They are doing the bare minimum to try matching with least amount of effort....
I tried to like at&t...but this is ridiculous.
I tried to like at&t...but this is ridiculous.
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AT&T Announces New Limited Data Rollover Feature for Mobile Share Value Customers
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T-Mobile coverage is improving. Have you tried their coverage lately, or just retelling old news? Perhaps customers stay with Verizon and AT&T because of a mistaken belief that T-Mobile's network has significant less coverage than those two large companies
I don't know for sure. I just have anecdotal evidence in the past week or so of driving around with an iPhone 5 with T-Mobile and so far so good on coverage.
Regarding the whole 'AT&T is stealing from me' attitude...
In reality what you are doing is paying for the RIGHT to use UP TO nGB of data for a fixed price. You're not buying the data per se.
In reality what you are doing is paying for the RIGHT to use UP TO nGB of data for a fixed price. You're not buying the data per se.
You mean except for the 2.1M new customers T-Mobile added in 4Q2014? Where do you think those came from?
"T-Mobile also highlighted its porting ratios relative to Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ), AT&T Mobility (NYSE: T) and Sprint. The carrier said it attracted customers at an overall ratio of 2.1 to 1.0 versus the other Tier 1 carriers for all of 2014, meaning that for every T-Mobile customer who left the carrier, T-Mobile gained 2.1 customers from its competitors.
In the fourth quarter, T-Mobile saw positive postpaid porting ratios of 1.4 against Verizon, 1.8 versus AT&T, and 2.2 versus Sprint."
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story.../2015-01-07?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
T-Mobile can't compete on coverage, which is the driving force for many or even most customers. As a result they are staying competitive by other means such as this one. AT&T doesn't have to respond in kind to this kind of offer because they remain competitive by other means. This is a competitive market working exactly as it should.
Data is absolutely a finite resource as defined by the maximum volume of traffic that may be carried over a given network over a period of time before saturation occurs and reliability suffers.
With cellular data where there is a limit to how many towers can be constructed and the amount of data that can be carried over the airwaves. As such, it makes sense to limit its use because we already know when given 'unlimited' access a certain number of users will use it in ways not intended, ruining the quality for the 99% of responsible users.
They could switch to a completely metered billing system where you paid a set amount per megabyte used (Plus, go back to charging by the minute for calls.) This would save the casual users a lot of money, which would then be collected from the heavy users. Ten GB of actual data used is going to cost more to the customer than ten GB of potential use (where the actual usage may only be 8GB).
The good thing about metered billing is that it's completely fair. You can use as much data as you want, as long as you're willing to pay for it, and no data gets "stolen" from you. No one could object. The heavy users might try to complain, but the casual users have been subsidizing them for years, so no one will feeling sorry for them.
Back to reality, though: I think both AT&T and most of its customers prefer to get a consistent bill each month.
Underwhelmed by this.
AT&T is really trying to get everyone to use less data: If you use less this month, then you have something put aside for next month - just in case. You're being prudent. Good customer! Pat on the back for you!
Of course, your "rainy day fund" expires each month, so you have to perpetually stay well under your monthly limit to be safe from overages. Clever.
AT&T is really trying to get everyone to use less data: If you use less this month, then you have something put aside for next month - just in case. You're being prudent. Good customer! Pat on the back for you!
Of course, your "rainy day fund" expires each month, so you have to perpetually stay well under your monthly limit to be safe from overages. Clever.
TMobile will give you a Wireless Asus 802.11ac router, which is really good, for free. I have one for them, and it's blown away my previous 802.11n router (which is now shut off and in a drawer). Get this from them, and you're golden. I highly recommend it! Triple antennas for great signal strength.
So what? If they address it with a free router, who cares if the coverage if it's a little worse in your house. Use Wi-Fi calling, and it's back on par. Plus I can use Wifi Calling anywhere else there's Wifi too, where AT&T doesn't get coverage. Does that mean that TMobile is better in those locations, since AT&T's coverage is crap in one particular spot vs TMobile?
In all honesty, I think a month is fine. The average person uses about the same amount of data each month so getting an extra couple gigs for the next month is fine. You can plan ahead say for a road trip next month and cut back a little if necessary this month. Most likely T-Mobile people will have 20-30 gigs saved up for what, just for it to disappear after 12 months. I have a 10 GB plan and I always like 2-3 gigs left.
I was really excited about this until I read that it only rolls over data for one month. Oh AT&T..
When are the phone companies going to stop stealing from us?
I buy 10Gb of data in a month, at a price that is far higher than in many other countries. If I use only 7Gb, they simply steal the data I paid for.
I know, right!
I bought an all you can dinner at Olive Garden on Monday and when I came back the next day, they told me I needed to pay again to eat more then next day! Oh, the humanity!
fat: mad: constipated: mad: mad: full: fat: mad
Very keen observation. I hadn't thought about it like this. That would be the type of business practice that AT&T probably thought about when it came up with this one month rule.
Why can you NOT switch to NEXT? Next is a pricing plan for the PHONE. Nothing to do with service.
But, for most people, mobile share is not good for a single line.
When are the phone companies going to stop stealing from us?
I buy 10Gb of data in a month, at a price that is far higher than in many other countries. If I use only 7Gb, they simply steal the data I paid for.
The next month I use 11Gb, and they hit me with an overage charge. Even if I only used 1Gb a month for a year, and they have stolen 108Gb from me, they will still charge me extra if I go even a Kb over on the 13th month.
It is a disgusting practice, and this move by AT&T is one step ahead of literally the least they could do.
So how about they announce they are not going to steal anymore? A fair price for a decent service, and if I pay for it, I get to keep it until I use it.
Go build your own domestic network and see how much you charge yourself.
It's like at&t doesn't want to implement this feature but needs to do something about T mobile.
Agreed. T Mobile plans sounds better by far.
I know, right!
I bought an all you can dinner at Olive Garden on Monday and when I came back the next day, they told me I needed to pay again to eat more then next day! Oh, the humanity!
You know your example isn't anything like the Data plans examples, right? If you had all you can eat, you wouldn't need rollover.
Maybe it's more like when I had a pizza delivered, and I ate only half of it, and then the pizza chain came and took the rest of my pizza away cause I didn't finish it all (even though I wanted to save it for tomorrow) and threw it away. Oh...wait. That isn't like your olive garden example at all either, is it. But it is closer to what the cell phone companies do with your data each month.
The point is, cases can be made for both arguments. Some things we accept we don't get to use all of, but usually those are bucketed under "unlimited" tags (so you can choose how much or how little you want to use), such as unlimited cable subscriptions, 24hr unlimited use gym memberships, etc. But in cases where we pay for a finite thing or amount of something, we tend to have a inclination that we should be able to get and use that finite amount when we want. Pizza, data minutes, etc.
the way I see this new feature is that.
1) NO BENEFITS, for those that don't go over their data.
2) people that are sometimes go over their data, this is where they see this kicking in, saving them that 10-15$ over charge per GB.
example. 1st month - Family A uses 9gb of 10 gb = 1 gb roll over.
2nd month - Family A uses 10.5 gb = Phewww awesome no overage charge (1gb roll over saved them)
3rd month - Family A uses 10.5 gb = Overage charge hits
4th month - Family A has a family meeting and talks about being careful about using the data.
So overall, it does help the consumers abit. hey we take whatever we can take right
This could actually be really nice for me since I only use ~ 2GB a month on average, but when I go to my parents cabin up north where the only internet is cellular it will be nice to have last months leftover as a buffer when I tether to my laptop on those rare occasions.
T-Mobile coverage is improving. Have you tried their coverage lately, or just retelling old news? Perhaps customers stay with Verizon and AT&T because of a mistaken belief that T-Mobile's network has significant less coverage than those two large companies
I was a T-Mobile customer for 4 years so I speak from experience. I've been with AT&T for 1 year. I switched due to the coverage woes. I travel from NY to DC often and with T-Mobile the phone would drop down to EDGE a lot!! With AT&T the phone stays on LTE 95% of the time. I stand by my statement that customers choose Verizon and AT&T due to coverage.
Yeah, it's improving but it's still a far cry from where it needs to be to be a viable alternative to AT&T and Verizon for a lot of people. I was visiting some family in a medium-sized city in the Midwest (~150,000 population) over the holidays. AT&T had full LTE signal, Verizon had full LTE signal. T-Mobile had full 2G signal. 2G...not even 3G or HSPA+...2G!!
I know T-Mobile is getting ready to repurpose a lot of spectrum to turn the 2G areas into LTE areas but the point is that they're not there yet. They'll get there; but for people who rely on cell phones as their only form of voice and data communication, "we're getting better" is really a laughable response. When they've actually *gotten* better, they will be a viable alternative for a lot more people.
Has anyone else noticed that AT&T is NEVER the first company to implement a new idea between the big four?
Also, what's the status of the government's lawsuit of AT&T throttling?
Also, what's the status of the government's lawsuit of AT&T throttling?
Stealing? Just like pirates steal digital downloads?
If I buy 2 gallons of milk but only drink 1.5 gallons before the milk spoils (after the sell by date), then did the grocery store steal that half gallon of milk from me? If I have 1000 text messages per month but only use 750, were the rest stolen from me? If I have unlimited talk but only use 500 minutes, did I have ~43000 talk minutes stolen from me?
It's inflammatory to call them not rolling over your data "stealing". I think data should be rolled over and a lot of cell phone industry practices need to change but let's not use emotionally-loaded and incorrect words when describing industry practices.
when I upgraded my phone this time, ATT is NOW charging more per month for the same features....evidentally since my contract was up in september, and I upgraded in december...I was getting a $15 credit per line UNTIL I signed a new 2-year contract. Now my bill is $15 more per phone....all because I upgraded.
seems like they are now throwing the cost of the phone BACK into the people's lap
seems like they are now throwing the cost of the phone BACK into the people's lap