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

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

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4sskyrocket wrote:
AT&T is starting to feel some heat for thier actions.

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Suspect that the only reaction will be to remove throttling (big MAYBE. since it is legal per tos, aup, and fup that most people did not read when they signed) and sunset the plan by tieing it to the device, change devices plan is gone, justlike they did with the no data plan required for smartphone feature back in 2009.

The unlimited plan will be gone...that is the results of the "feel the heat" junk

[yozhbk]

I would understand if they started at 3GB it would make some what sense, and at 3GB drop us down to edge speeds not all the way down to nothing, but at 1.6GB and then to 0.009 speeds, thats insane, whats the point of having an LTE network ? Also there is no congestion on LTE network, thats the whole idea of LTE network..... I understand the backhauls might be congested, but if you are taking on new customers that means you are expecting room on your network for this people, other ways do not take new people on or manage network better.... but 1.6GB on an LTE network in NYC is just a slap in a face !

[sbacker07]

I agree.  AT&T and the rest of the industry markets these phones to us with all of these nice apps you can use and how fast the network is.  But then they try to tell us "use your home WiFi network as much as possible because you don't want to use our new super fast LTE network".  I signed up for an UNLIMITED data plan long ago, and I feel I have used a responsible amount of data (almost always under 3gb each month) which is at or under most carriers tiered data plans.  If they're throttling unlimited users below even 4-5gb I feel that is very wrong and should be stopped asap.  If they want to stop the guy tethering his laptop (without paying for that feature) pulling down 50-100gb a month, that's a bit more reasonable.  But to start dinging people for using their phones for what we were all told we should do with them, that's not good business at all.  I use my phone for web browsing, youtube videos, netflix, pandora, and facebook.  I use most of these features at work where a WiFi connection is not available. 

[stefandeseve]

Remember, they can throttle based on EITHER total data used in a billing period, OR if the daily usage exceeds the daily average top 5% of all other Unlimited data users. This month I was warned after watching a 20 minute you-tube video and then throttled after watching a 15 minute you-tube video 6 days later. Total data usage was only 2.6 GB.

File complaints with the FCC and the BBB.

Keep talking. They are taking heat now from news coverage.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2100467/Outrage-AT-T-smartphone-customers-limits-unlimited-d...

[n19htmare]

"

AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said that as of last summer, the top 5 percent of data users were using 2 gigabytes of data per month. But he also said the company doesn't actually throttle all of the top 5 percent "unlimited" data users. Last month, the figure was only 0.5 percent, or about 200,000 people, he said.

That's because AT&T only throttles users in areas where the wireless network is congested that month, Siegel said."

So in other words.............. you're more than likely gonna get throttled at 2GB or there abouts. 

Source: Front Page Yahoo News!!!! Let's get the word out there

http://news.yahoo.com/t-customers-surprised-unlimited-data-limit-080906861.html

[ash110883]

I am FURIOUS over this. This is a ridiculous gimmick to get everyone to sign up for tiered data plans. I've only used about 2GB for this cylce and am approaching the top 5%. It's complete crap! If I pay for this, I should get to use it. I haven't even approached the usage limit of their tiered plans. I don't want a tiered plan, and I should have to change to one to use my data. This is absolutely infuriating and is making me consider switching.

I should at the very least get to use 4GB if I should have to be slowed down at all, which I still wouldn't agree with. Also, is this 5% counting those on tiered plans? Ridiculous!

[yozhbk]

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/02/13/att-puts-limit-on-unlimited-data-plans-surprising-customer...

i hope more and more media outlets pick this up.... 

This is insane, how can they just do this???? How would ATT think that this is normal ? Specially with big LTE push, at speeds of 20Mbits I can eat up 2GB in less then 8 hours and most of the time its way over 20Mbits.... Its almost like they dont want customers, this strange moves by ATT just amaze me... 

[augidog]

when someone leans on the defense "i'm not doing anything illegal" it tells me that they know they're doing something wrong!

with news services finally picking this up, ATT will surely feel the heat...they've been wrongly relying on retail sales to bolster stock value...well, ATT, good luck selling new phones after people learn what kind of company you are. you may not like this, but it's possible you'll have to actually start selling service if you want to compete.

i'm on a "premium" data plan, and lemme tell you it's no walk in the park...you can't monitor your usage with reliability, which means your bill will go up another $10 before you know it did, OR it means you'll be mistakenly warned too early, and then you'll stop and get ripped off for unused data. and my gawd, who's gonna pay more fees for an add-on service when it's gonna run $100 to actually use it? the way these devices are marketed, showing people using everything and doing everything...ridiculous.

[BadBadLeroyBrown ACE - Guru]

I would call CS, or go into a store, and ask to speak to a higher level CS rep or someone in engineering. Something definitely is amiss with your account, but there might not be a visible flag that a low-level CSR might see.

[4sskyrocket]

Just thinking out loud. Some throttled users who have complained up the chain if command have been told that no one has the ability to override throttling once your account has been throttled. If that truly is the case the machines have taken over!!! I simply cannot believe no one has that ability or authority. Your situation and your trouble shooting have pinned it down to your account for sure. No hardware issues on your end. Maybe AT&T's machine has a secret black ball list....?

[Captain Quantum]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/02/13/att-unlimited-data-plan-limit_n_1272789.html

I see AT&T is starting to feel the burn of its customers heated dissatisfaction. No way, no how can they spin this to make any sane person think this is good biz practice. If their network is so bad that people using 2gb (or less) is putting a such a strain on their network then perhaps they should just own up to it! The way they rolled this new throttling policy out was just abysmally shortsighted. If they want me off my unlimited plan, fine...but pls just tell me the truth. Don't put me through your technical mumbo jumbo! I mean I'm kinda thinking the they are just looking for a way out of these plans. They are throttling people @<2gb but are happy to put you on the 3gb plan for the same price.

I'm going to see how this plays out, but have my eye on Verizon's 2x data deal all the while.

[n19htmare]

Hoping it gets picked up by the media too because this practice is insane!

I have a 1.5 (to and from work) hour commute M-F. I stream SPotify/Google Music and can easily burn 100MB a day JUST from my commute times that by 20 days a week I commute. There goes 2GB right there.

If they are going to set a limit.....give us the details!!!! we at least deserve that much.

T-mobile at least tells you that you'll be throttled at 5GB. I'll take 5GB limit!

[sbacker07]

I'm not sure what's going on.  I have a case # with the highest level of tech support.  I called today to see if there was any progress and the only thing they could tell me is it was in the "solving" phase, whatever that means.  One of the upper level techs I spoke with yesterday thought there may be an issue with how my phone is communicating with the towers and there was a switchbox that needed to be reset.  I'm not sure how much merit there is to this as it doesn't seem very likely that is the issue as I have gone through many other areas and definitely connected to different towers and the issue doesn't subside. 

I've also been bugging them to refund my $30 data fee for this month as well since my service is not working correctly.  They're trying to say that I still got 2gb of data usage this month and a full refund wouldn't be possible.  My thoughts on the matter are that they have not been able to fix the issue, and it is an inconvenience to me not only not having the data connection I am pay for, but having to deal with customer service agents who cannot tell me what is wrong.  I have been told by multiple customer service agents in every department, including at the store level, that I am not being throttled and my account is not even being looked into for abnormal data usage. 

[ipplanman]

After you do this, be sure to drop by AT&T's Public Policy Twitter Feed where you can leave them a nice courtesy tweet that you did: @ATTPublicPolicy http://twitter.com/ATTPublicPolicy

This process is very easy to do, takes just a couple of minutes, and I've laid out the basis for the complaint to each agency below for you.

Be sure to write to BOTH the FTC and FCC....

For the FTC: http://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

For "unlimited" data plan customers, AT&T has provided no proof of the accuracy of its internal bandwidth meters, and thus there is no consumer-transparent basis under which this "top 5%" throttling practice is determined and implemented. The FTC needs to investigate this as it is a deceptive business practice in which a plan is marketed as "unlimited" but is throttled to the point of useless (as the video shows) with no clearly defined criteria based on users who can travel frequently from region to region.

The idea of a "market" being based on your "address" is an unfair business practice. When someone travels from NYC to LA, etc. there's no way to label them a top 5% user based on a specific region as AT&T appears to be doing. How can AT&T even claim this? Does the so-called congestion travel with a customer?

Aside from there being no proof of congestion in the first place, there's no way to know if AT&T is really doing the "top 5%"... make AT&T prove it.

AT&T is deceptively marketing an "unlimited" data plan which is throttled to effectively useless speeds based on video evidence. You can point the FTC to this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW5aEQzTcW0

This complaint also applies to the tiered data offerings: that's another reason to ensure that these usage meters are accurate. Who's checking this? No one I'll bet... Why would they?

All the more reason for the FTC to make AT&T come clean on this.

As for the FCC: http://www.fcc.gov/complaints

Select "Wireless Telephone"

Select "Deceptive or unlawful advertising or marketing by a communications company (does NOT include Telemarketing)"

You will fill out "Form 2000A - Deceptive or Unlawful Advertising and Promotion Complaint"

The complaint has the same basis as the one you made to the FTC. AT&T is deceptively marketing an "unlimited" data plan which is throttled to useless speeds based on video evidence. You can point the FCC to the YouTube video above.

You can submit this form to the FCC online or on paper.

That's all. Very simple to do.

Make our voices heard!

[4sskyrocket]

5gb was the top of unlimited untill someone decided to cut it in half and go against what is written.

Please read; If you are on a data plan that does not include a monthly MB/GB allowance and additional data usage rates, you agree that AT&T has the right to impose additional charges if you use more than 5 GB in a month; provided that, prior to the imposition of any additional charges, AT&T shall provide you with notice and you shall have the right to terminate your Data Service.

[4sskyrocket]

Don't forget the State Attorney Generals office. Like Wingrider pointed out BBB and FCC do not have the power needed.

[ipplanman]

Good thoughts...

After you contact them, be sure to drop by AT&T's Public Policy Twitter Feed where you can leave AT&T a nice courtesy tweet that you filed the complaints: @ATTPublicPolicy http://twitter.com/ATTPublicPolicy

[mercdizzle]

All you people talking about this is for the 5% or bandwidth hogs, or for those in the triple digits in usage are full of it. My wife and I are both being throttled on LTE, just after 2GB of data use. Time to switch to Sprint.

[formercanuck]

I had my line (3G throttled at 2GB over the past 2 months, and restored at start of billing cycle).

Since AT&T claims that the throtting bar is limited to the top 5%, and that bar has 'dropped' to 2GB due to throttling (CS told me it won't go below 2GB), we must (as the 5%) attempt to 'raise the bar' by disabling WiFi  after being throttled to attempt to bring the cap to a more sane usage.

[4sskyrocket]

Mercdizzle, don't run to Sprint. Stay here and make a difference.

[yozhbk]

I have to say this is somewhat funny to me now.... I switched from iPhone to Skyrocket to get LTE, because in NYC iPhone was not usable at all.... LTE is great, and all of a sudden now this ? Here is 20Mbits+ download, but yeah you can’t use it only until 2GB,  but yeah its unlimited.....  ? 

Are ATT employees do not use phones for data ? What’s is 2GB this days ? How is it the phones functionality is getting more and more advance and is being more and more dependent on the "cloud" but data allowance is getting less and less ????

1.6GB I cant use more then 1.6GB of my data, we are not allowed to have WIFI at my job, so what am I supposed to do ? Why am I paying for unlimited and its very much limited.... 

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

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4sskyrocket wrote:
Don't forget the State Attorney Generals office. Like Wingrider pointed out BBB and FCC do not have the power needed.

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/rofl go for it, suspect that the outcome will not be exactly what you are thinkig it will be - remember the last discussion on "cheaper data" and how that turned out - suspect you will not be very happy with the results this time either.

find it interesting that people are complaining about something that they would hav been aware of if they just actually read what they where agreeing to when they put thier John Hancock unders words that pretyy well saya " I have fully read and I fully understand the stated terms of agreement and will accept them and their restrictions"  Would be surprised that any politican would get involved with something like this, especially given the amount fo corproate money that is added to their super pac funding for election.

[mercdizzle]

Sprint is rolling out LTE in San Antonio here in the next few months.  If they still offer unlimited on their LTE network, I'm gone!  They'll also have the galaxy nexus on their LTE network.  Crapping all over ATT.

[mercdizzle]

So double your equipment upgrade fee and throttle my unlimited after 2gb of data. That will REALLY entice me to stay with AT&T! Geniuses!

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

And once they get overloaded, they'll be doing similar throttling, just wait.

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mercdizzle wrote:

Sprint is rolling out LTE in San Antonio here in the next few months.  If they still offer unlimited on their LTE network, I'm gone!  They'll also have the galaxy nexus on their LTE network.  Crapping all over ATT.

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[txsnafu]

Taken from a story on Yahoo today...

AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said that as of last summer, the top 5 percent of data users were using 2 gigabytes of data per month. But he also said the company doesn't actually throttle all of the top 5 percent "unlimited" data users. Last month, the figure was only 0.5 percent, or about 200,000 people, he said.

That's because AT&T only throttles users in areas where the wireless network is congested that month, Siegel said.

Verizon doesn't slow down the "5 percent" unless the cell tower their phone is connected to is congested at that moment, and it slows them down by the minimum amount necessary. By contrast, once AT&T has decided to throttle your phone, it will be slow for the rest of the billing cycle, even if it's 3 a.m. and there are no other cellphones competing for the capacity of that particular cell tower.

Verizon's measures have drawn few complaints, and indeed, may have gone unnoticed even by the "5 percent."

[Per Guidelines:  Keep it Relevant and Appropriate].. The company is still providing unlimited data usage to throttled customers, even if the speeds are so low as to make the phone useless for anything but phone calls and text messages. The company made no promises that "unlimited" data would always be coupled with high speeds, he notes.

[mercdizzle]

Pfft.  Their network is already congested.  Still no throttling.  

[4sskyrocket]

I keep reading posts stating we signed and agreed to 2 gb throttling. I can't see it in the contract please someone show me.......


If you are on a data plan that does not include a monthly MB/GB allowance and additional data usage rates, you agree that AT&T has the right to impose additional charges if you use more than 5 GB in a month; provided that, prior to the imposition of any additional charges, AT&T shall provide you with notice and you shall have the right to terminate your Data Service.

[Dellman87]

There is a way - but with rooted phones and flashed roms from XDA.

[4sskyrocket]

To those of you thinking my 2gb is excessive....AT&T determined >5gb was excessive. I have been with AT&T for over 30 years including my home phone and dsl. I do not plan on leaving and I am not angry. It is just not right to attempt to squeeze your customers into other plans in this manner.