I understand the speed throttle but this is UNACCEPTABLE.

[lll1424]

I am so frustrated. I have used 5.5 gigs of data and got throttled today and now my phone is useless. I can basically only make calls and check e-mail. I accepted my speed being decreased but this is UNACCEPTABLE. I didn't expect my speed to be killed off completely.

I called ATT and they offered me a 4 gig tiered plan. Here's the catch. I will have to pay for going over my data even if I was unlimited since I'll be changing.

REALLY?! Is there a higher department we can contact besides Customer support? This isn't right. I have an iPhone 4s that basically doesn't work.

[Nolan75]

You think that there was something in the contract when we got unlimited data well there wasn't 6 years ago when I got it. It was to load web pages an not go over the cap back then keeping it safe so my bill would be manageable. An then it was way over paying for peace of mind. So I don't want here AT&T wining about the fact that they couldn't for see that people would use the tech that they sell an offer. Now they a slapping people in the face and trying bait a switch your account again like the did with Cingular. Do you all remember when they tried make you pay a new start up fee when the merged together. That was a joke just like this sham there pulling now.

[rsamuel1181]

I am a victim of throttling too. This is true cheating from at&t. The fact is they just can't handle the explosive smartphone/3G tab growth. And what else is easier and cheaper for them than losing the top 5% of data users and continue to tell the 95% and the rest of the world about the faked "unlimited" data plan.

The term "unlimited" is purely fake and implausible from at&t. Walmart-TMobile $30 plan seems to be the cheapest for what it offers. BUT WAIT...

Don't let these folks go if their original intention is to smoke out top 5% (who knows) data users like us and continue to fake an "unlimited" plan. I just filed a complaint with FCC after reading through posts like this. Its a pretty simple form - only needs your name, address, phone no., carrier name and type in your Complaint. Thats it.

Only when many consumers express a concern, the authorities will feel the urge to really dig into what is going on. Because at&t is not the only "fake" dude around, which keeps them busy.

[johninsj]

This only impacts those on a grandfathered plan that isn't offered or advertised since before the iPhone4.

The terms on that plan can change at any time, you have no contract for the data plan, only the voice plan.

[jjadkisson]

/bumb

I've now used 10.2 GB on At&t and they're throttling me.

any ideas to get them to stop?

[drumn_bass]

Hi jjadkisson,

The only way you can get "them" to stop it by using less data. You will be throttled after 3GB on 3G or 5GB on LTE.

d.

[sandblaster]

---

@drumn_bass wrote:

Hi jjadkisson,

The only way you can get "them" to stop it by using less data. You will be throttled after 3GB on 3G or 5GB on LTE.

d.

---

Or switch to a tiered data plan or mobile share. None of those plans are throttled.

[mike_dallas]

Wrong!!!!

I am also on the unlimited plan and last time I checked trying to force you into a different plan when you've been paying for unlimited the  plan is unethical and probably illegal. Don't be complaisant  and let AT&T bully you into a new plan. Complain to the FCC. And keep complaining to AT&T. 

[wingrider01]

---

@mike_dallas wrote:

Wrong!!!!

I am also on the unlimited plan and last time I checked trying to force you into a different plan when you've been paying for unlimited the  plan is unethical and probably illegal. Don't be complaisant  and let AT&T bully you into a new plan. Complain to the FCC. And keep complaining to AT&T. 

---

they are not trying to "force you" to a different plan, they are enforcing terms of service and fair use policies that have been in effect since the plan was introduced. Well within their rights, works both ways on the discountinued plan.

There is a pretty good chance that soon the plan will be sunseted anyway, maybe the way Verizon is getting rid of their discontinued unlimited data - have the plan and want to get a subsidized phone - then switch to the shared data plan, want to keep the discontinued unlimited plan they pay full retail price for the phone and you can keep it.

The discontnued plan needs to be sunsetted and removed from service completly, just like they did when they removed the ability to have a smartphone with no data plan back in 2009 - get rid of the device that the feature was on, the flag for no data is removed. They need to do the same thing with this feature, it would stop a lot of the complaints.

Live with it, unlimited data plans are going away, the throttling of the discontinued plan will not go away. either self- police your usage and keep it below the triggers of 3GB fo 3GS and 5GB for LTE or get throttled.

[GeekBoy]

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@wingrider01 wrote:

...

either self- police your usage and keep it below the triggers of 3GB fo 3GS and 5GB for LTE or get throttled.

---

... or switch to a metered or shared data plan which doesn't have throttling, but you pay for your usage.

[SLIKRICK]

I consider myself a pretty heavy user. I use the maps app just about every day (I'm in real estate, so I'm always driving to different properties), plus I'm constantly surfing the web, texting, emailing and sending and receiving pictures, etc. I regularly run my battery down I do these things so much so much on the fly. Obviously, I use WiFi too, when I'm home, at the office or its otherwise available.

28 days into my cycle my usage is less than 500 MB. Actually, I won't even hit 500 because, to be exact, its at 442 MB right now.

Personally, I can't fathom what someone would have to do in order to use 5GB of cellular data in one month.

[sandblaster]

---

@SLIKRICK wrote:

I consider myself a pretty heavy user. I use the maps app just about every day (I'm in real estate, so I'm always driving to different properties), plus I'm constantly surfing the web, texting, emailing and sending and receiving pictures, etc. I regularly run my battery down I do these things so much so much on the fly. Obviously, I use WiFi too, when I'm home, at the office or its otherwise available.

28 days into my cycle my usage is less than 500 MB. Actually, I won't even hit 500 because, to be exact, its at 442 MB right now.

Personally, I can't fathom what someone would have to do in order to use 5GB of cellular data in one month.

---

Streaming video and/or downloading video files (like movies from Itunes) is the only thing I can think of that would burn that much data in a month.

[GeekBoy]

---

@SLIKRICK wrote:

... 

Personally, I can't fathom what someone would have to do in order to use 5GB of cellular data in one month.

---

Well, I took my wife off to a seminar one day and waited there for her.  I took a short nap, then I played a few games, then I watched 2-3 hours of Netflix (using cellular data on an iPhone 4) and I managed to use about 1.2GB that entire month.  I know that when Apple first released their "Podcasts" app, I had it set to use cellular data, and I managed to use about 1.8GB in a month because the app would download new podcast episodes while I was driving (rather than queue them up off-line when it was connected to wifi).  I guess I'm saying that streaming any kind of media is an easy way to use large amounts of data.  I hate to think what iTunes Match would do to data usage....

[Mat90291]

Did you know on iMessage you use over 1mg pee text? Pandora radio uses data. Games use data. It adds up if you watch movies too. And if you start ayoutube clip and only watch some of it, a lot of times you've already loaded the whole thing.

[gphipps]

You're saying a simple text message via imessage uses 1MB of data? Seems way high to me. If you're sending pictures, easily, but simple text? How did you determine this?

[mendomar012]

I have used 2.5 gigs in about 7 days