The point is you're already paying for it if you have ANY data plan. They are just using this as an excuse (like the hotspot and tethering) to charge you more money based on HOW you use your data. This is pure robbery plain and simple and I wish the FCC would crack down on this crap. I have an unlimited data plan with AT&T, but with the rollout of LTE with Verizon being WAY ahead of AT&T, I will be switching. I've had enough of AT&T's BS.
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AT&T to Restrict or Charge for FaceTime Over 3G/4G in iOS 6? [Updated With AT&T Statement]
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The point is you're already paying for it if you have ANY data plan. They are just using this as an excuse (like the hotspot and tethering) to charge you more money based on HOW you use your data. This is pure robbery plain and simple and I wish the FCC would crack down on this crap. I have an unlimited data plan with AT&T, but with the rollout of LTE with Verizon being WAY ahead of AT&T, I will be switching. I've had enough of AT&T's BS.
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!
If they can sense when you are using FaceTime, they can sense when you are using Skype and could charge you the same fees or block it. Just sayin'...
C'Mon like this would be a surprise by any of the Wireless carriers?
AT&T and Verizon I can see doing this, I figure just to keep the slight edge out there Sprint will let this one go, since they need to grab more iPhone customers.
AT&T and Verizon I can see doing this, I figure just to keep the slight edge out there Sprint will let this one go, since they need to grab more iPhone customers.
It's their network. I'm only with them because I was lucky enough to have signed up an iPad under unlimited during the 3 or so weeks they offered it (one of the few early-adopter advantages) and let me carry that over to LTE.
The kicker is even though I have unlimited LTE and live in a major LTE market (Los Angeles) I have no LTE service - since AT&T only covers the L.A. metropolitan area.
I understand your point about tethering, but that would be roughly the same as letting someone borrow your wireless phone to make a voice call - or putting it on speaker so several people can talk at once.
I think everyone here agrees that bits are just bits and this is both a money grab and an effort by AT&T to stifle a new feature to protect their bandwidth.
Which brings up this idea:
Perhaps AT&T is having upstream data congestion? This would explain a lot too. Most of the devices on their network would be client-type devices that use a lot of downstream data but send small amounts upstream. Perhaps they are having issues with the upstream traffic?
see, this is where verizon actually made a smart move. By preceeding iOS6 with their plan changes and being the first movers, they stuck their necks out there to something that all carriers are going to probably go to eventually anyway but at the same time, gave the consumer a well-laid-out path. There's no question on Verizon. you pay $40 per phone and you pay for a data plan to be shared. Period.
I have the 3GS and around 4 months after Apple and AT&T officially started to unlock phones it finally sunk it what a ******* I was paying AT&T $100/mo for service when I could get the same service for HALF the price on TMO's $50/mo unlimited talk/text/web plan. So I called AT&T and had the service chick unlock my phone and walked right down to the local TMO store and got service. I didnt have to change numbers and was up and going in minutes. And I saved $50/mo! that is $600 a year!
I lose visual voice mail and 3G data speeds. I got over it REAL fast for half the price.
EFF YOU AT&T!!!! I really suggest others look at TMO as well. Its pure insanity paying verizon and AT&T the prices they are charging us.
INSANE!
Not really. FaceTime has an OS-level integration. It is Apple's code that checks whether FaceTime call is attempting to connect over cell network, and does subscription enforcement.
iOS Skype has supported unrestricted 3G/4G integration for years. It's not going to change.
Is this how Att reacts now that they don't have any exclusivity with Apple? You know what? Apple should sell the iPhone themselves and we decide which company put on them!
And greed is greed... you get that part?
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I doubt it will only be AT&T, smart phones are a great technology but at least in the States its going to cost a bundle just to enjoy their fruits. Glad business expense laws are are around.
I have a verizon iPad 2 and an AT&T iPhone 4S and had a an iPhone 4 before that. When AT&T has cell reception, which is getting better every day (finally), AT&T far out preforms Verizon by a mile on pure 3G. Now 4G and LTE are totally different. But switching over this? Give me a break. Yes, its ridiculous and shameful, but hey, faster speeds are faster speeds, cant argue with that
This is AT&T's ploy to make more money off of it's consumers that are already paying a very high premium.
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I completely agree with you! I'm done with AT&T, if they put this into effect they'll be able to count me out. I've been with AT&T for over ten years & this really upsets me. It's definitely enough for me to purchase go with Verizon's service. It's sad that NO other company does all of this except for AT&T.
As an ex-AT&T user, I really hope every single suscriber in America would dump that company at the same time.
Another brilliant post from you as ever kdarling.
I didn't even know or think about the stuff you wrote there.Thank you.
Petition
Please sign the petition that I have started that will be dealing with this exact issue of carrier data restrictions.
http://www.change.org/petitions/fcc-u-s-senate-allow-unrestricted-cellphone-data-caps#
Please sign the petition that I have started that will be dealing with this exact issue of carrier data restrictions.
http://www.change.org/petitions/fcc-u-s-senate-allow-unrestricted-cellphone-data-caps#
This reminds me of how Khan only thought in two dimensions while chasing the Enterprise in that nebula, while Kirk was navigating in three.
Yes, data is data... but the amount used per instant time period is the limiting factor, not the total over a long period.
Consider an un-upgraded cell site with 10Mbps backhaul. If 100 users are connected and they're all surfing the web or doing email, with each randomly using an average of 1Mb every ten seconds, the backhaul can handle it. If there's a slight glitch, the user doesn't notice it.
Now consider if 10 of those users are doing video streaming at 1Mbps. Oops. They require the entire backhaul capability, leaving the other 90 people with nothing.
It's as if you were allowed 1,000 gals of water a month. Using that allocation slowly over the entire month... such as taking a bath every day... doesn't harm anyone else's random access to the shared water main. Opening several fire hydraunts will.
Well Said, Never have Issues With ATT Service Me Either But If They Go That Way I'm Done With Att!
Can anyone confirm this happens with TIERED plans?
So I just read through 13 freakin' pages of comments and I still don't know if anyone with a capped plan got this message, or just people with unlimited data…
While I don't really like it, I can totally understand AT&T not wanting people with unlimited plans to use this (would help if we had an average data usage profile of how much data an hour of FaceTime takes, someone seemed to indicate 1 GB would give you 650 minutes of FaceTime, which seems way small and if so it should not even be restricted for people on unlimited plans).
If they are doing it to people who pay by the GB, then this is lame.
I think carriers have got to get over the idea that they provide "services" and realize that the day the iPhone came out, they became nothing more than ISPs, and get their heads wrapped around that idea sooner then later.
So I just read through 13 freakin' pages of comments and I still don't know if anyone with a capped plan got this message, or just people with unlimited data…
While I don't really like it, I can totally understand AT&T not wanting people with unlimited plans to use this (would help if we had an average data usage profile of how much data an hour of FaceTime takes, someone seemed to indicate 1 GB would give you 650 minutes of FaceTime, which seems way small and if so it should not even be restricted for people on unlimited plans).
If they are doing it to people who pay by the GB, then this is lame.
I think carriers have got to get over the idea that they provide "services" and realize that the day the iPhone came out, they became nothing more than ISPs, and get their heads wrapped around that idea sooner then later.
Ball's in your corner, Verizon. iPhone 5 is coming.
Additionally, if I leave AT&T, I'm going to go crazy with my 'unlimited' data plan, get throttled, and take them to small claims court.
Additionally, if I leave AT&T, I'm going to go crazy with my 'unlimited' data plan, get throttled, and take them to small claims court.
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There are many other apps that are bursty and network-intensive. Video streaming apps, interactive games, any 3rd party communication apps (Skype, Fring, IM+,...). The data burstiness averages out across hundreds and thousands of users.
There is nothing unique about FaceTime that justifies an uplift charge.
You're a smart guy but you're first statement is BS. Netflix has been the main killer of any network including cellular. Facetime would be a blip on the radar since it only works with other Apple devices. It's not as if Google or MS has blocked Skype or Google Talk because of this.
AT&T has been going around asking for a handout from devs since Verizon and Google killed net neutrality over cellular. Do you really think that these things have to do with carriers just maintaining their current profits?