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Drumjim85

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Oct 7, 2007
2,605
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DFW, TX
ModNote: Please see reply below for an apparent reversal in AT&T policy. Putting this at the top of the thread to increase visibility. --mkrishnan

from engadget

Looks like AT&T's taking some aggressive steps to manage network traffic now that it's offering subsidized netbooks -- the carrier updated its data plan terms of service last night to specifically single out and prohibit "downloading movies using P2P file sharing services, customer initiated redirection of television or other video or audio signals via any technology from a fixed location to a mobile device, web broadcasting, and... any applications that tether the device... to Personal Computers or other equipment." That's an impressively strict set of rules that seemingly bans a number of apps AT&T customers are already using without complaint -- everything from SlingPlayer to Qik to Skype to Jaikuspot -- so we'll see if the company is really so tone-deaf as to try and retroactively prohibit their use, or if it'll just ignore what it can't possibly enforce. We've pinged AT&T for comment, we'll let you know what they say.

I love this "unlimited" data plan we have!
 
Wow...that could severely restrict what can be done using at+t. I wonder how seriously will they enforce this rule? No youtube streaming on iphone? There are already skype and slingplayer apps for wm. Will those apps be shutdown? Can at+t users terminate their contracts with this new rule. This could get interesting...
 
If this is true, I may be highly tempted to switch to "another" device, once it's released.

If I am paying 30 per month, for 1mb internet at best, I better be able to use it for what I please.
 
Aren't we supposed to have a cap of 5GB? And I haven't even come close to that? And I even pay for texts too. That's kinda bull crap too on top of it.

And no, we won't be able to terminate our current contracts because AT&T says in their contract they may change their contract without notice of change.
 
Wirelessly posted (iPhone : Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/7A259g Safari/525.20)

I hate ATT
 
If this is true, I may be highly tempted to switch to "another" device, once it's released.

If I am paying 30 per month, for 1mb internet at best, I better be able to use it for what I please.

You mean that you are going to switch to another carrier. This covers all ATT devices.
 
worst case it will be wifi only. And thethering will exist, but ATT will make you pay (a lot) for it.
 
You mean that you are going to switch to another carrier. This covers all ATT devices.
And you're not switching to Verizon, because they've had the same wording (that you can't stream, blah blah blah) in their data plans for years!

AFAIK, all four of the major carriers have "no P2P, streaming, [and more]" in their contracts now.
 
AT&T make a bad mistake

This is very bad news for us on AT&T. It's also very bad for those of us with the iPhone who would like to use it to it's fullest potential.

Wow!

A bad day for us all.
 
Don't worry guys, you can still watch movies on your iPhone while in the bathroom on the can. Seriously, they just eliminated 50% of the internet's uses with these rules. It's scary times when telecom companies start restricting how we can use the Internet. This has much broader implications than just restricting a potential Sling app.
 
I have a feeling that if at&t keeps putting restrictions on the network like they are doing they will not get any type of extensions of being the iPhone exclusive provider when their contract is suppose to be up. I love my iphone but at&t's network sucks, the only spot i dont get service for calls is where I need to make the calls and that is mainly my house so thank god for skype. So with that I will deffineltly cut my plan because I will be on wifi and i have liek 2000 rollover minutes so I am really going to cut down the minutes, thats the one plus is the rollover.

Honestly though if I can not use applications where ever I am, when I pay for the unlimited data plan which we are forced to pay for which is capped anyway, then whatever. I will get the palm pre even even though I would hate to give up my iphone
 
First, this a crappy "news" story from engadget and why I don't trust many online-only sources for news. It may be true, but I see no link to the actual TOS nor anything aside from a few cherry-picked lines.

But I think this isn't as bad as the mob thinks. It's written in lawyer-speak, but I think I decoded a bit. There is a little "customer-initiated" in there, which I think is basically saying "no jailbreak." Had the engadget person asked an AT&T spokesperson, maybe we would know exactly what's up.
 
Honestly though if I can not use applications where ever I am, when I pay for the unlimited data plan which we are forced to pay for which is capped anyway, then whatever. I will get the palm pre even even though I would hate to give up my iphone
FWIW, look before you jump. Sprint has the same restrictions that AT&T just added, so a getting a Pre won't help you any. Verizon and T-Mobile also have the same restrictions. :(

Sprint
Services are not available for use in connection with server devices or host computer applications, other systems that drive continuous heavy traffic or data sessions, or as substitutes for private lines or frame relay connections. Except with Phone-as-Modem plans, you may not use a phone (including a Bluetooth phone) as a modem in connection with a computer, PDA, or similar device.
http://nextelonline.nextel.com/NASApp/onlinestore/en/Action/SubmitPhone

Verizon
The Unlimited plans cannot be used: (1) for any applications that tether the device to laptops, PCs, or other equipment for any purpose, (2) for uploading, downloading or streaming of movies, music or games, (3) with server devices or with host computer applications other than the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, including, without limitation, Web camera posts or broadcasts, continuous jpeg file transfers, automatic data feeds, telemetry applications, automated functions or any other machine-to-machine applications, (4) as substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/...phoneFirst&action=viewPlanList&continue=true#

T-Mobile
Examples of prohibited uses include but are not limited to: (a) server devices or host computer applications, including continuous Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, automated machine-to-machine connections or peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing applications that are broadcast to multiple servers or recipients, “bots” or similar routines that could disrupt net user groups or email use by others or other applications that denigrate network capacity or functionality; (b) as a substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections; (c) any activity that adversely affects the ability of other users or systems to use either T-Mobile’s services or the network-based resources of others, including the generation or dissemination of viruses, malware or “denial of service” attacks; (d) accessing, or attempting to access without authority, the information, accounts or devices of others, or to penetrate, or attempt to penetrate, T-Mobile’s or another entity’s network or systems; or (e) running software or other devices that maintain continuously active Internet connections when a computer’s connection would otherwise be idle, or “keep alive” functions. For example, you cannot use a Data Plan for Web broadcasting, or for the operation of servers, telemetry devices and/or supervisory control and data acquisition devices.
http://www.t-mobile.com/company/website/termsconditions.aspx
 
It sucks that AT&T doesn't let iPhone users turn off their data plan. Not everyone uses the internet 24/7 wherever they go.
 
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