AT&T Expands FaceTime Over Cellular Support to All Tiered Data Plans

[bmoorhouse]

Originally Posted by Macboy Pro

That's EASY.... They do not have a cap on their data. Just because they are throttled doesn't mean they do not have unlimited data. Said it before and will say it again. Anyone who has unlimited data should get what they paid for when they bought that plan. Unlimited data at 2G speeds, not 3G, or 4G, or LTE.

People expect unlimited data on an AT&T network that in some areas can have speeds in excess of 40Gb/s when you signed up for a plan that was around 700kbs at the time?

And they are the people who call companies like AT&T greedy. LOL, you have to be kidding me.

Actually, I signed up for my unlimited plan when I bought the 3GS, on which I received 3G speeds.

[solo118]

Originally Posted by garylapointe

It's a product they don't sell any more and they have not raised the price on it. It's not like they're raising the price and not letting you use new features on it.

Personally, I think ATT should just stop grandfathering in the unlimited plans so that people stop complaining of the restrictions of the unlimited plan. Yes, they'll lose customers but they're complaining customers.

Or the next time you renew if you want to keep your grandfathered plan they make an agreement of what it includes and does not include (and state it does not include new features) and make you sign it IF and ONLY IF you want to keep the plan. It would also state that if you complain about not have things the contract states, they can void your contract.

So your choices would be to keep it and be quiet about it OR get rid of it OR leave AT&T.

It's clearly not a product that they want to support. Other companies just discontinue products. Other companies state that they'll be turned off in the next year, they don't let you keep a product they don't want to support. Like MobileMe.

Gary

Still doesn't make sense not to offer it. What do they care if I burn through my data allowance if its within 30 days, 10 days or 1 day?

I still get throttled, even though I have unlimited. The upside of my grandfathered unlimited data plan is that I get 5GB (as i have an LTE phone) before getting throttled and in case I break the 5gb mark, I do not have to pay anything extra I just get super slow speeds.

I think at&t should allow the Unlimited customers to have FT as well. If I burn through my data, then i will deal with throttled speeds.

[currocj]

Originally Posted by garylapointe

It's a product they don't sell any more and they have not raised the price on it. It's not like they're raising the price and not letting you use new features on it.

Personally, I think ATT should just stop grandfathering in the unlimited plans so that people stop complaining of the restrictions of the unlimited plan. Yes, they'll lose customers but they're complaining customers.

Or the next time you renew if you want to keep your grandfathered plan they make an agreement of what it includes and does not include (and state it does not include new features) and make you sign it IF and ONLY IF you want to keep the plan. It would also state that if you complain about not have things the contract states, they can void your contract.

So your choices would be to keep it and be quiet about it OR get rid of it OR leave AT&T.

It's clearly not a product that they want to support. Other companies just discontinue products. Other companies state that they'll be turned off in the next year, they don't let you keep a product they don't want to support. Like MobileMe.

Gary

Gary, the moment they stop supporting it, we ALL leave. That's why Gary. So either treat it like ALL of their data or drop the support and we leave. AT&T is trying to keep it but treat it like a red-headed step child.

[fiddlestyx]

So dumb ... let me use my unlimited data plan to its full capabilities.

[AbSoluTc]

Originally Posted by MJedi

Once again, unlimited data plan users get the shaft. Getting tired of being discriminated against.

Once again, unlimited is not unlimited. There is cap. Get over it and move on. If you're that unhappy switch to another carrier that will cap you and doesn't have unlimited unless you want to really pay for it.

I was grandfathered in with unlimited. I switched to a plan that allowed me to tether. I didn't complain about unlimited and blah blah blah how entitled I should be.

Move on with your life already and quit bitching.

[BlueMoonForever]

Is it me or does anyone get the impression that AT&T does NOT want people to use its network??? You see commercials on how great it is, then they have these garbage data plans that rape your wallet. I drove past an AT&T store and my iPhone 5 just connected to their crappy wifi.

Guy at an AT&T store said they get written up for using too much data on their company phones.

Why does this company not want anyone using their data network? T-Mobile seems to be the only company encouraging data use. ?

[nzalog]

Originally Posted by fiddlestyx

So dumb ... let me use my unlimited data plan to its full capabilities.

Yeah pretty dumb, I actually filed a BBB complain but it was closed with the response:

"The FCC's net neutrality rules do not regulate the availability to customers of applications that are preloaded on phones."

Complete crap...

[brianbobcat]

Originally Posted by MaxxTraxx

One day they'll treat us right. One day…

No they won't. We were with them from the start, and they couldn't give half a damn. All this makes me want to go to Spring in 18 months.

[Anonymous Freak]

Originally Posted by williej81

Yes, let's screw over our customers who have been the most loyal...great PR.

Yup, as soon as my AT&T contract is over, I'm switching to T-Mobile. Unlimited data, no use-restrictions. (FaceTime, WiFi Hotspot, etc.) My wife has had her iPhone 4 on them for months now happily. (And they've been adding better coverage for HSPA+, so even though she only got EDGE speeds when she switched, she now regularly gets faster speeds on her 4 on T-Mobile than I get on my 4S on AT&T. Although they don't have HSPA+ at our house yet.)

[yakapo]

I use the at&t prepaid plan - $50 unlimited text / talk. I use my tablet - $30 / 3gb for data.

I'd love to get the $70 tmobile unlimited plan but I've heard the signal isn't that great in my office building.

[mytakeontech]

While I agree ATT sucks and should not differentiate between users but I have hardly ever used Facetime in last 2 years (like once or twice and that also at home). Same with Siri.

[Macboy Pro]

Originally Posted by spazzcat

This more like you had HBO for 10 years, we added 5 new HBOs, but only you can't have them.

Well, lets clarify a little. Its like you cant have the 5 new HBO's on the old pricing plan. You need the new pricing plan. Fair enough and every company in this business does it.

My opinion is that AT&T should discontinue the unlimited plan or offer it with a new pricing structure. I doubt they will loose too many customers because the other options of Sprint (WAY SLOW), and Verizon (Aweful company and much slower LTE network) are not that great.

[koban4max]

Originally Posted by williej81

Yes, let's screw over our customers who have been the most loyal...great PR.

they are great.

[dexx0008]

i got off my unlimited plan. i went to the lowest tiered plan. It saves me 15 a month which pays for the wifes data. We're on wifi most of the time. I go over ~2x a year so I'm still saving money. i have no problem with tiered plans and paying what i use.

I'd like a better plan that allowed me to tether when on the road but the few times I'd use it it just isn't worth paying out the nose for the 'right' to do so.

locking out tethering via software on data you pay for on a tiered data plan is the biggest f u that they can pull.

imo --> it's my data that i'm paying for I should be able to use it how i see fit.

and to those network apologists that say you are paying for that device. my phone is still the one being used to access the data and it reduces what i have available.

if the networks weren't enjoying an oligopoly like this, prices would come down. fcc is to blame for much of this as well... they need to step in.

[garylapointe]

Originally Posted by currocj

Gary, the moment they stop supporting it, we ALL leave. That's why Gary. So either treat it like ALL of their data or drop the support and we leave. AT&T is trying to keep it but treat it like a red-headed step child.

It IS the red-headed step child, they don't want anything to do with it! You're all pointing out this is very clearly.

But where are you going?

Gary

[TsMkLg068426]

Originally Posted by SamGabbay

Still waiting AT&T...

- iPhone 5 with Unlimited Data Plan

I wish...

[RemE]

I'm unlimted, my daughters are tiered, so I still can't facetime with them and I pay the bills. AT&T keep pushing me to dump them and the time will come.

For now, as a tech consultant I just do my part directing my folks to other providers. AT&T has lost many new clients due to my efforts, it's the least I can do for now.

[Chadder]

Am I the only one here with an iPhone 5 grandfathered in with "unlimited" that can use FaceTime over cellular. In fact i have been able to do this since christmas. I just checked right now and it still works for me although the performance is not the greatest.

[garylapointe]

Originally Posted by solo118

Still doesn't make sense not to offer it. What do they care if I burn through my data allowance if its within 30 days, 10 days or 1 day?

I still get throttled, even though I have unlimited. The upside of my grandfathered unlimited data plan is that I get 5GB (as i have an LTE phone) before getting throttled and in case I break the 5gb mark, I do not have to pay anything extra I just get super slow speeds.

I think at&t should allow the Unlimited customers to have FT as well. If I burn through my data, then i will deal with throttled speeds.

But when people are limited, people don't burn through their data. They are cautious with it. They come in under (not exactly and not over, but under) they don't want overage charges.

If AT&T has 100 people with 3GB plans, they don't expect 300GB to be used. It's probably less than 1/2 or a 1/3 of that 300GB that actually gets used. I'd guess that only 1 or 2 people get to 2.99999GB (but I'm totally guessing).

Similar example-
The phone system at work (not cell phones): I've got 300 phones but only 25 phone lines. Think about it, I gave out 400 phones, but only 25 of them can call outside of work at once (they can call as many people as they want in their building). As the "provider of phones" I'm counting on them not all wanting to call at once (needing more lines than that and the system can't support more). Most of the time there isn't more than a dozen calls at once, but I've got to compensate for the few busy times that occur throughout the day.

Gary

[Bheleu]

Still enjoying my google maps, FaceTime over cellular, tethering when I need it on my UL GF plan. Thanks to jailbreaks, it's my device, my data. I use it as I please. Hope an untethered iOS 6 JB comes around though, would like to chat with Siri. If not, guess I will never upgrade from my iPad 3 or ever perform an iOS update. Unlike iPhone UL plans, the prepaid iPad plans do not throttle back, and transfer. 4G handles VoIP well too, so $30 covers all my communications needs. Bluetooth keeps one from looking too dorky, when calling on it. Plus large text means when I am a grandfather, I will still see well to use it.

My monthly usages: 2.2, 2, 12.9, 13.5, 20.2, 16, 19.8, 9.8, 11.6, 10.8GB/mo
Average 11.88GB/mo.
My wife's is likely less, both on GF UL plans...
If she used nothing, still worth being on UL data.

[garylapointe]

I have unlimited and usually don't even hit 2 gig, but the few times I went over 3 were times I wasn't really utilizing my iPad. So currently I'm paying for unlimited for the iPhone and also for 3 gig on the iPad.

I'd go to the shared data plan but the savings is only a tiny bit. So I'm trying to understand what is holding me to this "unlimited" plan.

If people are tethering, I can see the use of all the data, but since it's not legit use, it's not a valid point.

I've called and talked to several people at AT&T and said, "I'm slightly tempted to go to the shared data but don't want to give up my unlimited data", I had hoped they'd give me a few extra gigs a month or drop $5 or $10 a month to get my off the unlimited (clearly they don't want to support it). I actually asked for something like this, so it was clear it's what I wanted.

Has anyone seen or heard of anyone getting any sweeteners on this?

Gary

[ipmasta]

Originally Posted by j.dstasio

Those of us with unlimited plans are still left out... Bummer.

This is one of the reasons I finally left AT&T and switched to verizon - the only reason I stayed with att for so long was because of the unlimited plan I was grandfathered into. They try to do everything to get users to switch off of it. Its completely a ****** thing to do to their own customers. Verizon doesnt offer unlimited plans but all of their data plans include tethering. Even if you wanted to pay a little extra on att you cannot tether at all unless you give up your unlimited plan.

[taylortm]

Originally Posted by macinsanity

I almost gave in yesterday. I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan. I called to switch to the 6GB plan. The ATT rep talked me out of it. She said the issue of "not being able to use Facetime with your unlimited plan will soon change."

I'm not sure if she had old information, misinformation, or if they will still open this up to unlimited plan users soon. Maybe they are phasing it in and seeing how the network handles the load.

So, I'm reading this thread, thinking "WTF??? It was announced LAST YEAR that FaceTime became unrestricted for all. No?" So, after I thought about it for a few minutes and conversed with a coworker, we decided that what we actually remembered was this (MR article that pointed to rumors that it would work with all plans/devices):

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/11/21/att-seems-to-be-extending-facetime-over-cellular-to-all-customers/

Within hours of that story being posted (a couple days before Thanksgiving), both of us tried it. (We both have iPhone 5 w/ legacy grandfathered Unlimited.)

It worked!

I also used FT over cellular during the holidays (T'giving & Christmas).

It worked!

Finally, to make sure I'm not totally losing my mind, I just tried it again.

(Guess what :: It works.)

So, obviously, YMMV. But I was under the impression that the restrictions for most device/plan combos were lifted long ago. My suggestion: try it. Now.

[Xenomorph]

Originally Posted by bmoorhouse

Actually, I signed up for my unlimited plan when I bought the 3GS, on which I received 3G speeds.

AT&T only throttles the "Unlimited" users down to crap speeds (sub-2G).

So even if you haven't noticed being throttled doesn't mean others haven't been throttled down to crap speeds.

Originally Posted by Chadder

Am I the only one here with an iPhone 5 grandfathered in with "unlimited" that can use FaceTime over cellular. In fact i have been able to do this since christmas. I just checked right now and it still works for me although the performance is not the greatest.

In case you didn't notice, you have an "LTE device" - something AT&T said would get FaceTime support (regardless of "unlimited" data plan).

[Davidtlascelles]

I've read through a lot of these comments, and I'm a bit surprised.. Not to be snarky or anything, but on Sprint I have unlimited, unthrottled data for a fairly competitive price.. But, based on all of your comments a lot of you aren't even considering Sprint as an option, just AT&T and Verizon. Am I missing something? I mean, in Orange County, CA at least, Sprint has better coverage than AT&T. Verizon does have LTE in the area already but I've been told we're getting it soon too.. I don't know. Any thoughts? Is anyone anti-sprint?