AT&T to throttle unlimited data plan users...

[brianm523]

Dellman87, as stated in my previous posts I use 40-50GB per month easily. And just using Netflix for 1-2 hours per day puts me up there without even trying.

[Dellman87]

Oh hey sorry about that, I must have missed that post, my bad. So are you pretty upset by this?

---

brianm523 wrote:
Dellman87, as stated in my previous posts I use 40-50GB per month easily. And just using Netflix for 1-2 hours per day puts me up there without even trying.

---

[cesierra]

has anybody been throttled?

[cesierra]

ok, 1st post says Oct 1st

[tpagui35]

If we are paying for unlimited data, then that's what AT&T should provide to the customers who are grandfathered in.  If not then those customers should get some sort of price reduction on their "unlimited data plan".

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

---

tpagui35 wrote:

If we are paying for unlimited data, then that's what AT&T should provide to the customers who are grandfathered in.  If not then those customers should get some sort of price reduction on their "unlimited data plan".

---

Not accurate, the fair use policy was in effect when the plan was current and available. They are not hard capping you if you meet the requirements, they are soft capping, so your plan is still unlimited, just slower. Want to avoid the fair use policy, then switch to the 2GB plan.

hard capping = exceed the fair use policy limits, internet connection is cut off until the next cycle

soft capping = exceed the fair use policy limits, internet connection speed is reduced until next billing cycle

In soft capping your data is still unlimited.

Have unlimited on both my personal and corporate phone's rarely exceed 2GB or even come close to that limit

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

And from what I've read, there's no escape from this, other carriers are doing it, too?

Good to hear about the 2GB plan.   (I may be going there soon.)

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

---

spd2demun wrote:

And from what I've read, there's no escape from this, other carriers are doing it, too?

Good to hear about the 2GB plan.   (I may be going there soon.)

---

The budget wireless provider cricket has been doing it for over a year, other carriers are moving towards that direction. Even the hard wire providers are capping "unlimited usage", charter for example will cancel your service if you exceed the caps multiple times, and refuse to offer new service for 6 months.

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

I heard about Cable on the Uverse side, and ATT is planning on doing that to us, too.   I believe it's already implemented on regular DSL.

Modern life, I guess.  Is the Network/towers just overloaded, or something else involved?

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

---

spd2demun wrote:

I heard about Cable on the Uverse side, and ATT is planning on doing that to us, too.   I believe it's already implemented on regular DSL.

Modern life, I guess.  Is the Network/towers just overloaded, or something else involved?

---

not really sure, can see it on the wireless end since the amount of bandwidth avaialble in the spectrum is limited, suspect the wired end of it is that the companies just want to spend less money on the infrastructure to supply the bandwidth. Personally use business level T1 for internet access witha dedicated block of IPV4 / IPv6 addresses so what ever caps come about will not affect my usage

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

And guess that's where the Pink-Blue deal would have helped a bit?

Business plan not an option for HSI on the UV side.

Do the experts here ever see a time when the throttling will be removed, uncapped for all?

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

---

spd2demun wrote:

And guess that's where the Pink-Blue deal would have helped a bit?

Business plan not an option for HSI on the UV side.

Do the experts here ever see a time when the throttling will be removed, uncapped for all?

---

All speculation, but doing a swag I doubt that unlimited data will come back, if it dies it will be soft capped and cost quite a bit more.

[RicoLX]

Yep Spddemun you would think that BIG YELLOW would caitalize on the unlimited customers disgrunts that lost their plans at ATT.

But since Sprint is jumping on the iphone band wagon, there goes our alternative. I sure hope unlimited does come back

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

I have a feeling we'll have to sign our lives away to get it, 5-year contract or something, LOL!  But wingrider is probably right, it ain't going back to the way it used to be, ever.

[RicoLX]

Spdemun, nobody knows for if the unlimited is gone "forever" or not. Who knows , after att "finally" get their network up to 21st century standards (and finally get out of Steve Jobs'...) No one can say that att might bring unlimeted offer back later as a new offer when BiG BLUE and BIG RED may be in some other customer promo war in the future.

But for now, I still dont buy atts "reason" for discontinuing the offer as a customer survey result.... We know full well why. But I got unlimited and aint giving it up

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

---

spd2demun wrote:

I have a feeling we'll have to sign our lives away to get it, 5-year contract or something, LOL!  But wingrider is probably right, it ain't going back to the way it used to be, ever.

---

granted the fact that the unlimited plan being gone forever is just speculation, but the simple fact is the top tier providers - Verizon and ATT have dropped it for the old technology, after all there is decent ROI on investing in the aging technology - after all you don;t see companies like Intel investing in the Pentium 4 line for development anymore.

Suspect that Sprint will be going this route also - but then again marketing share would dictate that they need to have some type of draw to bring in new blood, their unlimited data plan would be that draw. If as rumors are going, Sprint does get the Iphone, then I can see them putting that phone on a limited data plan only, or at least having a premium priced unlimied data plan for it.

If and when a unlimited data plan comes back into the offering by the top two providers would not be surprised to see it offered at 50 to 60 a month with a hard written softcap of say 5gb, something like this has already been implemented by lower tier providers, you get the unlimited data plan but if you exceed 5gb they lock the data stream to email and mms messages.

Time will tell, but can forsee more and more restrictions on the current unlimited plans that are still in use by subscribers to ATT and Verizon. Would predict that at some point in time when a current grandfathered unlimited data plan user goes in and tries to upgrade to a phone that uses the new technology to be informed that the grand fathered plan no longer applies for this upgrade as a method of attrition for the plan, all perfectly within terms of service, since the user is agreeing to a new contract, they already do this when someone tries to transfer of billing to a new account, the granfathered plan will not transfer

[sangetheos]

I am not happy about this...

[RicoLX]

I agree with you, sangetheos. What is a double whammy is att buying tmo, so cant go there, and BIG YELLOW jumping on the sour-apple wagon, they too will drop unlimited (...tells you from the iphone release trend....everywhere iphonage goes, out went unlimited, boxed up and tucked away on the shelf..). Looks like the other carriers learned from atts mistakes by letting one device type dominate the network before they could even handle the load. And im not referring to data being streamed 24/7 or extreme usage.

Now that all major carriers will have the iphone. Nowhere to go but hold onto your unlimited if you have a grandpappy clause in your service.

[jachmar15]

I work on the road and out of town a lot.  The only reason i never switched to verizon was because of my unlimited data plan with ATT.  Now I am 15 days into my billing cycle, have used 9 gigs this month ( mostly face time calls for work and pandora) and my data has now been throttled.  So much for being my nations fastest network huh.  SpeedTest.net with great service out of 5 test the average was 0.16mbps up and 0.94mbps down.  ATT wants to deliver only half of what they promise but yet they want me to deliver my full bill.  Garbage! 

[RicoLX]

---

jachmar15 wrote:

I work on the road and out of town a lot.  The only reason i never switched to verizon was because of my unlimited data plan with ATT.  Now I am 15 days into my billing cycle, have used 9 gigs this month ( mostly face time calls for work and pandora) and my data has now been throttled.  So much for being my nations fastest network huh.  SpeedTest.net with great service out of 5 test the average was 0.16mbps up and 0.94mbps down.  ATT wants to deliver only half of what they promise but yet they want me to deliver my full bill.  Garbage! 

---

Jack, it is just another way to try and force unlimited users into a tiered structure. Is this your first notice? When did you receive it?

[jachmar15]

I got a notice a few weeks ago talking about if i was in the top 5% they would do it.  I got a message this past thursday saying i was approaching the top 5% then a message on friday saying my plan had been changed due to data usage.  I called and talked with them and yep, i have been throttled.  Funny thing is they cant tell me what the top 5% is.  Sounds like to me i am being singled out and discriminated against if you cant produce evidence that i am in the top 5%.  I didnt want to have to sit down and root this new phone but now im going to and if it works i will plug this phone up and stream 24/7.  Its not unlimited data if i cant even run face time or pandora without it cutting in and out and buffering constantly. 

[RicoLX]

---

jachmar15 wrote:

I got a notice a few weeks ago talking about if i was in the top 5% they would do it.  I got a message this past thursday saying i was approaching the top 5% then a message on friday saying my plan had been changed due to data usage.  I called and talked with them and yep, i have been throttled.  Funny thing is they cant tell me what the top 5% is.  Sounds like to me i am being singled out and discriminated against if you cant produce evidence that i am in the top 5%.  I didnt want to have to sit down and root this new phone but now im going to and if it works i will plug this phone up and stream 24/7.  Its not unlimited data if i cant even run face time or pandora without it cutting in and out and buffering constantly. 

---

Thats the whole controvercial part of the "new plan". ATT will not provide anyone with a monthly statement, online or on paper that proves you are of the top 5. Its like we have to take their word for it. For all we know, we can get hit any and every month, and still not k.ow for sure if we really were of tbe top 5 which would be great for att. No paper trail mean nothing to dispute and get a resolution. You would "think" att would put a better tangible audit trail in place so [Per Guidelines:  Keep it Relevant and Appropriate].

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

IIRC, all cell phone companies are throttling now, or they will be, so no escape.

And the new End Bill Shock move will be going into effect* (or maybe it already is?), so everyone will be advised ahead of time of pending overages.

edit--just saw on local news, *this will start in the next 12-18 mos.

This is a VOLUNTARY move by ATT and others, not a law.  And apparently you will be allowed to opt-out.

...AT&T Inc....and other major cellphone providers have agreed with U.S. regulators to begin sending alerts to customers who are approaching monthly voice, text or data limits, the Times reported.
There will also be an alert for international roaming charges...

[RicoLX]

  ..And the THROTTLE Choke Hold shall be

     stronger than that of the magical priests

  Cobras.....THIS plague shall sweep across

           ALL carriers throughout the land

,             the mighty........ and the small..

.....SO LET IT BE WRITTEN...

     

A R I S T I Z Z L E  THE GREAT!

[jachmar15]

Its ridiculous <sp>.  They have slowed me down so much that i cant even get on the Android market because the connection keeps timing out.  Called and talked with them for over an hour yesterday and the "account management" lady was very rude to me.  Good thing is that if it keeps up i will be opting out of my contract for a breech of terms so i wont be paying that termination fee.  Interesting side note, i talked with one of the tech guys and he told me that 90% of users use 1.5gigs or less a month and then 5% use around 2 gigs and the other 5% are the high volume users.  There flagging anything over 2 gigs and will be a year and a half before this issue is ever close to being resolved.

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

From what I've read, this all started because smartphone people were tethering without buying a tethering plan. 

[RicoLX]

---

spd2demun wrote:

From what I've read, this all started because smartphone people were tethering without buying a tethering plan. 

---

Yep that wasnt cool of the Tetherians who were doing so without paying for the option. But that is just one slice of the pie for the throttle choke hold.

[jachmar15]

The thethering had something to do with it but its not hard to tell who tethers and who doesnt.  Someone like me who uses there phone for work constantly and uses about 10 gigs a month isnt the same as someone who smokes through 60 gigs in a month tethering.  The lady even said they could look at my peek times and tell i wasnt doing it.  Its total garbage and further proof that att doest care about there customers. 

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

I wasn't implying that's what you were doing.

[jachmar15]

Oh i know you werent.  Its just crap that they can admitt they know your not doing something like that and still dont care.  Its just something that they can use as an excuse so the mindless drones out there will support there buyout of T-Mobile and say its a great idea because it will fix our speeds and it wont.  Lets say they set the cap at 4gigs as being the top 5%, everybody gets throttled and backs off some and only uses 3gigs and now thats the new 5%.  By saying the top 5% instead of setting a soft cap they can make this number whatever they want it to be.  5% of 90 million is only 4.5 millon.  So if the other 85.5 million customers are using less than 2gigs a month it should balance itself back out especially since all of its 90 million customers on the nations fastest network dont have data plans.  I cant even get on the market without my connection timing out now and these ATT people try to tell me theres no injustice happy.  YOUR DATA PLAN ISNT UNLIMITED IF YOU CANT USE THE DATA!!!!!!!!!!!

/rant