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Rural_Life_Pete's profile

Contributor

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Tuesday, December 27th, 2016 2:25 AM

Using Hotspot with an Unlimited Wireless Plan

Living in a rural area in upstate NY I'm obviously a candidate for a product like a cellular hotspot.

What is the reason that AT&T does not allow a customer to use a hotspot with an unlimited plan?

Is it a marketing plan to keep control of data usage or is it a technical issue that prevents AT&T from being able to manage more data usage over their existing network?  

AT&T's Wireless Home Phone & Internet looks like a product that would adaquetly work but the data plans do not seem like a good value.  To me, as consumer, this looks a way to control data and make more money.  Also 2 year contracts are a thing of the past.  

Thanks Rural_Life_Pete

 

 

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

7 years ago


@DecimateClout wrote:
This is no different than telling home Internet customers they have to buy a service to use a wireless router and pay per device connected to it.

So it's like cable TV, where you need a box per TV (device) and pay for each one.

 

@DecimateClout wrote:
Point is, blocking, throttling, or penalizing customers for using a feature if the hardware they own and using the data they are buying, simply so they are forced to purchase other services from you, is unethical and illegal.

If you buy a fixed amount of data, AT&T lets you tether it; if you want the unlimited spout of data you agree to not tether it and use it per device. This is a choice that you make between the services.

 

100GB of data without tethering is $100. 100GB without tethering is $450. You decide what it's worth to you.

 


@DecimateClout wrote:
I recently had to buy the att unlimited data plan because att was unable to honor the contract I had with them with my uverse and dtv bundle. 

AT&T does not require you to be their customer. You are not forced to buy unlimited data from them. It's not like they won't sell you metered data....

 

 

 

 

 

Tutor

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5 Messages

7 years ago

That is not an accurate comparison, as I will be using the data that I buy.
Not sharing the data with other individuals. Your comparison is equivalent
of going to said buffet and being required to buy a service to have eating
utensiles. I bought my device, I own it, just as I own it's ability to
allow other devices to connect to it. You use a smart watch? That's
tethering. Fit bit? Tethering, Apple watch? Tethering. It's using your
devices Internet connection. Connect a laptop to write a report? Well,
that's also tethering.

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

7 years ago

@DecimateClout

The Apple Watch, and fit bit do not use data and are connected by bluetooth. They are mirroring a device.   You can mirror a phone on a big screen, but that is also not tethering as it requires a common wifi connection to make it work.  (FYI, I have an ASUS zen watch.  It is Bluetooth connected, just like a speaker.  Is uses no data)

 A smartwatch is required to have its own data plan and is not using data from another device.  Customers who have unlimited data plans and want to add a smart watch are required to add a $10 device and a $30 data plan to a grandfathered plan.  

 

The analogy of all you can eat buffet is exactly right.  Each device = an individual on an all you can use plan.   

One phone can use all it wants on an unlimited data plan.

One person can eat all they want at an all you can eat buffet.

In neither case is sharing allowed.

 

ACE - Expert

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16.5K Messages

7 years ago


@DecimateClout wrote:
That is not an accurate comparison, as I will be using the data that I buy.
Not sharing the data with other individuals. 

No, you're sharing it with other devices. Devices capable of using data withour your intervention. 

 

Your comparison is equivalent
of going to said buffet and being required to buy a service to have eating
utensiles.

It's really not...

 

But even if it was, it's your choice if you want to go to that buffer.

 

You know, I think most people see the point you are attempting to make, but that's not the agreement you make when you choose an unlimited data plan. 

 

What it comes down to is your way is not the way AT&T wants to do this. AT&T is a-okay with you choosing not to buy their service. 

 

You use a smart watch? That's
tethering. Fit bit? Tethering, Apple watch? Tethering. It's using your
devices Internet connection. Connect a laptop to write a report? Well,
that's also tethering.

So you're comparing the amount of data a watch uses to connecting a laptop? 

 

If you want to get technical, an Apple Watch is not the same as tethering as it doesn't require the hotspot function to be activated.

 

Here's the thing, I tether. I'd be more than happy to get unlimited data and get free tethering (so if you win and change the industry, I win too!), but I do understand it does NOT work that way. It's pretty simple actually. 

 

 

Tutor

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5 Messages

7 years ago

Methods of tethering other than a WiFi Hotspot include USB and Bluetooth. So, by that definition, connecting one device to another by one of those methods is not tethering. Well, problem solved. Ya know, att could make a ton of money by extending uverse service or at least DSL to rural customers. The only option in my area is Hughes net and mobile data. I spent days on the phone with att because their service area falls just short of my area and I wanted to find out where the closest CO or RT was and see about the possibility of a loop repeater. I got sebt from call center to call center... hour long phone calls, only to give up and cancel my uverse service and buy their mobile data plan. Drive through my area and see the Hughes net dishes... there is money to be made here.

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

7 years ago


@DecimateClout wrote:
Methods of tethering other than a WiFi Hotspot include USB and Bluetooth. So, by that definition, connecting one device to another by one of those methods is not tethering.
Because it uses no additional data.  The word "tethering" is incorrect/inaccurate when mirroring with Bluetooth.  I can use Bluetooth to speakers, my Zenwatch or mirror to a big screen.  None of these uses any more data than I would already on my phone for that activity.    That's completely different from Connecting a computer to the hotspot on my phone which will use far more data and directly from the computer because the tethered device is using the data, not my phone.  
Well, problem solved. Ya know, att could make a ton of money by extending uverse service or at least DSL to rural customers.   DSL is dead or dying.  It's lousy service, expensive to maintain.  Carriers are discontinuing it any way they can.  
 The only option in my area is Hughes net and mobile data.   We know satellite is lousy and cellular is expensive.  That is the way it is until new technologies fill in.  Hopefully it will.
I spent days on the phone with att because their service area falls just short of my area and I wanted to find out where the closest CO or RT was and see about the possibility of a loop repeater. I got sebt from call center to call center... hour long phone calls, only to give up and cancel my uverse service and buy their mobile data plan. Drive through my area and see the Hughes net dishes... there is money to be made here.

 

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