AT&T Expands FaceTime Over Cellular Access to More Customers

canucksfan88 said:

i am no expert at cellular networks and data, however this whole "it's my data, i should be able to do whatever I want with it" is a bit bs.

LTE allows for more bandwidth and strictly is for data. 3G on the other hand handles both data and voice protocols.

For those FaceTiming on 3G, you add significant strain on the AT&T network. People forget that when 3G first rolled out (around 2005), the amount of traffic was next to none. Yes infrastructure has improved and evolved, but at the end of the day, it is about delivering and meeting the Quality of Service expectations. You must also look at the amount of smartphone traffic that the 3G networks now see...it is at levels probably not thinkable back when the networks were first rolled out.

So yes, moving FaceTime only to LTE is smart.

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ATT LTE does both Voice and data as well and both at the same time just like HSDPA(+) does. Verizon, Sprint LTE only does data or voice but not both at the same time....... now thats a bummer.

Just tried doing a iPhone 5 to Mac facetime.. Didn't work for me.. :/
I have a 2GB Plan, some people seem to be working for theirs. Weird.
You guys can toggle your facetime switch on your cell data settings?

8 to 10 weeks?

"8 to 10 weeks" ???
These folks are still living in the 1950s

A backhanded slap to the face of their customers. Good going AT&T.

drober30 said:

OK, I really don't care about face time but you would think AT&T would find away not to punish those with an unlimited plan, which is really not unlimited because they will throtal you and exclude you from features that they offer others. If you have an unlimited plan it means you have been with AT&T for awhile and should be considered a valuable/loyal customer.

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Whole heartedly agree!!!

ed724 said:

ATT LTE does both Voice and data as well and both at the same time just like HSDPA(+) does. Verizon, Sprint LTE only does data or voice but not both at the same time....... now thats a bummer.

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Yes i just read that actually, but it is not LTE that delivers voice, it's something called VoLTE (a sub protocol). LTE right now only supports pure data packets so voice is not supported (unless it is wrapped in the sub protocol).

I am in Canada right now and we do not have VoLTE which means right now, every cell call I get dropped down to 3G.

What you are talking about is simultaneous voice and data, and yes, right now Verizon and Sprint cannot do that.

Cougarcat said:

Is that what they are doing? In the press release it says it is limited to "LTE devices," it does not say anything about the network. It would be nice if the limitation was only to the device since AT&T's LTE coverage isn't going to be complete til 2014.

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that's what it looks like. its the reasoning for them not offering unlimited 3G plans anymore. Too much strain on their network. From their perspective, why would they come out and say that outright?

monkey28rb said:

Its not about that.. It is about net neutrality. Lets say you had comcast for a few years, it works perfect, no issues. Now comcast releases a new plan. Costs the same but slower speeds. The newer plan will allow you to vist hulu, netflix/youtube. Old plan will not... Would this be acceptable to you?

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AT&T while not the best still worked. Data usage was so low back when 3G first rolled out, the max the average user used was probably 50mb. Data usage has soared with smartphones, tablets, mobile hotspots. The fact is the LTE network allows for more bandwidth and thatis what AT&T is allowing for FaceTime

This is the very reason why I changed my iPad 4 order to Verizon from AT&T.
Free hotspot. Free facetime. All included.

almost excited but why punish the people on unlimited. oh well i can live without acetime over lte/4g

as an unlimited user on AT&T I think it is ludicrous that I can't use FaceTime over cellular within my 5GB of unthrottled data.

monkey28rb said:

Its not about that.. It is about net neutrality. Lets say you had comcast for a few years, it works perfect, no issues. Now comcast releases a new plan. Costs the same but slower speeds. The newer plan will allow you to vist hulu, netflix/youtube. Old plan will not... Would this be acceptable to you?

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Bad anology. A better one would be you had an internet package from Comcast with no data limit. In the TOS this plan denied access to streaming content services. Sometime later a new plan comes out that allows for streaming content, but requires that you switch to a new capped internet package with overcharges if you go over your cap.

AT$T SUCKS. Always has; Always will.

--Senr from my iPhone (now on Verizon)

Glad to see my complaints with the FCC accomplished something, but still not enough.

http://www.fcc.gov/complaints

I've been filing them under net neutrality as well as cell carrier.

Every time AT&T tries to call me and "resolve" the dispute. Every time they are unable to.

Overage Fees?!?

I hate seeing the argument that AT&T should let people exceed their plans and then make money off the overages. This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Tell me one time that any of you non-contributing zeros have ever paid an overage fee. NEVER! If it ever happens, you get on the phone with customer service and bitch and moan and threaten to switch carriers if they don't waive the fee. Its all BS. You're dumb and you should feel dumb.

Here AT&T is allowing more people to take advantage of a feature and almost every person on here feels like they have to complain that it wasn't enough. If you're unhappy then do something different!

Facetime Blocking but not Skype?

Seems like Apple should discuss how the "partnership" benefits both parties. Selectively blocking one of Apple's technologies is hardly the way to pay back the exclusivity they enjoyed in the beginning.

Step in the right direction

Well, it's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction. Eventually, AT&T will say to themselves, "Hey, all these tiered data users are blowing through their data caps because of FaceTime and we're making a bundle on overages. We should expand usage to everyone so we can make more money."

fair enough as long as they no longer block video calls on apps like wechat

I think this is funny that they are offering this this with their $14 billion dollar network upgrade initiative thing. I bet all the overages they collect from this will pay for that.

At AT&T Corperate Offices

CEO- "We want to spend 14 billion dollars to upgrade our network."

*CFO pops in from another room*

CFO- "Uh, we don't have 14 billion dollars..."

CEO- "Enable FaceTime to our LTE iPhone customers.... They will use it and go into overage. Then, we will have 14 billion dollars."

Im sure a jailbreak will be out soon enough that will let me facetime on my unlimited plan, screw you att.

natedoggfdfl said:

I hate seeing the argument that AT&T should let people exceed their plans and then make money off the overages. This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Tell me one time that any of you non-contributing zeros have ever paid an overage fee. NEVER! If it ever happens, you get on the phone with customer service and bitch and moan and threaten to switch carriers if they don't waive the fee. Its all BS. You're dumb and you should feel dumb.

Here AT&T is allowing more people to take advantage of a feature and almost every person on here feels like they have to complain that it wasn't enough. If you're unhappy then do something different!

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I beg to differ sir. I have had overage fees on my data plan twice since I had the plan in 2010. Because I used the data and went over, I paid the $10 overage on the following bills. Didn't complain, threaten to switch, bitch, or moan. I paid for the data I used.

"AT&T said it expects to make FaceTime over cellular available to iPhone 5 users in the next 8-10 weeks."

damn it, now it is here but we still need to wait... top 10 worst company in my list

2IS said:

The article clearly states 8-10 week rollout period.

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Really? how come some people can activate it right now with no hitch? There are some posters in this thread that say so

FaceTime for ATT=No revenue. Besides, it sucks up data like a sponge, and customers may complain about being charged for overage.
Verdict: VZW and Sprint win, Sprint wins big.

pnoyblazed said:

Really? how come some people can activate it right now with no hitch? There are some posters in this thread that say so

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Doesn't matter. Even if some people were or weren't able to do it doesn't mean you will. So to answer your question... The article clearly stated 8-10 weeks... Yes, it really did.

I bought my iMac, but I can't use Photoshop unless I pay another 20 bucks to unlock the feature, because it will affect the performance of other apps. Now, Apple is expanding the ability to use Photoshop on a Mac over those who are using their internet via Airport Extress too. Customers on Time Capsule can continue to use Photoshop.

ATT, now you realize how ridiculous you have been?

Macboy Pro said:

They do get it.
Its only your data if you buy it. You can buy the tiered plan.

I have said for a long time that AT&T should let everyone who wants an unlimited plan from 2007, have it. They should give them the 2007 network, with the 2007 network speeds and lets them use it to they are blue in the face. I doubt that would be make the AT&T Haters go away.

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They signed up for a contract on certain advertising. AT&T said they could keep it forever. Then changed what they meant.

I think you don't understand that a deal is a deal. AT&T wants to end their side of the deal without signing a new contract. Period.