Switch to 3GB plan. Pay the same, get more data transfer. Simple enough for you? A downside is you have less to complain about. I know that's a real problem for most people reading this.
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AT&T Says Throttling of Unlimited Data Users Done on Case-by-Case Basis
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Switch to 3GB plan. Pay the same, get more data transfer. Simple enough for you? A downside is you have less to complain about. I know that's a real problem for most people reading this.
So you're totally ok with a company changing the terms of a contract on the fly? Can you say slippery slope?? Clearly AT&T wants people to get out of their grandfathered in unlimited data plans, but they are going about it in a ridiculous way. At the very most, if AT&T is going to throttle people then it shouldn't start until you've reached 3GB.
you sound like someone who came too late to the unlimited party, so your okay with our rights getting taken away because you dont have it
it is clearly evident they are trying to force people off of unlimited plans
Well no. You signed a 2 year contract in 2007 agreeing to whatever the terms were on that contract. What does your current contract say? I guarantee you that AT&T are not in breach.
AT&T- if you are so concerned about your unlimited users, offer them a TRULY UNLIMITED USE ALL YOU WANT plan for $50 per line (only offered to those who are already grandfathered). Make it contingent on only being able to keep it active - i.e. if you drop it you can never sign up again. The $20 premium over the current $30 price would be enough of a barrier for those who aren't willing to pony up to refuse and stick with their current plan. Those who need more data can pay $50 for the data. If you want what your original contact said, you can pay extra to lock it in.
If you chose the $50 option for true, unthrottled data, you cannot tether. If you do, you will receive a warning on the first time. The 2nd time, you lose the $50 plan. That way it isn't abused.
I'd sign up in a flash. Not because I use 100 gigs per month, but because I don't like limits. I've never used over 3 gigs of your precious bandwidth anyway.
Those who refuse the offer can continue this childish cat and mouse game with throttling. I'm sick of it. Give us options and stop this cloaked secret throttle mission you guys think is so clever.
If you chose the $50 option for true, unthrottled data, you cannot tether. If you do, you will receive a warning on the first time. The 2nd time, you lose the $50 plan. That way it isn't abused.
I'd sign up in a flash. Not because I use 100 gigs per month, but because I don't like limits. I've never used over 3 gigs of your precious bandwidth anyway.
Those who refuse the offer can continue this childish cat and mouse game with throttling. I'm sick of it. Give us options and stop this cloaked secret throttle mission you guys think is so clever.
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This is actually quite an interesting story, because it just so happens that I determine whether or not my wireless carrier sucks on a case-by-case basis... 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)
Seriously?
The problem isn't that there's no solution. The problem is that AT&T is strongarming their customers.
cameronjpu said:
Seriously?
The problem isn't that there's no solution. The problem is that AT&T is strongarming their customers.
FTC/FCC Complaint Procedure
Here's how to file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It's really easy to do, and just takes a moment online.
After you do this, be sure to drop by AT&T's Public Policy Twitter Feed where you can leave them a nice courtesy tweet about it:
@ATTPublicPolicy
http://twitter.com/ATTPublicPolicy
For the FTC:
http://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
For "unlimited" data plan customers, AT&T has provided no proof of the accuracy of its internal bandwidth meters, and thus there is no consumer-transparent basis under which this "top 5%" throttling practice is determined and implemented. The FTC needs to investigate this as it is a deceptive business practice in which a plan is marketed as "unlimited" but is throttled to the point of useless (as the video shows) with no clearly defined criteria based on users who can travel frequently from region to region.
The idea of a "market" being based on your "address" is an unfair business practice. When someone travels from NYC to LA, etc. there's no way to label them a top 5% user based on a specific region as AT&T appears to be doing. How can AT&T even claim this? Does the so-called congestion travel with a customer?
Aside from there being no proof of congestion in the first place, there's no way to know if AT&T is really doing the "top 5%"... make AT&T prove it.
AT&T is deceptively marketing an "unlimited" data plan which is throttled to effectively useless speeds based on video evidence. You can point the FTC to this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW5aEQzTcW0
This complaint also applies to the tiered data offerings: that's another reason to ensure that these usage meters are accurate. Who's checking this? No one I'll bet... Why would they?
All the more reason for the FTC to make AT&T come clean on this.
As for the FCC:
http://www.fcc.gov/complaints
Select "Wireless Telephone"
Select "Deceptive or unlawful advertising or marketing by a communications company (does NOT include Telemarketing)"
You will fill out "Form 2000A - Deceptive or Unlawful Advertising and Promotion Complaint"
The complaint has the same basis as above. AT&T is deceptively marketing an "unlimited" data plan which is throttled to useless speeds based on video evidence. You can point the FCC to the YouTube video above.
You can submit this form to the FCC online or on paper.
That's all. Very simple to do.
Here's how to file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It's really easy to do, and just takes a moment online.
After you do this, be sure to drop by AT&T's Public Policy Twitter Feed where you can leave them a nice courtesy tweet about it:
@ATTPublicPolicy
http://twitter.com/ATTPublicPolicy
For the FTC:
http://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
For "unlimited" data plan customers, AT&T has provided no proof of the accuracy of its internal bandwidth meters, and thus there is no consumer-transparent basis under which this "top 5%" throttling practice is determined and implemented. The FTC needs to investigate this as it is a deceptive business practice in which a plan is marketed as "unlimited" but is throttled to the point of useless (as the video shows) with no clearly defined criteria based on users who can travel frequently from region to region.
The idea of a "market" being based on your "address" is an unfair business practice. When someone travels from NYC to LA, etc. there's no way to label them a top 5% user based on a specific region as AT&T appears to be doing. How can AT&T even claim this? Does the so-called congestion travel with a customer?
Aside from there being no proof of congestion in the first place, there's no way to know if AT&T is really doing the "top 5%"... make AT&T prove it.
AT&T is deceptively marketing an "unlimited" data plan which is throttled to effectively useless speeds based on video evidence. You can point the FTC to this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW5aEQzTcW0
This complaint also applies to the tiered data offerings: that's another reason to ensure that these usage meters are accurate. Who's checking this? No one I'll bet... Why would they?
All the more reason for the FTC to make AT&T come clean on this.
As for the FCC:
http://www.fcc.gov/complaints
Select "Wireless Telephone"
Select "Deceptive or unlawful advertising or marketing by a communications company (does NOT include Telemarketing)"
You will fill out "Form 2000A - Deceptive or Unlawful Advertising and Promotion Complaint"
The complaint has the same basis as above. AT&T is deceptively marketing an "unlimited" data plan which is throttled to useless speeds based on video evidence. You can point the FCC to the YouTube video above.
You can submit this form to the FCC online or on paper.
That's all. Very simple to do.
So I have a personal ATT phone and a work ATT iPhone 4. Both are unlimited. I've been harassed by ATT already (2.1 gigs) on my personal ATT line.
I am going to test something out. My work line is unlimited and I don't see the bill. It's paid corporately. My test is I'm going to stream netflix all day for a month on my work owned iPhone to see how quickly our massive corporate contract is jeopardized when they throttle my line. Then I can explain to my Director that I can't receive the important 10mb attachment that was just emailed to my work iPhone because ATT has slowed my data to a crawl. That's an issue that the ATT corporate contracting department will have to explain to our IT Director. Before you jump all over me about netflix use, we are fully allowed to use our phone with apps so there's nothing wrong with actually doing so. There are no limits to how we use our data from a company policy perspective.
If ATT throttles/restricts my data, I'd love to be a fly on the wall when our IT Director asks ATT's corporate contracting department why I can't receive email in a timely fashion. Our multi-national corporation has an unlimited data contract. If employees work lines are throttled, we cannot use our iPhones (and, for that matter, wireless cards) to conduct business. That's a serious issue.
This will be fun!
I am going to test something out. My work line is unlimited and I don't see the bill. It's paid corporately. My test is I'm going to stream netflix all day for a month on my work owned iPhone to see how quickly our massive corporate contract is jeopardized when they throttle my line. Then I can explain to my Director that I can't receive the important 10mb attachment that was just emailed to my work iPhone because ATT has slowed my data to a crawl. That's an issue that the ATT corporate contracting department will have to explain to our IT Director. Before you jump all over me about netflix use, we are fully allowed to use our phone with apps so there's nothing wrong with actually doing so. There are no limits to how we use our data from a company policy perspective.
If ATT throttles/restricts my data, I'd love to be a fly on the wall when our IT Director asks ATT's corporate contracting department why I can't receive email in a timely fashion. Our multi-national corporation has an unlimited data contract. If employees work lines are throttled, we cannot use our iPhones (and, for that matter, wireless cards) to conduct business. That's a serious issue.
This will be fun!
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I disagree with this advice. Do not switch to the 3GB plan. As time goes on and we consume more bandwidth as a whole, the top 5% will rise above this 3GB cap. ATT is banking on people switching out of grandfathered plans before this happens.
I agree with you. Don't take the bait. ATT is trying to force us off of unlimited, and if you go to the 3gb plan, they win.
Stick it out. The mainstream media will pick up this and ATT will at least be forced to be transparent about a limit (ala T-Mobile) prior to throttling. It will happen. They can't keep this silly little game up much longer without the network news / newspapers publicizing it for the world to see.
If you go to a metered plan, you're done forever with unlimited. I'd rather grapple with the threats for now. At the least, ATT will have to give us 3 gigs prior to throttling since we are paying $30 (the price for the 3gig plan) anyway.
ATT will be caught at this sooner than later. And I bet the FCC is interested in their current practice already...
They are just testing the waters to see how their dartboard 5% approach will save bandwidth. Congrats, ATT. You've managed to both confuse and piss off your most loyal customers in a matter of months. Bravo!
Yea that's what I was saying. Was surprised I got voted down so much. For 95% of the users the unlimited plan should be adequate, and the amount of data before throttling is bound to go up as people use more. I can see the throttling reducing the top data users in the short term, but 18 months from now I'm sure we will be able to use well over 3 GB without being throttled.
Nope, I had the iPhone since V1, and I had unlimited until sometime last year when I realized my usage of about 1 GB would never make spending that extra $5 per month on it. So now I have the 2GB, $25 plan. I've always been against people abusing the unlimited plan to hurt the rest of us by swamping network resources. So now I'm VERY happy to see them bleat about how angry they are, especially because it's clear that none of them will ever do anything about it beyond whining on a message board. Hilarious!
And yes, it's quite clear they're trying to force people off unlimited plans. The greatest part is that they've made it so that staying on unlimited gives you worse service for the same price, yet some people are still dumb/stubborn enough to KEEP doing it! Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! Dumb!
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You missed it. They gave you options. 3GB for $30. Take it or leave it. After another couple months it may be gone!
The crazy thing is my iPhone says ive used 634 MBS AT&T says 987MBs apparently the end of last months usage went on the next billing cycle.This helps put me closer to throttling cap and is unfair theirs no way to verify exactly how much data we use which is upsetting
Sounds brilliant! The kind of awesome idea I expect from all the unlimited account abusers
What could possibly go wrong?I'm sure your corporate purchasing manager will take your side when he's informed that you abused ATT's network to prove a point, and that you were watching videos on your iPhone. I'm sure he'll thank you loudly for purposely performing the activity that resulted in lost man-hours.
Good luck!
I'd look up the local unemployment office before you get cut off of your internet service though!
Sounds brilliant! The kind of awesome idea I expect from all the unlimited account abusers
I'm sure your corporate purchasing manager will take your side when he's informed that you abused ATT's network to prove a point, and that you were watching videos on your iPhone. I'm sure he'll thank you loudly for purposely performing the activity that resulted in lost man-hours.
Good luck!
I'd look up the local unemployment office before you get cut off of your internet service though!
hey were all NOT abusers I used 1.9 GBS according to my iPhone and was threatened with throttling but when AT&T tweets your personal info they do try and keep you happy
Sounds brilliant! The kind of awesome idea I expect from all the unlimited account abusers
I'm sure your corporate purchasing manager will take your side when he's informed that you abused ATT's network to prove a point, and that you were watching videos on your iPhone. I'm sure he'll thank you loudly for purposely performing the activity that resulted in lost man-hours.
Good luck!
I'd look up the local unemployment office before you get cut off of your internet service though!
I don't stream netflix at work. I spend my time on my iPhone's data connection (and my work ATT wireless card) working my ass off emailing large data files back and forth. I have full permission from my company to use their iPhone and it's plan to use apps. I use netflix, etc, when I'm not working. I travel the US for my job every week and I can't be hunting down a working wifi network when I want to connect.
My manager has netflix as well. He uses it all the time. And no, not while working. We have every right to consume the data our massive contract pays dearly for. ATT slowing that down will cause big issues in our organization.
Your post is tells a lot about you. I got news for you...you sound pretty young and naive.
Edit. If everyone used their data connection a lot, the 5% threshold would be raised for everyone and that 2.1 gig limit would become 5 gigs, 7 gigs, etc over time. Ponder that for minute...
Important Clue For You...
You must have missed the fact that multiple folks on this and other online forums have filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
That seems a little beyond doesn't it?
You must have missed the fact that multiple folks on this and other online forums have filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
That seems a little beyond doesn't it?
OK, i'll hold my breath while I wait for the 5% limit to go up. You're kidding yourself if you think it went from 4+GB down to 2.1 GB in just two months, and now you're going to start some ridiculous grass roots push to get it back up. Hilarious!
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Nope!
Over my time with AT&T they've been hit with multiple class actions,The locking of iPhones,Misrepresenting data use,Throttling with no foreseeable threshold are all gonna bite them in the ass.Randall Stephenson is crying over the failed merger by raising prices and aggressively attacking unlimited as he stated in the earnings statement boohoo.It also doesn't help us when their lobbying power is so damn strong
Of course the other alternative is to ditch AT&T, not that Verizon is much better. Tiered data is ok if the limits are reasonable, but they are not. I'm on Verizon, with LTE I could go through a month's allowance in 15 minutes. That doesn't make LTE very useful if it runs out that quickly. At least Verizon hasn't been quite as deceitful as AT&T. My unlimited data hasn't been throttled yet and I haven't heard reports of it. Besides, AT&T coverage in my area is so poor you would have a hard time using 2GB anyway. When I had my iPhone on AT&T, the data connection was so unreliable I couldn't do much with it.
No grassroots kiddo. Just putting into perspective while pointing out how silly this arbitrary moving target is.
Verizon only throttles you if your on a congested cell site which is REASONABLE and they don't throttle LTE users