AT&T to Restrict or Charge for FaceTime Over 3G/4G in iOS 6? [Updated With AT&T Statement]

Skullbussa said:

ATT is a bottom-tier carrier that is famous for fleecing its less-informed customers. What did you expect from them?

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It's a business. They want to make money, and given the popularity of iOS devices, I understand what they are trying to do.
Consider also that these are rumors.

Spectrum Abuser said:

And on AT&T you pay $10 per phone to be added to the Family Plan and buy a data plan. Period.

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https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1406293/

yea.

mantan said:

People actually use FaceTime? The novelty wore off for me the first week...

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I use it everyday.

This is really getting out of hand. Consumers can't even speak with their wallets anymore because once one carrier gets wind of the idea most follow suit. Someone needs to step in because we are currently looking at a world run by nickel and dimin evil execs ... oh wait. :/

Seriously though, this is getting out of hand. Data is data...

Edit: I don't even use facetime but its the principal. First it started with tethering charges, which still doesn't make sense. In a few years, half the features on our already EXPENSIVE devices will be pay per use!

doelcm82 said:

If AT&T wanted to build a cell tower in your back yard, wouldn't you want them to pay you for the privilege? Or would you just say "go ahead, it' a free country"?

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Bad analogy. They would be paying to use land that I own. I am paying them to use their data. Not to use data for certain features.

If we were to follow your faulty logic, then I would charge them for building a cell tower and charging them separately to use it for calls, separately to use it for texts, and separately to use it for anything else.

Your analogy is all wrong.

I pay for data. Customers own a certain amount of data per month. It is theirs, they bought it. They should use it the way they want.

Charging to use data a specific way is utter bull crap, especially since the feature is not AT&T's. They did not create the feature, they did not invent it or do anything with it. It was all Apple. It just uses data.

So based on the logic you are attempting to use, you feel it is OK for AT&T to make you pay a separate fee to stream Netflix and another fee to get on the Facebook app?

I hope you see how ridiculous your argument is.

Just to show you even more, the whole logic your argument follows would mean that you can go to any restaurant and buy a burger. Then the restaurant should charge you a fee to allow you to eat the burger you paid for. Then if you don't eat it all, they can charge you another fee to throw it away.

Everything you have been saying just leads to a decrease in freedom. Charging a fee to use a specific application on your phone is just the beginning. When does it stop?

doelcm82 said:

You have the freedom to not use FaceTime. You have the freedom to move your account to another carrier. If you can find a better deal, that's what you should do.

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I have the freedom to use FaceTime because I bought and now own a device that has that capability. I also bought data, so I should have the freedom to use that data with whatever feature I want. Not pay separately for each individual feature or application.

doelcm82 said:

Your nostalgia for a freer country in the past is misguided. Old-timers will tell you that real freedom was when we didn't carry personal communication devices on us at all times. And we used the POTS phones in our homes sparingly because long distance was ridiculously expensive. Less than twenty years ago, access to the Internet was something you paid for by the hour, and it was so slow it could barely handle pictures, much less video.

Face Time in those days meant you were standing only a few feet away from each other.

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I have already explained how are you wrong in just about everything you have said. Now you are just ranting about how you don't care about freedom anymore.

Well guess what, some Americans still want freedom. Not every citizen needs a baby-sitter.

Lte

TimeArrow said:

Look up.

3G Unrestrictor let you facetime over 3G natively!

Great ATT! Another reason to jailbreak iOS6.

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Works fantastically over Att's Lte network in Atlanta.

Amazing Iceman said:

So what's the problem? They love to intervene, so if they are going to do it sooner or later, why not do it sooner?
I'm not in favor or against the government, but if they love to regulate certain business behaviors and practices, let them do their job!

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But it's not their job. They forgot what their actual job was long ago.

SPUY767 said:

But it's not their job. They forgot what their actual job was long ago.

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True. And while they think is their job, let's keep them busy!

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LostSoul80 said:

It's a business. They want to make money, and given the popularity of iOS devices, I understand what they are trying to do.
Consider also that these are rumors.

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So you'll also tell me that it's also a business to sell a 12 oz. bottle of drinking water for $10 in a disaster zone?

It could be a business, but it doesn't mean it's right or legal.

It's just data

I think some of us have lost track of the fundamentals.

You bought data.

You're using the data legally.

You're not hacking the network with the device.
You should be able to use the data that you purchased-
and if you use more data you get charged. You shouldn't be charged for how you use the Bytes if it be tethering, FaceTime, Netflix, or Facebook.

They're trying to brainwash you to think that the data you purchased isn't yours and it you should be charged for the services you use as well, this is been a scheme in play for the last 5 to 10 years. Seek Net neutrality.

Question: Can this change legally affect those of us who signed their contracts before AT&T even thought of doing this, that is if they did think of doing this?

JohnDoe98 said:

Why should we have to add a second data plan for Apps? If we already have a data plan and are happy to use it's allocated data, charing anything more is too much.

So you are going to pay 1$ for Emails,
2$ for Safari,
5$ for iCloud music,
7$ for FaceTime....


That's your idea of an intelligent system?

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Private company using public spectrum? You forget if all the carriers do this crap there is no elsewhere to go since all the spectrum has been allotted to these thieves. It's not like new networks can just pop up, they would have to bid for the spectrum and get all sorts of licensing for the towers.

Now it's pretty simple, if "private" companies want to be allowed to play with public licenses, they have to cater to what the public wants. Government does have a role to play here.

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So let's play this game. Let us imagine Apple says, f it, we add in all features. Now the carriers say F Apple, no more iphones on our networks. Now what?

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The point is there should be no fee.

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Yet people pay for text messaging.

WTF else is there to pay for? I pay for tethering and all that jazz and the crap still doesn't work. So TF am I supposed to do?

dspalton said:

That's odd...

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Perhaps reset your network settings.

I spoke with a nice CS rep who appears to be unaware of any plans to charge for FaceTime calls.

Now, allow me to repost my unanswered question.

moonman239 said:

Question: Can this change legally affect those of us who signed their contracts before AT&T even thought of doing this, that is if they did think of doing this?

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mastermind865 said:

If you are experiencing those types of issues I think I would go back to the Verizon store or call support and have your settings looked at, because that certainly is not typical.

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I'm no "AT&T lover"by any means, in fact I was laid off from them in 2004. But at least when I had technical issues w/ iPhones in the past, they were able to connect me with a knowledgeable representative via their iPhone tech support line.

Not the same with Verizon, they dont know a whole lot about what is a new product for them - nor encourage their employees to obtain the Apple phone.

And I don't think my settings need to be "looked at". I've been jailbreaking these little buggers since iOS 1.1 days and I'm fairly proficient with those settings by now.

AT&T has a far superior data network for wireless in the U.S.
At least California, NYC, Miami, Detroit, Chicago.

SPUY767 said:

But it's not their job. They forgot what their actual job was long ago.

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The FCC, if they were not so politicized as to be fairly worthless, should step in and lay down some regulation here. The rest of the world is passing us by when it comes to this industry. for example, the lack of unlimited data plans for our mobile devices crushes adoption of 4G LTE whatever you want to call it.

this is all in the name of protecting legacy business models in the U.S. market for these below average carriers ie; Verizon AT&T

cvaldes said:

There are plenty that run over WiFi. Just go to a site like AppShopper and search for video conferencing. You could do the same at the iTunes App Store, but the search function isn't as good.

Longtime third-party service fring has featured cellular 3G video chat for a while. Also available are Tango and Skype. There are probably others, but those are the biggest third-party services that run over 3G.

There are many more video conference services that run over WiFi. Video conferencing services have been around since front-facing cameras have showed up on smartphones. I guess that would be summer 2010 on the iPhone 4.

So yeah, there have been video conferencing apps available on the iPhone for a couple of years.

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Which video conferencing apps are you using? I tried skype but the quality is worst so I need another option...

thanks!