In my experience, a slow connection can be less usable for some apps than none at all.

If there’s no connection or you’re in airplane mode, some apps will let you access locally stored/cached data, but as soon as there’s a bad connection, they’ll wipe that data by trying to unsuccessfully refresh it from the server.

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throwingcookies 40 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

Not sure if you are aware that with throttled 2G slow you can't even open a package tracking website these days, because the connection times out before you have downloaded all their asset dependencies. And those kind of websites do not support resumes of downloads (or partial content requests).

So you're stuck in a loop of not being able to use the web because the websites keep downloading stuff you don't need.

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nathanmills 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

This is an easy fix: Just cut off their data after it runs out instead of falling back to 2G speeds. Sounds like a win-win for both the data provider and the user.

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TheDong 2 hours ago | parent [-]

I hope you're joking.

The obvious easy fix is to give them unlimited data. If the intent is to give them internet, they should give them internet that functions for the modern web.

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nathanmills 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Unlimited data! You make it sound so easy.

	▲	hackpelican an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I hope you’re still joking. Data caps are to an extent “fake”, in that telcos’ costs aren’t measured in how many bytes their customers download/upload. Telcos’ costs come from renting bandwidth from tier 1 and tier 2 ISPs. This bandwidth is constant. And for popular websites, they will cache lots of content on their own network or peer directly with data centers so they don’t have to pay for the bandwidth there. The routers will continue routing and the switches will continue switching whether you download 5GBs or 5TBs. One more way to understand how much of a scam mobile data caps are, is that the same ISP will sell you unlimited fiber plans even though essentially your traffic goes through the same backbone. Data caps may help lessen congestion on their cell towers, but they don’t need to be as low as they are today.
	▲	asdff an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		It was seemingly easy for every cell provider to give it to every teenager in america just 10 years ago. What is a few marginalized adults in 2026?

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what an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

They’re already given unlimited data? It just gets throttled the 2G speeds.

They can also just go to the local library or Starbucks for the WiFi if they need more.

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virtue3 an hour ago | parent | next [-]

Please go try and do anything on the internet at 2G speeds in todays world.

You can barely even use FB messenger (you need to get messenger-lite).

I only know this cuz tmobile would give you free 2g all over europe. it was JUST BARELY helpful. mostly just sms and email.

google maps was unusable etc. This only got worse over the years.

They now give you free 3G and it's bearable. 2G is insanely slow in the 2020+ world.

2G ~= 5 KB/s. That means 40 seconds just to download a properly optimized react bundle.

5MB site? 16+ minutes.

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TheDong an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

2G speeds isn't really full access to "the internet" for some parts of the internet.

My experience with 2G speeds is:

1. Open job application site

2. Upload resume pdf

3. Upload required picture of ID

4. Server's nginx config has a hard-coded timeout after 1 minute. Connection error

5. Try to upload again

6. Connection error

A huge number of pieces of the web have hardcoded timeouts and limits designed to stop slowloris style attacks, and if your connection is slow enough, those will prevent you from ever being able to complete some tasks.

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coryrc an hour ago | parent [-]

You'll need to go to the library then, if you can't manage to watch your data use and use your free phone only for important usage.

I've paid for 2GB/mo for years now. I think I ran out once.

	▲	lukevp 35 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		This thread is about how a static text article loaded 500 megs in the background. How would someone prepare for that exactly? This is effectively malware as far as your bandwidth is concerned.

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lukevp 36 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

People on government assistance are just casually going to Starbucks for free wifi? They probably don’t even have a reliable way to get around. Let them eat cake?