Even though it is "separation", "set" is the premise? Negative aspects of DoCoMo's new plan "Data Plus": How to use mobile data communication in 5 minutes (page 1/2)

In June, NTT Docomo launched a new rate plan with the slogan "Docomo has two simple options."

In the current mobile phone, the mainstream (main stream) is "smartphone". Considering only that, the price plan has certainly become simpler. However, there are also disadvantages such as the abolishment of plans suitable for independent use of data communication terminals such as tablets and mobile routers (hereinafter collectively referred to as "data-only equipment").

In this 5-minute mobile data communication utilization technique, we will consider Docomo's new plan, "Data Plus", which assumes data-only devices, and the "recent status" of Docomo's mobile Wi-Fi router. I'll look.

(All prices in the article do not include tax)

DoCoMo's new rate plans are equivalent to "data plans" for data-only devices in conventional rate plans. I don't have a plan to

"Then, what kind of plan can I subscribe to for a data-only device?" With the new plan, you have two options:

Data Plus is a plan (*1) for using a data-only device as a secondary line of a line that subscribes to Gigaho or Gigalight. The monthly fee is 1,000 yen (with 2-year contract) or 2,500 yen (without 2-year contract). One line can be contracted for each parent line, and the data communication capacity and restrictions when the capacity is exceeded are shared with the parent line.

*1 Can be used with smartphones and mobile phones (feature phones), but voice calls are not supported.

Data Plus is equivalent to the "Secondary Plus (share option)" in the conventional plan, but there are the following differences.

In the conventional plan (so-called “Kake-hodai & Pake-aeru”), the “Data Plan” (*) is a separate plan for data communication devices. 2) was provided. Therefore, even if you do not have a contract for Docomo smartphones or mobile phones, in a sense, it was an environment where it was easy to contract for data communication equipment.

*2 There are two data plans: "smartphone/tab" for smartphones and tablets, and "router" for routers, and the monthly charges differ.

For example, ``MVNO service (cheap SIM) for smartphones that do not have a lot of It was easy to use different devices and plans according to the purpose, such as combining a mobile phone and a tablet and using a second phone plus for packet sharing.

However, the new plan Data Plus is premised on entering the "secondary line" of Gigaho or Gigalight. In the case of a combination such as "smartphone is MVNO service, router is Docomo" and "docomo's mobile phone and tablet", at first glance, the best plan does not exist.

However, as mentioned earlier, Gigaho and Gigalight are terminals dedicated to data communication. can also be used. Also, mobile phones can be contracted with Gigaho or Gigalight. In short, Gigaho and Gigalight are billing plans that do not choose devices.

Recently, in the software update for DOCOMO's mobile router "Wi-Fi STATION HW-01L", sp mode has been added and preset to APN (connection destination information for packet communication). In addition, the "Wi-Fi STATION SH-05L" (details will be described later), which was announced as a summer 2019 model, also has sp mode preset as APN.

Sp-mode has been established as an ISP service for smartphones, tablets, and Android-based mobile phones, but it seems that routers have finally been added to its scope. In a sense, it can be said that it is a move in anticipation of "using Gigaho and Gigalight as data communication terminals".

In the new price plan, the price plan for mainstream smartphones has become simpler and basically cheaper than before. On the other hand, users who want to use a dedicated data communication terminal with a data-only contract are forced to "set it with a smartphone or mobile phone with a Gigaho or Gigalight contract" or "use it alone at the price for a voice terminal".

You can also look at it like, ``It's convenient to be able to cover all devices with Gigaho or Gigalight!'' However, with a dedicated data communication terminal that does not require voice calls, if you subscribe to a plan that includes voice calls, won't you end up paying for unnecessary voice calls? I'm going to go around with a question.

Although the meaning is different from the "separation plan", which means the separation of the communication charge and the main unit price, the data communication dedicated terminal in the new rate plan is virtually in a state where "voice calls cannot be separated".