AT&T Fined $100 Million by FCC for Unlimited Data Throttling Practices

[SoAnyway]

TAKE THAT AT&T!

I'm glad I left them last November for T-Mobile where I get truly unlimited and UNTHROTTLED data.

I hope people who were grandfathered into AT&T's "unlimited" plan gets a piece of that $100 million.

 

[SoAnyway]

One more thing...

The worst thing about AT&T's poor business practices were the people who defended them. What do you have to say about that now?

 

[mac8867]

Where do I sign up for the class action civil suit? Or maybe, I should just sue AT&T now. Like everyone else, I had no choice but to switch off the unlimited plan because it didn't work. I want the $20/month back, I want a refund of all the bumped up and overage charges I have been hit with in the last three years. AND AND AND --- I want an F'in apology from AT&T.

 

[JackieInCo]

Is that a pre-paid plan? I've never heard of such a plan before.

it is prepaid.

 

[michaelsviews]

Just got the throttling msg on Monday afternoon, called and they said that they can do it. Mentioned the FCC looking into them, and that throttling was a major NO NO for them and was told they know nothing of it. Typical call center BS. TMO in my area is not even a choice, VZW is even worse with unlimited data plans. So until the FCC and the big boys at ATT get it together guess we're all going to have to deal with it. As soon as I mentioned killing the contract I was switched over to the retention dept and I hung up. They never do anything for me because my plan is grand fathered.

 

[Rafterman]

$100 million? AT&T reaches under the pillow cushions - "wait, I think we got that right here".

That's like a regular person being fined ten bucks.

 

[currocj]

Lets be fair, a lot of people have been abusing these plans for years. Streaming HD Netflix 24/7 or tethering to your computer so you can torrent 50-100GB a month over a cell signal? That's abusing the network and the abusers know it.

Unlimited plans were a poorly thought-out decision by the carriers, from a time where data demands were much lower and that demand rises exponentially every year. They share blame in this situation also no doubt about it, and they should have had the foresight to know their networks were going to get hammered more and more every year as smartphones exploded, but I can't blame them for trying to find ways to get the "heavy users" off of the unlimited plans.

I can't fathom how people could use up to 100+ GB over their phones. I manage to stay under my $80/month, one measly gigabyte limit every month (Telus in Canada). Do people really need to stream Netflix or whatever THAT much in a month? Or do they just do it out of spite, all the while saying "HAHA JUST TRY AND STOP ME" to the carriers?

Again, the carriers should have known better. But on the other hand as long as you keep your usage reasonable you shouldn't have to worry too much about the throttling. I thought I saw an example of a 5GB a month threshold somewhere in this thread and I would KILL to have a limit like that on my cell, and would likely never even come close to using it all.

Hey buddy. We're not talking about the 1%ers. We're talking about the people who use a reasonable amount over 5GB a month but are throttled. It's not unlimited as advertised. Plus it sounds like you're stuck on a sad mobile share capped plan with all of your pro-AT&T pro-big-business-profit statements

 

[iAbc21]

Is that a pre-paid plan? I've never heard of such a plan before.

Yes it is. It's also called the "hidden plan." I basically installed it myself with the help of Internet people, TMo staff were clueless

 

[RogueWarrior65]

But who gets that 100 million? Not the customers who were robbed of their data correct? Some suits get it?

The lawyers get $40 million in cash. Meanwhile, you'll get coupons for discounts on cellphone cases.

 

[Macboy Pro]

Article Link: AT&T Fined $100 Million by FCC for Unlimited Data Throttling Practices

AT&T Should have just canceled the unlimited rather than let the leechers stay on grandfathered. They will fight this and likely win.

AT&T had every right to just cancel unlimited and they should have.

 

[Macboy Pro]

So I am handicapped for a service I pay for, and then the government gets 100 million for my suffering? Glad AT&T got punished for their actions, but the money shouldn't be going to the government, it should be going to all of us who were affected by this act.

You paid for unlimited data, NOT UNLIMITED BANDWIDTH. Good grief some people just can't see past their own greediness.

 

[Macboy Pro]

Look who's getting throttled now!

Who?

If AT&T had let everyone who lucked into grandfathered unlimited from 2008 have unlimited bandwidth, we would ALL be throttled.

At this point, you know who looses? The folks that AT&T graciously let keep their unlimited plans. They will not be UNgrandfathered and forced to pick another plan or even better, leech on another network.

 

[boredandlonely]

Where do I sign up for the class action civil suit? Or maybe, I should just sue AT&T now.

You can file a complaint with the FCC at any time. IMO, all the people filing the complaint is what gave this traction. When this started, they dropped the "unlimited" soft cap down to 2gigs, and all the complaints files got them to go back up to 3gigs (if that was even worth anything), but more importantly, they got all the attention they didn't want from the FCC.

so yea, I have a question? does MetroPCS slow you down so much as to NOT be able to watch Youtube videos? after the 3gb ?

I had StraightTalk instead of MetroPCS and it was murder. Not inly would they throttle you to unusable, the connection was so poor that when you called to complain, and you had to wait forever in line for help, you would invariably be connected by the poor service. You had to call back from a landline to not get disconnected. Then they bitc* at you for not being on the phone in question.

After you get them to unthrottle you a few times they start TURNING YOUR CONNECTION COMPLETELY OFF. They blamed it on technical issues.... right.... No warning, your phone just disconnects, and cannot be fixed from your end. Wherever, whenever, phone just dead. I hope you're not away from home, because now you have to sit on a landline for 45 minutes to get it turned back on again.

 

[Dayv]

I still don't understand why AT&T has to offer unlimited data forever. Why can't they just notify all the unlimited customers something along the lines of "unlimited data will no longer be offered after 2015. If you do not make other arrangements, you will be moved to [similarly priced plan] at that date. You may cancel your service at any time."?

Seems perfectly reasonable to me, from a business perspective. Sure, customers would be mad, but they were mad about throttling, too.

 

[boredandlonely]

I still don't understand why AT&T has to offer unlimited data forever. Why can't they just notify all the unlimited customers something along the lines of "unlimited data will no longer be offered after 2015. If you do not make other arrangements, you will be moved to [similarly priced plan] at that date. You may cancel your service at any time."?

Seems perfectly reasonable to me, from a business perspective. Sure, customers would be mad, but they were mad about throttling, too.

I actually thought they DID do it right at one point. It was after iPhone 1, maybe when iP3G or iP3GS came out. They insisted that the $20/month "unlimited" plan HAD TO BE migrated to a $30/mon "unlimited" plan to accommodate the newer tech speed/data. If you DIDN'T want to pay the extra $10, you just stay with your same 'old' device and current $20/mon unlimited plan.

 

[igorsky]

I still don't understand why AT&T has to offer unlimited data forever. Why can't they just notify all the unlimited customers something along the lines of "unlimited data will no longer be offered after 2015. If you do not make other arrangements, you will be moved to [similarly priced plan] at that date. You may cancel your service at any time."?

Seems perfectly reasonable to me, from a business perspective. Sure, customers would be mad, but they were mad about throttling, too.

Pretty sure this is self-serving on AT&T's part as they stand to lose a lot of grandfathered customers. I for one would switch to Verizon first chance I had if I was forced out of my grandfathered plan.

 

[imlynxy]

We are already paying the fine and then some by no longer being able to buy subsidized iPhones.

No susidy phones is my trigger to switch t-mo. the moment they stop give me discount I stop pay them huge salaries and compensations.

 

[imlynxy]

I still don't understand why AT&T has to offer unlimited data forever. Why can't they just notify all the unlimited customers something along the lines of "unlimited data will no longer be offered after 2015. If you do not make other arrangements, you will be moved to [similarly priced plan] at that date. You may cancel your service at any time."?

Seems perfectly reasonable to me, from a business perspective. Sure, customers would be mad, but they were mad about throttling, too.

They cancel = I switch. VZW has better network, t-mo has better plans, affordable international roaming and price. I keep 2 t-mo lines just for roaming now(100 per month+tax). T-mo just need one more year and Att cannot catch them at all. I use t-mo 1-2 days a month in Boston and NH. Their network still behind, but they will have lte12, low700 MHZ. Their internet blows me in Boston, speed is around 50-80. They grow very fast.
If they cancel unlimited data plans there is nothing to do with att. I think that millions of UDP customers think exactly the same. Att cannot afford it. Can you imaging they loose 4-5 millions customers in one month.
If att cancels UDP they help me to make a decision, not to sit on 2 chairs.

 

[igorsky]

AT&T Should have just canceled the unlimited rather than let the leechers stay on grandfathered. They will fight this and likely win.

AT&T had every right to just cancel unlimited and they should have.

Oh look who's back...AT&T's knight in shining armor!

Maybe they SHOULD HAVE, but they DIDN'T. And as such they're obligated to follow through on their contractual obligations!

Say hello to your AT&T colleagues for us.

 

[Macboy Pro]

Oh look who's back...AT&T's knight in shining armor!

Maybe they SHOULD HAVE, but they DIDN'T. And as such they're obligated to follow through on their contractual obligations!

Say hello to your AT&T colleagues for us.

@ingnorantsky... Again, the ignorant folks come out of the closet...

#1. NO one had a contract for unlimited Bandwidth and the FCC already confirm that in previous statements so it is ignorant to state that AT&T were obligated to provide unlimited BANDWIDTH. IT's just ignorant of any facts on your part.
#2. This was not a fine but a vote. A vote that will NOT stand in court after facts are litigated. So this article is a joke for fools to spew garbage.
#4. They grandfathered customers in when they did not have to. This was back when AT&T was exclusive. Folks were NOT going to leave because they had no where to go with their iPhone. Again, you are ignorant of the facts.
#5. When Verizon was finally allowed in on the iPhone, the departure of AT&T customers destined for Verizon was minimal at best and WAY WAY WAY less than predicted. Hmmm.
#6. I run my own business. Just because I defend the RIGHT thing does not make me an employee.

Quit embarrassing yourself on this topic!

 

[mdwsta4]

So I just got a text message saying I've used 75% of my unlimited data up to 5GB this month. If this fine hit, why am I being capped? I'm hardly a power user and am actually surprised I'm getting close to 5GB of data for the month, but I have had the unlimited data plan since 2007

 

[Renzatic]

NO one had a contract for unlimited Bandwidth and the FCC already confirm that in previous statements so it is ignorant to state that AT&T were obligated to provide unlimited BANDWIDTH. IT's just ignorant of any facts on your part.

That's a distinction that means practically nothing, since you effectively can't have one without the other. They advertised unlimited data without restrictions. Artificially choking a connection down to nigh useless speeds after crossing a certain threshold wouldn't be living up to the spirit of their contract.

 

[Macboy Pro]

That's a distinction that means practically nothing, since you effectively can't have one without the other. They advertised unlimited data without restrictions. Artificially choking a connection down to nigh useless speeds after crossing a certain threshold wouldn't be living up to the spirit of their contract.

"without restrictions" is what you are making up. There is a distinction and soon the lawyers will draw it up for you. Again, this article is a joke. There is no fine, there is only a 3-2 vote for a fine. AT&T will never pay $100M because they limit your throughput to sustain their network for all customers. Sorry if you can't figure it out.

 

[Renzatic]

"without restrictions" is what you are making up. There is a distinction and soon the lawyers will draw it up for you. Again, this article is a joke. There is no fine, there is only a 3-2 vote for a fine. AT&T will never pay $100M because they limit your throughput to sustain their network for all customers. Sorry if you can't figure it out.

Reasonable restrictions, such as throttling during peak hours, or people who downloading 100GBs worth of data per week.

Throttling people who go over 5GB a month isn't reasonable by any stretch of the word.

 

[Macboy Pro]

Reasonable restrictions, such as throttling during peak hours, or people who downloading 100GBs worth of data per week.

Throttling people who go over 5GB a month isn't reasonable by any stretch of the word.

Again, you are now adding in "Reasonable."

Are you suggesting AT&T should accept Renzatic's advice on how to handles it's 100M + subscribers? I guess you have all the information you need to plan capacity globally on the AT&T cellular network?

This argument seen on this site, and many others, boils down to people wanting to take advantage of the situation (I call it LEECH). AT&T made one big mistake and that is the they should have canceled the unlimited plan right when they ended the offering (almost 7 years ago). Instead, they were gracious to their customers and it has ended up that most of these customers are likely not the appreciative type.

AT&T has the FAR BETTER network in almost all respects. I think AT&T would do themselves a favor and just cancel the plans, and let the unlimited customers go if they choose. Likely this will further improve the network and they can continue to run away from Verizon, Spring, and T-Mobile.