’ve gone over a certain amount of data. This won’t stop you from using the internet altogether, but it may increase web page load time and make it harder to stream HD video. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you will never be charged for going over a flat data limit if you’ve got unlimited internet.
Having unlimited wireless internet is a big convenience, and you have lots of options at your disposal in today’s world. As long as you shop around for a wireless internet plan that offers unlimited data and enough speed for your needs, you don’t have to worry about paying for using too much data anymore.