Why don’t cell carriers provide roll-over megabytes/gigabytes for bandwidth paid for but not used each month? Why is it "use it or lose it?"

I immediately tweeted that.

I had just read Sascha Segan’s PCMag.com article, Verizon LTE [...]]]> Yesterday I was struck by the thought,

I had just read Sascha Segan’s PCMag.com article, Verizon LTE Blows Through Monthly Data Cap in 32 Minutes, which details how good LTE is and just how miserly Verizon is with its data plan. A two-year subscription plan costs $50/month for 5GB of bandwidth or $80/month for 10GB. The bandwidth usage is for combined downloads and uploads.

The cell phone companies allow us to roll over unused voice minutes from month-to-month, so why not unused data allocations as well?

If we pay for 2GB per month but only use 1 GB why shouldn’t we get the benefit of that unused 1GB of bandwidth next month or the month after, or to the end of time? We did pay for it.

Immediately after my first tweet, I sent a message to David Pogue asking him the same question. David is a local boy, a Westport resident, national tech celebrity, NY Times columnist, TV personality and an all-around good guy who has championed causes like this before.

David responded,

BRILLIANT… this is my new pet peeve!

So lets all get behind this campaign. It’s our money. It’s our data, It shouldn’t expire!

Update 2010-12-10:

David Pogue has joined the campaign with his New York Times blog post Here’s a Thought: Rollover Megabytes. As of this update, more than 30 people have commented and the sentiment is overwhelmingly positive.

An eligible data plan is required for Smartphones (including iPhone, BlackBerry & PDA devices) per AT&T’s Wireless Rate Plan Terms & Wireless Data Service Terms & Conditions at www.att.com/planterms. If you begin using a Smartphone after 9/05/09 without an eligible data plan, AT&T reserves the [...]]]> AT&T Wireless latest statement includes the following language:

An eligible data plan is required for Smartphones (including iPhone, BlackBerry & PDA devices) per AT&T’s Wireless Rate Plan Terms & Wireless Data Service Terms & Conditions at www.att.com/planterms. If you begin using a Smartphone after 9/05/09 without an eligible data plan, AT&T reserves the right to add an eligible data plan to your account & bill you the proper monthly fee. See www.att.com/smartphoneplans for more info.

I think this is corporate greed run amok. It is time for Washington to enforce the same equipment rules on cell carriers that apply to landline providers.