AT&T Data Plan Advice

[bgro]

Looking for some opinions as I am unsure of what to do given my situation

I currently have an unlimited data plan with AT&T and receive a 23% discount through my employer bringing the total cost of the data plan to $23.10.

Over the 14 month term of my contract I have averaged approximately 2.4GB of data with a high month of 3.9GB (streamed alot of music that month). I expect my usage might increase a little from the average as I have been streaming more music in the past few months. But nevertheless, just figure I use around 3GB per month.

I would like the ability to tether although it is not a necessity. Sometimes I bring my iPad (WiFi only) to work and it would be nice to have internet access at lunchtime. I would also like a backup internet connection should my home internet ever go out (which it has in the past and it freakin sucks).

With the news of AT&T throttling data beginning in October, I figured that there's a good possibility that I would be grouped into the "high usage" category given that I use over 2GB per month. Definitely don't want to be throttled. With all that being said...

I saw that AT&T has a 4GB Data Pro w/ Tethering plan. This would take care of my increased data usage without lumping me into the throttling category and would also give me tethering ability. With my discount, the total price of the data plan would be only $12 more than what I am currently paying. I have a family plan split between 4 people so that would bring my total monthly increase to $3/month (we all split evenly and noone minds the increase).

So what are your thoughts? Would you give up the unlimited plan given the possibility of throttling to gain tethering w/ 4GB of data? Or would you just say screw it and keep unlimited? I am not jailbroken and don't plan on it so PDANet and other similar apps are out.

Que up the Didn't Read LOL gifs

Cliffs
- Currently have AT&T unlimited data for $23/month
- Use approx 3GB data/month
- Would like ability to tether and have backup internet connection but not necessity
- Afraid that AT&T's potential throttling might ruin my iPhone experience (streaming music, etc)
- Can get Data Pro w/ Tether for $3/month extra
- Would you give up unlimited for this (given my average usage of under 4GB)

 

[McGiord]

I will give up unlimited only for something better.
I am afraid that they will force us out of it when the next Gen might be released. I just hope that the competition between the carriers result in something better for us the end users.
Jailbrake if needed.

 

[bgro]

I will give up unlimited only for something better.
I am afraid that they will force us out of it when the next Gen might be released. I just hope that the competition between the carriers result in something better for us the end users.
Jailbrake if needed.

That's what's stopping me right now. Even though I will gain legal tethering, I don't feel like it's a better plan. I want the option to use more data if I ever want to stream netflix, music all day, etc.

I used to say that I would never own an iPhone if it couldn't be jailbroken but I'm running iOS5 right now and I really don't miss anything expect bitesms and PDANet. Plus I feel the phone is so much more smooth when not jailbroken. To each his own tho..

 

[iMikeT]

You think you have it tough? I'm on an unlimited plan and I received a text message today saying that I'm going to be throttled down because I consume around 10GB of 3G wireless data per month.

 

[bgro]

You think you have it tough? I'm on an unlimited plan and I received a text message today saying that I'm going to be throttled down because I consume around 10GB of 3G wireless data per month.

That sucks man. Unlimited should be unlimited. I wonder how bad the throttling will effect data speeds. They seem slow enough already.

 

[mpossoff]

You think you have it tough? I'm on an unlimited plan and I received a text message today saying that I'm going to be throttled down because I consume around 10GB of 3G wireless data per month.

Well you should be! You are ruining for the the rest of us!

 

[bgro]

Well you should be! You are ruining for the the rest of us!

Serious question for you, not attacking your view...

Do you really think that the people who use "obscene" amounts of data are ruining it for the rest of us?

Only asking because I can't see that many people using this much data. Maybe I am just being naive but even AT&T says that 98% of users use 2GB or less right? Can the 2% that use over 2GB really be affecting network performance that much?

I myself use around 3GB of data monthly and don't feel like I'm abusing anything at all. Just stream music a few hours a day and browse internet, check scores, emails, etc.

Oh and thread hijacking ITT...I need opinions on the OP!!

 

[utl768]

**** like this makes me want to switch to sprint

 

[wordoflife]

Do you really think that the people who use "obscene" amounts of data are ruining it for the rest of us?

Yes and No.

No: The carriers are already charging us a lot for our data anyways. $15 for 200MB ... really? And also, many people don't take advantage of their plans. I know people who don't use more than 85MB a month, yet they have an unlimited data plan. Basically, my point is that there are many carriers who use less than what they can, which allows the carriers to "break even" (and still profit) on those who do abuse it.

Yes: Why should people who use 101GB/mo pay the same price as people use 85MB/mo on their unlimited plan? Why should those people who use 0.0008% of the data that those abusers use pay the same price?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I was in the exact same situation a few months ago, I had some traveling to do and rather than taking my Verizon USB modem and Cradlepoint router, I wanted to leave that at home (at the time it was primary Internet for the house, so it would have left my wife off-line if I'd taken it). I reviewed my data usage on the iPhone, figured what I was likely to use with iPad/laptop while traveling, and decided to switch to the 4GB plan with tethering.

I have not regretted the decision. It's been very handy to take my iPad or laptop with me "somewhere" and have Internet access through the iPhone. For example I act in local theater, and during rehearsals while scenes that I am not in are being worked, I can tether my iPad and use it in the theater. I also have had occasions where a client will call while I'm away from home, and I can fire up my laptop from literally anywhere and GoToSupport into their computer.

In the 4-5 months since I switched, I have not even gotten close to the 4GB limit. Without tethering, there was no WAY that I was going to get up to that level on the phone alone, so I didn't lose anything by giving up my Unlimited plan.

 

[bgro]

Yes and No.

No: The carriers are already charging us a lot for our data anyways. $15 for 200MB ... really? And also, many people don't take advantage of their plans. I know people who don't use more than 85MB a month, yet they have an unlimited data plan. Basically, my point is that there are many carriers who use less than what they can, which allows the carriers to "break even" (and still profit) on those who do abuse it.

Yes: Why should people who use 101GB/mo pay the same price as people use 85MB/mo on their unlimited plan? Why should those people who use 0.0008% of the data that those abusers use pay the same price?

Good points. That's why it's really a matter of opinion. I watch around 10 hours of TV per month (except during football season) but pay the same as a couch potato watching 4-5 hours a day. Is someone who's watching 8 hours of TV a day ruining it for the rest of us? I realize that with cellular companies there is only so much bandwith, thus possibly necessitating limits on "abuse" but can the top 2% of users really be affecting network performance that much or is this just AT&T's way of being douchy?

 

[iMikeT]

That sucks man. Unlimited should be unlimited. I wonder how bad the throttling will effect data speeds. They seem slow enough already.

I agree, unlimited should be unlimited, speed included.

I'm thinking that the throttling will be like being on EDGE again. 3G does seem slow with some things but it's decent enough to stream the videos I watch over 3G.

Well you should be! You are ruining for the the rest of us!

No need to quibble considering that you probably only use 500MB per month updating your Facebook status on your smartphone like everyone else.

Can you please explain how does my personal usage ruins it for you?

Serious question for you, not attacking your view...

Do you really think that the people who use "obscene" amounts of data are ruining it for the rest of us?

Only asking because I can't see that many people using this much data. Maybe I am just being naive but even AT&T says that 98% of users use 2GB or less right? Can the 2% that use over 2GB really be affecting network performance that much?

I myself use around 3GB of data monthly and don't feel like I'm abusing anything at all. Just stream music a few hours a day and browse internet, check scores, emails, etc.

Oh and thread hijacking ITT...I need opinions on the OP!!

I don't mean to hijack the thread. But I agree with you once again.

Seriously, how does using over 2GB per month affect overall network usage? If you ask me, this is more about AT&T getting users off unlimited plans and use their tiered plans, which cost even more than the unlimited plan. You can sum this up in one word, greed. The email they send out even includes a sales pitch for exactly what I just described. The billions they make each year isn't enough.

 

[bgro]

I was in the exact same situation a few months ago, I had some traveling to do and rather than taking my Verizon USB modem and Cradlepoint router, I wanted to leave that at home (at the time it was primary Internet for the house, so it would have left my wife off-line if I'd taken it). I reviewed my data usage on the iPhone, figured what I was likely to use with iPad/laptop while traveling, and decided to switch to the 4GB plan with tethering.

I have not regretted the decision. It's been very handy to take my iPad or laptop with me "somewhere" and have Internet access through the iPhone. For example I act in local theater, and during rehearsals while scenes that I am not in are being worked, I can tether my iPad and use it in the theater. I also have had occasions where a client will call while I'm away from home, and I can fire up my laptop from literally anywhere and GoToSupport into their computer.

In the 4-5 months since I switched, I have not even gotten close to the 4GB limit. Without tethering, there was no WAY that I was going to get up to that level on the phone alone, so I didn't lose anything by giving up my Unlimited plan.

This is what I'm thinking as well. It's just nice to have the unlimited option just in case but who cares if I never use that much anyway? Thanks for the advice

 

[Muscle]

like the general consensus unlimited = no limit

Good thing the government challenged the merger of T-mobile and ATT, imagine what would happen if the deal actually went through.

And ATT is arguing that the merger would create jobs (doubtful) and benefit consumers

 

[i4Collin]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A5313e Safari/7534.48.3)

I will give up unlimited only for something better.
I am afraid that they will force us out of it when the next Gen might be released. I just hope that the competition between the carriers result in something better for us the end users.
Jailbrake if needed.

If they force us out, I'm immediately cancelling my contract and switching to Verizon.