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AT&T CEO's "Only Regret" is Offering Unlimited Data Packages

Stevamundo

Stevamundo

macrumors 6502
May 18, 2008
283
0
So probably a billionaire (or at least a millionaire) is "laying awke at nights" worrying about imessage? POOR GUY!

OK everybody, send your checks to this poor guy. Obviously he needs more money to survive. I'M GOING TO FREAKIN THROW UP!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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derickdub

macrumors 6502
Mar 13, 2011
317
0
VA
conartist4u said:
true that... logical post apart from the fact that your messaging alone is a cause of their worries unless of course you have all you can eat data :)
Click to expand...

I got rid of unlimited messaging the day I could. Only saved me money, so why not? Kind of ironic really, since AT&T is claiming unlimited data was costing them yet they're getting less out of me by getting rid of it.
 
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Flitzy

Guest
Oct 20, 2010
215
0
Disrupting revenue because of iMessage and Skype?

Um, HELLO. You're getting a consistent payment EVERY MONTH from the user.

Personally, I'm glad I went over to Sprint. I couldn't be happier with them! :)
 
S

SirHaakon

macrumors 6502a
Jun 14, 2007
763
6
rjohnstone said:
You think Apple is being civil?
They're exploiting their customer's loyalty by charging as much as humanly possible for their products and then sticking it to the service providers by demanding high subsidies.
Trust me on this... Apple will see the carriers begin to revolt on the subsidy very soon.
If the data is correct, the ROI on each subsidized phone will hit negative territory in the next year. Carriers will have no reason to offer them at that point.
Apple will be forced to drop the subsidy requirements or lower the retail price.
A popular phone is meaningless if the carrier can't make money off of it.
Click to expand...
I made no comments about Apple, only AT&T.

The carriers may choose not to carry Apple products if they do not wish to pay the subsidies, no one is forcing them.
 
conartist4u

conartist4u

macrumors regular
May 4, 2012
149
1
Lima Peru
derickdub said:
I got rid of unlimited messaging the day I could. Only saved me money, so why not? Kind of ironic really, since AT&T is claiming unlimited data was costing them yet they're getting less out of me by getting rid of it.
Click to expand...

So it was true, you being on an unlimited plan. Now they want you to believe having you on the plan is their sacrifice, lest do they know consumers are sharpening their axes to get back at an innocent ploy to win their hearts over by you know who.
glad you saw the light, wifi it is :D
 
M

Macboy Pro

macrumors 6502a
Feb 16, 2011
730
52
Wow look at all the classy people flaming this guy. He was being honest AND he is correct. Clearly he understands business which is why AT&T is extremely successful.

oh, and I love hearing the folks who are switching to Sprint because they are being throttled :) LOL You are going to Sprint so you can be throttled ALL THE TIME?

This forum is full of brilliant folks...
 
MrXiro

MrXiro

macrumors 68040
Nov 2, 2007
3,850
599
Los Angeles
I like that there was an At&t ad banner at the bottom of my window... :p

I really wish one of these companies made a fair all data and voice VOIP plan. Or just allowed a all data plan that allowed you to use google voice. Since that's the only number I give out now anyway.
 
kdarling

kdarling

macrumors P6
Jun 9, 2007
17,373
5,924
First university coding class = 47 years ago
1984 said:
I guess that makes you a troll then. I suppose you think 20 cents a text (the equivalent of $1,310 per megabyte) is perfectly reasonable? Didn't think so. Cry me a river.
Click to expand...

A popular but totally incorrect analogy.

A text is not the equivalent of sending data out over the internet. For one thing, it's not charged by the byte. It's the same price whether you send just one character or the SMS limit. For another, it requires the use of quite a few carrier resources that data does not, including the need for store-and-forward.

A text is not a data connection. It is a very short phone call and thus is billed that way, usually starting at 10 cents a minute minimum... or less if you've made a deal.
 
C

cmwade77

macrumors 65816
Nov 18, 2008
1,071
1,200
derickdub said:
They were the cheapest of the big carriers for sometime, still don't know if they are. That's being competitive to me. All of the major phone companies are just as guilty as AT&T of "nickel and diming".
Click to expand...

Huh? What world do you live in?
AT&T offers no unlimited data, their plans are sky high, etc.

T-Mobile offers unlimited everything starting at $35 per line (two line minimum), yes they have throttling, but you can pay a little extra to get more high speed bandwidth. That being said, even when throttle my wife's Android phone has a faster data connection on T-Mobile than mine does when not throttled on AT&T.

Sprint has lower priced plans than AT&T, so does Verizon.

Of course, then you look at the prepaid market like Straight Talk and you can get even cheaper (and have all taxes included).

I still maintain that a nationwide Wi-Max (or some equivalent) network and phones that can connect to it could be a viable and inexpensive alternative though.
 
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damage00

macrumors member
Mar 3, 2008
32
0
Oh...

...cry me a [______] river.

Maybe he needs better business models? Maybe he needs to do his homework? Maybe he needs to refer his customers to Sprint? Maybe he needs to step down if he's not getting enough sleep.

And CISPA will let this guy listen to my phone calls and read my texts...?! I'll be damned if that's allowed to happen. (Find and write to your senators to stop it.)
 
S

SDub90

macrumors 6502a
Nov 9, 2009
685
3
Long Island
As much as I don't like what he said.... I can't blame him.

If they had started with $30 for 2GB plans, we'd still be paying it without complaining until a worth while competitor came along with a truly unlimited data plan for the same device and performance.
 
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Daveoc64

macrumors 601
Jan 16, 2008
4,074
92
Bristol, UK
kdarling said:
A text is not the equivalent of sending data out over the internet. For one thing, it's not charged by the byte. It's the same price whether you send just one character or the SMS limit. For another, it requires the use of quite a few carrier resources that data does not, including the need for store-and-forward.

A text is not a data connection. It is a very short phone call and thus is billed that way, usually starting at 10 cents a minute minimum... or less if you've made a deal.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but this is just nonsense.

A text message is not "a very short phone call". SMS was designed to utilise a part of the GSM system that wasn't able to carry any useful data.

60 SMS, each sent a second apart would not use the same amount of capacity on the network as a one minute phone call.

I'm not shocked to hear that the US still has per minute billing though - itself another rip off.
 
VanNess

VanNess

macrumors 6502a
Mar 31, 2005
929
186
California
Speaking at a conference this week, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson noted that he only had one regret about AT&T being the first cellular carrier to support the iPhone. As reported by the New York Times:
Since then, AT&T has discontinued offering unlimited data plans to new customers, as well as throttling users who have been grandfathered in from older plans.
Click to expand...

Ya Randy, you the man! Who wants to invest capitol anyway? That's for suckers!

You get millions of new subscribers? Take the money and run baby!!!
 
M

mac.cali

macrumors 65816
Mar 16, 2012
1,448
368
This guy is an idiot!! I'm so glad I ditched AT&T. Verizon at times can be frustrating with their slower 3G speeds. However when he says ****** like this makes me so glad I'm not an AT&T customer.
 
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SirHaakon

macrumors 6502a
Jun 14, 2007
763
6
kdarling said:
Okay, it's Friday. I'm happy. I'll bite :)

How is bandwidth at the cell or backhaul not a finite resource?
Click to expand...
It is not possible to use it up to the point that none exists, like a physical resource. We can't ever "run out" of it like water or oil.

What is limited are the structures that provide it, and certainly the demands for it are ever increasing (and it costs money to provide it). But it's incorrect to say that bandwidth itself is a resource that is will deplete over time with continued use. It's an infinite resource with limited means to access it.
 
Mr. F

Mr. F

macrumors newbie
Mar 29, 2011
15
0
el a
Only 3.5 billion dollars profit this quarter!
... how will they ever manage to get by?

Greedy! Greedy! Greedy!

Why not take say a billion or two of that and invest it in improving their lousy system instead. Who knows, maybe they'd get more customers out of it. This guy has his head straight up where the sun don't shine. Yet another "business leader" leading us out of the first world.
 
M

Macboy Pro

macrumors 6502a
Feb 16, 2011
730
52
cmwade77 said:
Huh? What world do you live in?
AT&T offers no unlimited data, their plans are sky high, etc.

T-Mobile offers unlimited everything starting at $35 per line (two line minimum), yes they have throttling, but you can pay a little extra to get more high speed bandwidth. That being said, even when throttle my wife's Android phone has a faster data connection on T-Mobile than mine does when not throttled on AT&T.

Sprint has lower priced plans than AT&T, so does Verizon.

Of course, then you look at the prepaid market like Straight Talk and you can get even cheaper (and have all taxes included).

I still maintain that a nationwide Wi-Max (or some equivalent) network and phones that can connect to it could be a viable and inexpensive alternative though.
Click to expand...


And you think AT&T and T-Mobile are equal carriers? If so, WHAT WORLD ARE YOU LIVING IN? Coverage, speed, etc? Please.


Do you complain when Apple charges you a 50% premium so they can build up their $100B bank account? Probably not. The Hypocrisy in this forum is incredible.
 
conartist4u

conartist4u

macrumors regular
May 4, 2012
149
1
Lima Peru
how quickly we strayed away from the topic at hand. the CEO just said he had one regret only, was that not justified? I guess it was the only reason for variance that was attributed by the business analysts who surveyed the operational financials and gave their only reasoning. Now we talk about gsm architecture and how AT&T sucks in ways that Sprint does'nt. Let's hear it for T-Mobile.
 
derbothaus

derbothaus

macrumors 601
Jul 17, 2010
4,093
30
Whah effing whah! No one would want to be on your network without the iPhone. Only regret was not understanding how to screw users from the get-go. If you don't have the infrastructure you don't get to sell the phone. Pretty simple. What a cry baby. I am sick of the corporate sympathy card they keep playing. Even reading these comments. Look at all the corporate sympathizers. Like I give a ****. They exist for one thing. To sell you stuff. If they stop giving you value, you stop buying. You don't get all emotional over their existence. *** em. The entire cell industry model is absurd and frankly I can't understand how people let contracts and the like even slide to begin with.
 
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