Video eats 4G LTE data plans fast

Verizon's and AT&T's LTE networks are so fast and so convenient that iPad owners are blowing through their data cap in a matter of hours, says a Wall Street Journal report.

iPad broadband plans start at 250 MB for US$14.99 on AT&T and 1 GB for $20 on Verizon. Plans go up in increments and top out with a 5 GB plan for $50. Users watching video on their iPad can easily blow through those lower caps in a matter of minutes.

Carriers advise users to switch to WiFi when possible, but many customers find the carrier's LTE network is faster and more reliable than public hotspots. Instead of struggling on a public WiFi connection, customers are abandoning WiFi and switching to LTE.

Right now, there's no solution to this problem that would appease all parties. AT&T and Verizon could make customers happy by increasing broadband data buckets, but carriers are hesitant to trim their data revenue when they are trying to build out their 4G network. Customers could also pay more for a bigger plan, but most already feel they are paying enough when they shell out $30 a month for data.