Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The LTE part is interesting. When the iPad and iPhone go LTE am I to understand the ceiling will be 5GB before throttling? I think I'd be pretty happy about that but one question: is there anything inherent about LTE that causes data to be used faster? Logically it seems, for example, the data rate of any given steaming video would be constant whether it's being kicked via 3G or 4G.

I think because technically the HSPA+ uses a diferent signal and there are less customers currently using AT&T "4G"
 
I thought Verizon would only throttle a user in specific instances where a specific tower was constrained. Meaning if the throttled user moves (i.e. goes to work) to where a tower isn't constrained, or if the tower they're connected to becomes less constrained, then their throttle is lifted. If that's true, I think that's a much better way of dealing with it.

If AT&T did that I wouldn't be complaining they are in breach of contract.
 
i say you still take 'em to (small claims) court if they throttle you at 3GB

they're not doing their job if they can't make it work. it's 2012 for gosh sakes, are we really instituting caps because of network issues. sounds like AOL all over again.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Well considering that I wasn't throttled the last two months until 12gigs. This completely sucked. Don't u people get it they wanted everybody to complain about throttling so now when they make it a set limit at 3 some people think things are better but in actuality they are throttling alot more people now and it's a lot more efficient. They don't have to measure area by area throttling that they were doing so they will save money on employee costs. Plus a lot of people are gonna switch to the 5 gig plan so they will make more money that way. So they just screwed us again and they love it cuz we did exactly what they wanted. What's funny is what if everybody used 10gigs but they paid the extra 10 fee for every gig they go over. I bet the "Network" would have no problem running when all that hard earned Americans money is rolling in. I bet the network would work just fine. I don't make a lot of money but I pay a lot for my phone bill cuz its the one luxury I enjoy. I don't have enough money for a computer so I just use my phone cuz I can basically do it all from my 4s. But now I have to pay for wifi at my house at about 30-40 a month just so I can use my phone the way it's suppose to. Cuz I don't need wifi for anything else. So now my phone bill won't be 90 dollars a month anymore it will be 130. For the Cheapest AT&T plan with UNLIMITED DATA. Thanks AT&T. Way to treat loyal customers who have no way to leave cuz we can't afford your EFT
 
I thought Verizon would only throttle a user in specific instances where a specific tower was constrained. Meaning if the throttled user moves (i.e. goes to work) to where a tower isn't constrained, or if the tower they're connected to becomes less constrained, then their throttle is lifted. If that's true, I think that's a much better way of dealing with it.

Hence my statement of "peak usage times" ;)

The point is the DO throttle, even though it also wasn't in the original contract, and none of the people switching to them will get the unlimited plan anymore. So really, acting all butthurt and switching over likely won;t matter a bit to anyone, unless there is some sort of mass exodus, which I doubt there will be.
 
ATT is still using this to hurt UNLIMITED data customers.

3 GB of data, is still well under the 5GB plan which costs more than the unlimited plan.

ATT used to respect contracts, unlimited minutes and more. now they are substantially changing the contract.

I smell a large class action lawsuit. Why would i get limited sooner than people who are under a 5gb plan? on an unlimited plan, i would expect NO throttling or limitations.

end of story.
 
He was complaining that unlimited is defined as:

1. not restricted: without limits, restrictions, or controls

Well, it was always restricted to 3G speeds. So if we go by that definition it was never 'unlimited.' Which is why I think that's a bad definition.

Do you think that that's a sound argument, that being "restricted" to 3G speeds meant the definition was "broken" in the first place so that AT&T's false definition of unlimited is suddenly validated? I'll say more but I want to verify what you're trying to say first before assuming what you're argument is.
 
Well this is a slightly better solution but it still sucks, I haven't been throttled and I used around 3GB a month at least I won't have overage charges but I am afraid to see what the speeds will be like.
 
I think because technically the HSPA+ uses a diferent signal and there are less customers currently using AT&T "4G"

4G != 4G LTE, so yeah HSPA+ (4G) users use the same signal/spectrum/towers the 3G users do. The LTE folks use different signal/spectrum (probably the same towers and backhaul though).
 
So now you ATT folks with unlimited plans get the same deal as those with the 3GB plan (unless you're 4G LTE). $30 for both, call it a wash. Not exactly what I'd call "unlimited", however.:rolleyes:
 
I thought Verizon would only throttle a user in specific instances where a specific tower was constrained. Meaning if the throttled user moves (i.e. goes to work) to where a tower isn't constrained, or if the tower they're connected to becomes less constrained, then their throttle is lifted. If that's true, I think that's a much better way of dealing with it.

That's exactly how Verizon does it.
 
finally. not great but good news for me. i usually use about 3.5gb per month. being throttled at 2gb was killing me!!
 
ATT is still using this to hurt UNLIMITED data customers.

3 GB of data, is still well under the 5GB plan which costs more than the unlimited plan.

ATT used to respect contracts, unlimited minutes and more. now they are substantially changing the contract.

I smell a large class action lawsuit. Why would i get limited sooner than people who are under a 5gb plan? on an unlimited plan, i would expect NO throttling or limitations.

end of story.
By being an AT&T user, the contract forbids the user from filing class action lawsuits. Small claims court is the way to go like the person who won the small claims case last week.
 
ATT is still using this to hurt UNLIMITED data customers.

I smell a large class action lawsuit. Why would i get limited sooner than people who are under a 5gb plan? on an unlimited plan, i would expect NO throttling or limitations.

It's been mentioned many times, but you can't build a class action lawsuit against AT&T for this...it's prohibited in the contract. Your only recourse is small claims court.

But yes, now ALL unlimited plans will get throttled at 3GB...no longer case by case.
 
Tethering

If they are going to do this to those of us with "Unlimited" plans then they should allow us to have tethering. That's the thing that really bugs me. They are dumbing down your smartphone. It's like buying a TV that won't show HD channels because it's somehow harder on the lifespan of the TV.
 
By being an AT&T user, the contract forbids the user from filing class action lawsuits. Small claims court is the way to go like the person who won the small claims case last week.

Where does the contract do that? Also, even if there was such a clause, what makes you think it would be upheld in a court of law?
 
Where does the contract do that? Also, even if there was such a clause, what makes you think it would be upheld in a court of law?

John, we agree on everything you say...except for this.

The contract does state it and the Supreme Court of the United States has upheld it.

Now, I agree with you that is absolutely GARBAGE to begin with........and IMO should be illegal.
 
Let me guess, if there's an LTE iPhone this year, there will be a new iPhone LTE 3GB plan and all grandfathered unlimited users are forced to switch plans if they want the new iPhone.

Well they did that when iphone gen1 customers went to iphone gen2 (3G)... there was no grandfathering then.

you HAD to switch plans from $19.99 edge/unlimited to $29.99 3G/unlimited.

This time around unless they plan to have LTE/Unlimited, I suspect there is no grandfathering for 3G users into LTE plans.

This would SUCK!
 
What I don't get is that on their website one of the solutions to the users that are using more than 95% of the rest of us, and there by "straining" the network is to upgrade to the 5gb for 50$ a month. So now explain to me how does alleviate the strain? I'm still gonna use my 2gb at normal speed so I'm still straining the network, but I'm paying AT&T more for it???
 
What a crock. The spectrum in question is not usable by the phones they currently sell! The T-Mobile merger was always about eliminating a competitor, consolidating the industry and making it easier to keep the prices high. It was pure anti-competitive, monopolistic behavior.

Incorrectness all around. Spectrum licenses refer only to the right for a carrier to operate within the frequencies specified in the licenses; how the license holder uses the spectrum is their call. AT&T holds licenses in the 850/1900 bands (which they use for GSM and HSPA), the 700 band (which they use for LTE), and the 1700 band (this one's past-tense; they were going to use for LTE). T-Mobile holds licenses in the 850/1900 bands (which they use for GSM, with their HSPA network being shifted over to the latter), and the 1700 band (which they currently use for their HSPA network, but will be shifted over to their LTE network).

Eliminating a competitor would have been a nice side-effect, but spectrum and infrastructure was more crucial to them.


Well they did that when iphone gen1 customers went to iphone gen2 (3G)... there was no grandfathering then.

you HAD to switch plans from $19.99 edge/unlimited to $29.99 3G/unlimited.

This time around unless they plan to have LTE/Unlimited, I suspect there is no grandfathering for 3G users into LTE plans.

This would SUCK!

Not exactly. iPhone owners were given the dumbphone data plan along with 200 texts because it was sold at an unsubsidized price. When the iPhone 3G was released at a subsidized price, the plan switched to the same plan that all subsidized smartphones were subject to.
 
So now you ATT folks with unlimited plans get the same deal as those with the 3GB plan (unless you're 4G LTE). $30 for both, call it a wash. Not exactly what I'd call "unlimited", however.:rolleyes:

Not exactly the same. With unlimited you can continue to use data after 3GB but at a slower speed (now up to around 256Kbs?), while a tiered user would be charged for more data.

The key is how usable that throttled rate is. From what I read, it seems fairly usable.

Not a big difference I know, but enough that I wouldn't switch to the 3GB plan now...
 
I think it's absolutely fair to throttle "unlimited" data plans so I can make a freaking phone call, check my email, or browse a web site.

If folks are using the 3G/4G phone to download apps and movies, the networks are not really ready for that in an unlimited manner. That's just reality. In an ideal world, we'd have a ton of bandwidth to go around and it wouldn't matter. But I think ATT is being pretty reasonable when a couple people would be ruining the experience for everyone else.
 
Why are you people mad? Are you seriously going to use more than 3GB of data a month? Do you have to stream that much music and video? Are you ever at home to do that instead or use Wifi? It's pretty messed up yeah, but some people abuse the system. I'd rather have Unlimited and be throttled at 3GB because at least I'd have a safe mind that they would charge for overage compared to them whopping a $10 fee on the bill.

Geez, you guys must be heavy data suckers.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.