Using mobile to stream movies can cost thousands

The tech blog Consumerist decided to check out Comcast’s claim that mobile broadband is actually an alternative to wired broadband. The cable giant has been making these claims in order to bolster its case for merger with number-two cable provider Time Warner.

But Consumerist found a flaw in Comcast’s reasoning: it only works if you’re unspeakably rich. Or, as the blog said, “Our math says that trying to use your mobile data the same way you use your home Wi-Fi will cost you about twenty times more per month than your wired broadband bill.”

The result is worse than you might imagine. According to their experiment, “Using most wireless broadband — satellite or mobile — to watch all of Breaking Bad in one billing cycle would cost the average user between $1200 and $2200.”

Moreover, “Using this much data on most mobile plans is theoretical and may or may not even be possible.”

Check out Consumerist’s experiment and the costs of data plans here.

We believe that only fiber – not mobile – provides a workable alternative to cable.

Comcast Says Mobile Data Is Competitive, But It Costs $2k To Stream Breaking Bad Over LTE (Consumerist, Aug. 18, 2014)