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So the FCC is saying that the ETF that Verizon is setting out for the Droid is too expensive, and they want them to justify the cost plus how they are handling ETF.
For example, according to Ars Technica, a person on month 23 of a 2 year contract will have an ETF of $120. Contrast AT&T and Apple's iPhone, which zero out the ETF at 18 months.
I'm a bit with the FCC here, after a bit of math. The Motorola Droid that Verizon carries costs $800 USD w/o a contract. Verizon's selling it with a plan for $200. That's $600 that Verizon has to make up; usually it's built into the plan. Split it up over 24 months and that's $25/month. Where the *$!)( is Verizon getting $120 on the last month of a contract?!?
In comparison, let's go for an AT&T powered iPhone. It's $600 USD w/o a contract, $200 with. A $400 difference. Over 2 years, each month is $16.67 (with some rounding up) towards the ETF. Over 18 months, it's $22.22/month.
This considering the following points:
For example, according to Ars Technica, a person on month 23 of a 2 year contract will have an ETF of $120. Contrast AT&T and Apple's iPhone, which zero out the ETF at 18 months.
I'm a bit with the FCC here, after a bit of math. The Motorola Droid that Verizon carries costs $800 USD w/o a contract. Verizon's selling it with a plan for $200. That's $600 that Verizon has to make up; usually it's built into the plan. Split it up over 24 months and that's $25/month. Where the *$!)( is Verizon getting $120 on the last month of a contract?!?
In comparison, let's go for an AT&T powered iPhone. It's $600 USD w/o a contract, $200 with. A $400 difference. Over 2 years, each month is $16.67 (with some rounding up) towards the ETF. Over 18 months, it's $22.22/month.
This considering the following points:
- The iPhone can go anywhere, being on the GSM standard. The Droid is CDMA, and is limited in it's range.
- Anything you can do on the Droid, you can do on the iPhone, and vise versa. So that's one commercial from Verizon gone...
- ...but Apple/AT&T are truthfully saying you can talk on the iPhone and surf the web at the same time. GSM/HSDPA allows such dual communications. CDMA/EVDO can't.
- Verizon is showing 3G coverage in it's maps in the commercials. AT&T is shown to only cover metropolitan areas... but if you check AT&T's own site, AT&T has EDGE coverage. Now, granted, EDGE is ISDN as HSDPA/3G is DSL...
- ...but then Sprint/Clearwire's 4G is getting that same DSL speed.
- And funny enough, the same browser engine in the Droid's Android OS is the same as the iPhone's Safari: WebKit. The same that is in ChromeOS and Chrome web browser. Google admits to it, too.
