AT&T ending grandfathered data plan with iPhone 6?

[Newtons Apple]

Why? Why can't I use it when I want to as much as I want to? I can use it with T-Mobile without any limits, hell even I was able to use it for 10-12GB a month just watching Netflix and AT&T never batted an eye and when it was true unlimited data. I used over 10GB with T-Mobile when I had them, so they can't be that bad. How can a carrier with half the subscribers be able to handle this much data usage and AT&T can't? AT&T's throttling policy is a joke, as someone that has been throttled, (you can't speak on it considering you said yourself you've never been throttled.) it's pure crap. 10-12GB a month is not a lot of data in terms of streaming Netflix, trust me. Just because you don't use your data like I do, doesn't mean I'm doing something wrong.

Perhaps it was a good idea you stopped reading considering you were pulling the 3 month crap out of your butt in terms of throttling.

What good is a carrier that does not have good coverage. I had to go outside to use a T-Mobile phone and I live in a area that shows excellent reception for T-Mo. It is ATT for me and I have used 8gb of data and ATT never throttled me.

 

[chukwithak]

I work for ATT and can say we haven't heard that, and I don't see that happening, but I also don't see much use for many people in the "unlimited" category any more. Don't get me wrong, it's still great for some people, but not all.

 

[capathy21]

I left ATT was paying $136.00 a month for my Grandfathered plan. I pay 74.00 a month through T-Mobile for Unlimited/Un Throttled LTE, Data and Text.

How is your T-Mobile Coverage where you are? I've never been happier.

That's a great deal! If I had T-Mobile coverage in my area I would have switched a long time ago.

 

[scaredpoet]

I didn't realize I did all that in one simple phrase.

Yup you did, and when called on it you had to come up with a tl;dr screed to justify yourself. So I'll respond succinctly to your numbered list.

1. I was only countering your "facts."

2. I'm not sure why berating someone for their choice of carrier has ANYTHING to do with "Will AT&T keep grandfathered unlimited plans for iPhone 6?" But you did it anyway. So, pot meet kettle when it comes to "pushing agendas."

3. Not everyone works in a steel manufacturing plant in the boonies.

4. Money is subjective. $15 a month may be nothing to you, but others might see it as $180 a year, which is a bit more sizable. Not to mention, I for one am saving a lot more than $15 a month.

A lot of people boast about having T-Mobile when the handful of dollars they save doesn't justify the slower internet and the B-level reception nationwide.

I dunno, I don't consider that slower or B-level, to be honest. sure beats the pants off the AT&T speeds I would typically get. They STARTED fast, then went way downhill.
But hey, if AT&T works for you, then good on you.

 

[soydepr]

they can't legally do that

class action law suit

 

[famoussasjohn]

class action law suit

Ask Verizon how they got passed that then. If you still have unlimited data and upgrade with a 2 year agreement, they force you to a newer data plan.

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What good is a carrier that does not have good coverage. I had to go outside to use a T-Mobile phone and I live in a area that shows excellent reception for T-Mo. It is ATT for me and I have used 8gb of data and ATT never throttled me.

That's subject to the area, I only ever had issues when at work in a building. At home it was great and was much faster than my home connection and AT&T. I was getting over 30-40Mbps daily, whereas AT&T I get half, maybe 20Mbps if I was lucky. I only chose to stay with AT&T as their coverage is widely available over T-Mobile, but I'm sure that they will further improve that over time along with building penetration.

 

[scaredpoet]

Ask Verizon how they got passed that then. If you still have unlimited data and upgrade with a 2 year agreement, they force you to a newer data plan.

That's pretty much exactly how such a thing should be done. As long as you're on an existing contract with the unlimited plan and aren't changing the terms of that contract, AT&T can't change the terms of your plan without also letting you break the contract ETF-free. However, if you're signing a new contract, they could, if they wanted to, require that you change your data plan.

But we're just speculating at this point. There's no indication either way. Heck, the iPhone 6 hasn't even been officially announced.

 

[famoussasjohn]

I work for ATT and can say we haven't heard that, and I don't see that happening, but I also don't see much use for many people in the "unlimited" category any more. Don't get me wrong, it's still great for some people, but not all.

It's a better option for users with one line on their account like me. The other data options are a rip off for what you get. Here's what they are wanting to charge me if I change my plan

 

[ron7624]

I left ATT was paying $136.00 a month for my Grandfathered plan. I pay 74.00 a month through T-Mobile for Unlimited/Un Throttled LTE, Data and Text.

How is your T-Mobile Coverage where you are? I've never been happier.

Too bad they don't sell it any more. Better keep yours.

 

[Eddie Bombay]

Target employees are serious business

 

[Bobby Corwen]

Image

I dunno, I don't consider that slower or B-level, to be honest. sure beats the pants off the AT&T speeds I would typically get. They STARTED fast, then went way downhill.
But hey, if AT&T works for you, then good on you.

Again, thats not really my criticism with T-Mobile.

Sure you could find a spot near a tower that has low traffic and go nuts on speeds.

What I would be more impressed is if you drove around town for a few miles here and there running errands and doing the test whilst driving in various areas.

Here is a few tests I did myself with the same app while driving ~40 MPH through town.

Also, anything over 10Mb DL is overkill and doesn't effect video streaming or esspecially web page loading.

So again, it really comes down to spotty coverage being a thing that affects speeds. In real life use, T-Mobile has hiccups, thats a fact. For whatever reason, its still not generally flawless like ATT/Verizon. Not yet. You might be driving around randomly or in a building and you lose signal and you page doesn't load or lags. Lol, this happens in real life on TMO to this day.

Also the place where my dad doesn't get reception with his TMO is in downtown Phoenix, AZ in the heart of the metropolis, not in the boonies as you suggest.

There is also a thread on the front page right here about a guy who doesn't get TMO reception at his house or job and is switching and its 2014 and stuff like that is inexcusable.

To this day, TMO is lagging significantly behind VZ/ATT by most accounts.

IMO the price difference is not worth the B-level experience. Its worth the extra money because its something you use everyday and its worth it not to have to worry and wonder and be that guy with the TMobile not getting the reception when everyone else is --just so he can save the price of 2 or 3 Starbucks coffees a month.

 

[missygal]

I work for ATT and can say we haven't heard that, and I don't see that happening, but I also don't see much use for many people in the "unlimited" category any more. Don't get me wrong, it's still great for some people, but not all.

I have to have Unlimited Data, we would go over almost every month with our four iPhones on the account.

 

[scaredpoet]

Again, thats not really my criticism with T-Mobile.

Coulda fooled me.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/19342787/

"A lot of people boast about having T-Mobile when the handful of dollars they save doesn't justify the slower internet and the B-level reception nationwide."

Sure you could find a spot near a tower that has low traffic and go nuts on speeds.

As could you. The speeds you're claiming to have on AT&T are nowhere close to the speeds I've seen.

What I would be more impressed is if you drove around town for a few miles here and there running errands and doing the test whilst driving in various areas.

Basically what you're saying is, you'll accept your own speed test results as gospel, but anyone that contradicts you with their own you'll just discount by accusing them of gaming the system.

By the way: I was driving as well.

Also, anything over 10Mb DL is overkill and doesn't effect video streaming or especially web page loading.

Sooo now the speed tests are meaningless?

So again, it really comes down to spotty coverage being a thing that affects speeds. In real life use, T-Mobile has hiccups, thats a fact.

In real life, ALL wireless carriers have "hiccups." That's a fact as well. Including for AT&T. What a consumer must do is determine which carrier works best for them, at the best price. For some tens of millions of people, that happens to be T-Mobile, and they don't need some troll telling them their decision is a dumb one.

Again, I'm glad that AT&T works for you, so much that you can berate others for not making the same perfect choice you have. But the reality is, perfection is in tthe eye of the beholder, and not everyone's experience will be like yours.

 

[AppleFanatic10]

I have a tmobile plan with 1000 min and unlimited lte data $59.99

I'm assuming they don't sell that plan anymore

 

[Bobby Corwen]

Coulda fooled me.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/19342787/

"A lot of people boast about having T-Mobile when the handful of dollars they save doesn't justify the slower internet and the B-level reception nationwide."


I stand by this because when you don't have signal, or a poor signal, you don't have fast internet either, duh.

As could you. The speeds you're claiming to have on AT&T are nowhere close to the speeds I've seen.

I don't get it, my fastest speed was 52Mb and yours was 33MB. So mine IS faster potentially, on top of being more consistent with coverage.

Basically what you're saying is, you'll accept your own speed test results as gospel, but anyone that contradicts you with their own you'll just discount by accusing them of gaming the system.

No thats not what I was saying, your twisting things around. I was challenging you to provide a more well rounded test that more accurately illustrates what we are trying to discuss.

By the way: I was driving as well.



Sooo now the speed tests are meaningless?

Ultimately yes because my criticism of TMO is the coverage which is strongly interrelated to speeds, i.e. if you don't have a tower nearby you don't have fast speed. Less towers = less situations where you have speed. So they are essentially the same thing. TMO is fast on paper and in theory of perfect condition. But in reality it has hiccups. Id much rather have broad coverage and no gaps, than having 30Mbps DL when I might otherwise have 20Mbps and can't even tell the diff in performance. While if you have no bars, you can definitely notice that. And thats what TMO sells you on, boasts that don't mean much.


In real life, ALL wireless carriers have "hiccups." That's a fact as well. Including for AT&T. What a consumer must do is determine which carrier works best for them, at the best price. For some tens of millions of people, that happens to be T-Mobile, and they don't need some troll telling them their decision is a dumb one.

Again, I'm glad that AT&T works for you, so much that you can berate others for not making the same perfect choice you have. But the reality is, perfection is in tthe eye of the beholder, and not everyone's experience will be like yours.

I disagree with the bolded statement. I haven't had a situation where I didn't have coverage in a reasonable area in the last 3 years now. TMO and VZ are just way more solid as of 2014 and TMO still has gaps and hasn't changed much in the last 3 years as far as overall class of coverage. They have less customers and they charge less money, therefore they have less money. And they have less money to spend on new coverage. Did you know up until the last few years Verizon wasn't even profitable? Do you realize how expensive it is to "properly" cover the United States? And the upkeep costs?

Again Im not berating you, we are just having a discussion, and theres no reason to get all defensive. Don't even take it personal because these are common boasts I see TMO users make quite often and I just never agreed with the logic of skimping on the cash and hoping for the best, like you can just get by and get away with it, only to come across situations where you are disappointed by the sub-par coverage when reality strikes.

Its just illogical to me and not worth the measly savings. I guess its that TMO marketing.

 

[0970373]

I left ATT was paying $136.00 a month for my Grandfathered plan. I pay 74.00 a month through T-Mobile for Unlimited/Un Throttled LTE, Data and Text.

How is your T-Mobile Coverage where you are? I've never been happier.

TMO coverage outside isn't terrible here in NYC but inside, it's unusable for me. No service in my house. I bought a pre-paid SIM and tested it out. I really hope it gets better because I'd love to move over to TMO. Maybe once iOS 8 is out and this Continuity thing works, I'd be able to.

I actually get a discount from my AT&T FAN acct so total incl taxes on my grandfathered plan is $91 so it's not terrible but I like TMO's pricing structure w/ the free intl roaming too.

 

[barkomatic]

TMO coverage outside isn't terrible here in NYC but inside, it's unusable for me. No service in my house. I bought a pre-paid SIM and tested it out. I really hope it gets better because I'd love to move over to TMO. Maybe once iOS 8 is out and this Continuity thing works, I'd be able to.

I actually get a discount from my AT&T FAN acct so total incl taxes on my grandfathered plan is $91 so it's not terrible but I like TMO's pricing structure w/ the free intl roaming too.

That's disappointing to read. I live in the city and was thinking of switching to TMO in a few months -- but I need coverage inside buildings.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I had a new dishwasher installed today and the plumber told me that his mother in law told him the same thing and that the unlimited plans are a gone in September!

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

It's a dwindling pool of people considering signups for that plan ceased in 2010; just weeks before the iPhone 4 launch date. I'd be surprised if more than 10% of non-enterprise customers still have a grandfathered unlimited data plan as of today. With that being said, I doubt corporate AT&T is overly concerned at this point. As data continues to expand those soft caps on the unlimited plan[3GB for HSPA+ and below, 5GB for LTE] are going to become more prevalent and will eventually obsolete the plan all together.

 

[kupkakez]

I'm connected to wifi like 90% of the time anyhow, between home and work so not having unlimited isn't a huge problem in my situation.

I think we will see AT&T start to make you jump through a lot more hoops to maintain your unlimited data.

 

[charlituna]

Let's hear it from a more reliable source than some lowly Target worker.

Indeed. Yes it highly possible that he's more or less correct so I might do my homework about what plan would be a good second choice. And I would start setting aside a little money in case they pull the same stunt Verizon did by saying you can keep it but you have to pay full price.

But don't make any changes just yet. Wait for official word

 

[Bobby Corwen]

My uncle did landscaping for a guy who was friends with a guy who installs cell phone invisishields at the mall and he said they are doing away with unlimited when you upgrade.

 

[JoshGlzBrk]

I don't really see them ever forcing people off unlimited data. The 3G:3GB, LTE:5GB throttling policy as well as the no tethering policy seems to get most people to move off the plan eventually, and those that keep the plan aren't really doing much in terms of using a ton of bandwidth.

I also don't see them going the Verizon route and forcing you to a tiered plan if you use a 2yr contract upgrade on an unlimited line.

In Verizon's case, they don't throttle their LTE network in any form, so the "use your upgrade on your unlimited line, then be switched to tiered data" policy fits their network policy right now. But that doesn't stop people who regularly use over 100GB per month on their unlimited LTE sims in an LTE router or even via tethering.

 

[Mrs. C]

I work for ATT and can say we haven't heard that, and I don't see that happening, but I also don't see much use for many people in the "unlimited" category any more. Don't get me wrong, it's still great for some people, but not all.

Thank you for your polite, informed yet non-judgemental reply, Charlesrking. I am happy with my AT&T plan and would like to keep it the way it is. I just want the LTE and larger screen that I am hoping Apple will deliver with the iphone 6.

 

[nostresshere]

class action law suit

Think again.

Customer bought unlimited with phone model "x". ATT still honors it. Will forever honor THAT contract.

But - if you want that with some other phone - well - new contract.


Personally, I held onto two unlimited plans for a few years and now kick myself for doing so. I could have been paying less and been fine. The new 4 phones with 10gb and hotspot for $160 a month is way cheaper and great!