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AT&T iPhone Customers Can Keep Unlimited Data Plan for Next iPhone

I wonder how many of the people complaining about the caps realize that they probably don't even use 2 GB of data on their HOME internet service.

AT&T say that 98% of iPhone users don't go over 2 GB, I actually believe that. People have this crazy idea of how much bandwidth they use, but they don't realize that things like YouTube are designed to use the least amount of bandwidth possible when sending to the iPhone.

If you think you're one of the 2%, you're probably not.
 
ericinboston said:
I know that...I work from my home and really don't use my iPhone on the road...calls or anything. It's illegal in my state to use a phone while driving unless using hands-free (which I do not have). Therefore, the only time my iPhone is in use outside my home is when I am a passenger in a car...and out of the last 22 days, that's happened once...1 day :)

-Eric
Click to expand...

If your state is Massachusetts (judging by your username), then you're wrong. It's fully legal to use a phone (or any mobile device) while driving, with or without hands-free devices.

http://www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.aspx
 
AT&T's move will not help the bandwidth issue

Guy Carlo said:
I use 10GB a month on my 3GS...

My solution: My-Wi + 3G unrestrictor
voice at $65
unlimited data at $30
total of about $110 after fees

Their solution: AT&T insanity
voice at $65
2GB data at $25
8GB data at $80
tethering at $20
total of about $220 after fees

I don't know about you, but I like my plan better... ; )
Click to expand...

So what he is saying is that he has found a way to hijack as much AT&T bandwidth as he wants by circumventing the end user contract through tethering whatever device to his jail-broken iPhone.

This is the reason the 3G network is so darn slow and AT&T is capping all new users. This guy's single month usage probably equals 100 times the average user (my frequent iPhone usage places me at about 100Mb per month).

The problem is that AT&T's solution is not going to get rid of users like this since they will keep their unlimited plans and just tether for free using gobs and gobs of data. The rest of us will suffer for it though, and eventually AT&T will catch on and find a way to do away with the unlimited plans altogether.

To those who are praising AT&T for doing this in a false belief that it will somehow drive down network usage from the fringe 2% who are eating it all up -- think again. Those users are almost certainly doing like this guy and tethering data-hungry devices to their iPhone. Either that or they spend all day surfing youtube from their iPhones on 3G only breaking for trips to the bathroom.
 
Vertigo50 said:
I wonder how many of the people complaining about the caps realize that they probably don't even use 2 GB of data on their HOME internet service.

AT&T say that 98% of iPhone users don't go over 2 GB, I actually believe that. People have this crazy idea of how much bandwidth they use, but they don't realize that things like YouTube are designed to use the least amount of bandwidth possible when sending to the iPhone.

If you think you're one of the 2%, you're probably not.
Click to expand...

And if you are, which is easy to check, you can keep the unlimited plan (rather than save a few bucks).
 
Since I'm reupping my contract to get the new iPhone, I would assume I get to keep my unlimited option locked for 2 years??
 
Rodimus Prime said:
While I am glad AT&T is finally offering price choices like this I do not agree with the price for each level.

For $15 a month it should be 1 gig, $25 for 2 gigs and $40 for 5 gigs.
Click to expand...

No it should be $40 for unlimited or something higher than 5GB, maybe 10GB. Or at least offer 5-10GB for the iPad users.

Also to the person who mentioned the Netflix app - who is going to stream a movie over 3G?
 
What about original iPhone owners who pay the $20 per month? Wil they be grandfathered into the $30 unlimited?
 
BC2009 said:
To those who are praising AT&T for doing this in a false belief that it will somehow drive down network usage from the fringe 2% who are eating it all up -- think again.
Click to expand...

I have a hard time believing that AT&T's network issues can legitimately be blamed on 2% of their smartphone user base.

You're right, though, that jailbreakers will continue to jailbreak OS 4 and tether their iPhones. No question about that. AT&T will ultimately kill the "unlimited" data plan, in my opinion. Grandfathering us in is only a temporary option (again, IMO.) I predict that they will force us to pick one of the new data plans by the end of 2010. There's no question that if AT&T had a choice (and they do), they would want to control the data flow on their network and charge appropriately for it. Allowing current "unlimited" users to keep their existing plan doesn't give AT&T the ability to control and charge for data flow. . .hence the reason I believe it will be phased out sooner rather than later.

It's unfortunate that the cellular networks don't seem to be able to reliably support high data usage the way they now support unlimited voice at lower rates than we've seen in the past.
 
douglaswilliams said:
Shoot, these caps do it for me. It's over the top. My wife and I were finally going to switch to AT&T but now were gonna wait for Verizon this Fall.

I'm sure I wouldn't go over 2GB/month but just the fear of the limit would make me not enjoy the phone's abilities.
Click to expand...

I'm a heavy iPhone user and I've never even hit the 1 gb mark let alone 2 gb.
 
I don't know why the hardcore data users are screaming so much. It's really a very simple solution.

Keep your existing unlimited dataplan. Get the new iPhone when it ships. Wait for the 4G jailbreak (that's in the wings). Buy My-Wi for $10. Knock yourself out.

Simple.
 
mtfbwy said:
I'm a heavy iPhone user and I've never even hit the 1 gb mark let alone 2 gb.
Click to expand...

If you have never hit 1 gig you are not a heavy user. I got my 3G iPad on release day and have been using it much more than my iPhone. I still racked up 2.9 gig on the iPhone last month. :)
 
TheMadCow said:
I don't know why the hardcore data users are screaming so much. It's really a very simple solution.

Keep your existing unlimited dataplan. Get the new iPhone when it ships. Wait for the 4G jailbreak (that's in the wings). Buy My-Wi for $10. Knock yourself out.

Simple.
Click to expand...

I can't speak for anyone but me. I don't like that canceling my unlimited plan on my iPad for a month or two means I no longer have the unlimited option. I also think that loosing the unlimited plan on my iPhone is only a matter of time.
 
I just got off the phone after being placed on hold and transferred to numerous representatives for about an hour.

What I wanted to do was convert my line to a family share plan, add another 3G to my account, and be grandfathered in to get the unlimited data plan on the new iPhone. I was told this was not possible by two different people (called twice) because:

1) When you buy the new phone, AT&T requires you to sign a new 2 year commitment to purchase it at the subsidized cost.

2) When you sign a new contract, you have to select one of new data plans to accompany your plan for that line. If you have a 3G/3GS on a family share plan, those phones will remain grandfathered in and get the unlimited plan. Your new phone will not.

3) AT&T said that if I got the new iPhone, put my SIM in it, and tried to continue using the unlimited plan, you would automatically be forced to select a new plan. The representative told me that AT&T tracks the IMEI number associated with the phone (much like trying to keep the 2G plan with a 3G phone, which only works for a little while) and will automatically either switch or prompt you to switch (other choice being go back to your 3G/3GS).

I think this is totally ridiculous. We already pay far more than Blackberry customers for unlimited data, and to put a 2GB cap for $5 less a month than what we are currently paying, they can kiss it.

Has anyone else heard otherwise speaking directly to an AT&T rep?
 
I still can remember the huge applause during the iPad-keynote in January, when SJ announced the price for the unlimited data-plan.
We hardly knew ye.
 
jkchr1s said:
I just got off the phone after being placed on hold and transferred to numerous representatives for about an hour.

What I wanted to do was convert my line to a family share plan, add another 3G to my account, and be grandfathered in to get the unlimited data plan on the new iPhone. I was told this was not possible by two different people (called twice) because:

1) When you buy the new phone, AT&T requires you to sign a new 2 year commitment to purchase it at the subsidized cost.

2) When you sign a new contract, you have to select one of new data plans to accompany your plan for that line. If you have a 3G/3GS on a family share plan, those phones will remain grandfathered in and get the unlimited plan. Your new phone will not.

3) AT&T said that if I got the new iPhone, put my SIM in it, and tried to continue using the unlimited plan, you would automatically be forced to select a new plan. The representative told me that AT&T tracks the IMEI number associated with the phone (much like trying to keep the 2G plan with a 3G phone, which only works for a little while) and will automatically either switch or prompt you to switch (other choice being go back to your 3G/3GS).

I think this is totally ridiculous. We already pay far more than Blackberry customers for unlimited data, and to put a 2GB cap for $5 less a month than what we are currently paying, they can kiss it.

Has anyone else heard otherwise speaking directly to an AT&T rep?
Click to expand...

The 5 Reps i spoke to told me that if i keep my data plan that i can upgrade and be grandfathered if i had an elgible upgrade.

But since i don't i will be paying full price and selling my existing iphone to recoup some of the money back.
 
If I'm reading what you posted correctly, then I'm pretty sure the AT&T reps had no idea what they were talking about. Honestly, your best bet is to go into a retail store, don't mention this new data policy at all and do what you want to do there (add yourself into a family plan, and add a 3G [which will have unlimited, as that's all that is currently offered]). I'm pretty sure:

1. MOST people don't even know about this yet
2. It doesn't go into effect until the 7th.

Again, if I understand this correctly, you can do whatever the hell you want until the 7th. After that, usage will be capped.

jkchr1s said:
I just got off the phone after being placed on hold and transferred to numerous representatives for about an hour.

What I wanted to do was convert my line to a family share plan, add another 3G to my account, and be grandfathered in to get the unlimited data plan on the new iPhone. I was told this was not possible by two different people (called twice) because:

1) When you buy the new phone, AT&T requires you to sign a new 2 year commitment to purchase it at the subsidized cost.

2) When you sign a new contract, you have to select one of new data plans to accompany your plan for that line. If you have a 3G/3GS on a family share plan, those phones will remain grandfathered in and get the unlimited plan. Your new phone will not.

3) AT&T said that if I got the new iPhone, put my SIM in it, and tried to continue using the unlimited plan, you would automatically be forced to select a new plan. The representative told me that AT&T tracks the IMEI number associated with the phone (much like trying to keep the 2G plan with a 3G phone, which only works for a little while) and will automatically either switch or prompt you to switch (other choice being go back to your 3G/3GS).

I think this is totally ridiculous. We already pay far more than Blackberry customers for unlimited data, and to put a 2GB cap for $5 less a month than what we are currently paying, they can kiss it.

Has anyone else heard otherwise speaking directly to an AT&T rep?
Click to expand...
 
JediZenMaster said:
The 5 Reps i spoke to told me that if i keep my data plan that i can upgrade and be grandfathered if i had an elgible upgrade.

But since i don't i will be paying full price and selling my existing iphone to recoup some of the money back.
Click to expand...

Right, I was told the same thing, but the rep I spoke to told me that the NEW unreleased iPhone is not an eligible upgrade. Only 3G to 3GS or replacement 3GS qualified as an eligible upgrade. The new iPhone would require a new commitment at the subsidized cost, which requires you to use the new capped data plans.

I called the local AT&T store and they told me that the plan would be grandfathered on the new iPhone "in theory" but he did not have a definite answer.
 
guitargoddsjm said:
If I'm reading what you posted correctly, then I'm pretty sure the AT&T reps had no idea what they were talking about. Honestly, your best bet is to go into a retail store, don't mention this new data policy at all and do what you want to do there (add yourself into a family plan, and add a 3G [which will have unlimited, as that's all that is currently offered]). I'm pretty sure:

1. MOST people don't even know about this yet
2. It doesn't go into effect until the 7th.

Again, if I understand this correctly, you can do whatever the hell you want until the 7th. After that, usage will be capped.
Click to expand...

The last rep I spoke to was well aware of the change, and also spoke to one of the higher ups about it. She said yes, I could get an uncapped data plan on an additional 3G or 3GS but NO, the new iPhone is not a qualified upgrade device to keep the grandfather unlimited plan. Once the new IMEI was activated on the account, the activation process will require the new capped data plan.
 
dont know if someone already asked this, but,
got rid of the iphone last year. going to get the new one in June, when I renew my contract to get the new iphone could i still get the unlimited?
 
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