Technically, addict is probably a better descriptor than whore. But you know what I mean.
Since I got my USBConnect Mercury modem in order to have internet access during my commute on the train, I’ve been tracking my usage to ensure I don’t go over my plan allotment. I chose the cheapest plan available to me at $32/month after my corporate discount, which includes 50MB of data. Yes, only a measly 50MB. In retrospect, my reasoning that WiFi would be periodically available on the trains so I wouldn’t have to use the modem every single day and that I could limit my usage of the modem enough to avoid incurring overage charges seems quite dubious, at best.
Looking at my daily usage, I saw that in my first few train rides with the modem that I used about 5MB (1/5 of my total monthly allotment) each time! I resolved to use it more sparingly, turning off image downloading in my browser, ensuring that iTunes was closed so automatic downloads of new podcasts wouldn’t start, etc. Alas, this was not enough and when I logged into my AT&T account yesterday morning, I learned that I was already 25MB over my 50MB allotment for the month. On my plan, the overage charge is about $1.00 per MB, so that would be $25 extra on my bill next month if I stopped using the modem immediately for the rest of the billing period. The next highest data plan offers 5GB (how they go from 50MB to 5GB with nothing in between, I don’t know) for just $16 more per month. This made my decision to move up to the next plan much easier, which was done in a quick call to AT&T’s customer service. Fortunately, they made it retroactive as well so I wouldn’t get any overage charges for this month. Phew!
This 5GB/month plan means I could use up to 50MB per day during my commute each month. Much, much better! I still can’t believe how I thought 50MB/month would be sufficient. I am more of a wireless data whore (addict) than I thought. Erk!
