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Throttling limits data usage. If I'm paying for unlimited data, I expect unlimited data at the natural speed of the network, not at artificial slower speeds.
 
So we're supposed to be grateful that they basically have killed our unlimited plans?!

I want out of my ******** contract I signed when I got the 4s. Unlimited data was a primary reason I kept ATT
 
quote "With mobile data usage continuing to skyrocket and the availability of spectrum scarce"

Who want to wager that the same song plays in 2017?

They won't get it right, until they have true competition in the same GSM space. Then like magic, all of this invisible spectrum will stop sounding like rectum.
 
I care less about the content of this news and more about the fact that it's ACTUAL news from AT&T in the form of an answer WITH NUMBERS.

It's sad that I can be thrilled with such a thing, but there you have it. I am.
 
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Fine. But this still gives me no reason to switch to a tiered plan since it costs the same. It does give a reason to switch to sprint though.

Stop with the Sprint BS. CDMA is so slow you're pretty much limited anyway...
 
@YODA: Brilliant! I agree completely. I've been with Cingular and the Bellsouth and now AT&T since the mid-90s. I'm about tired of their horrible view of customers. They seem to feel we owe them.

My contract is up in May and I'm thinking Sprint is looking awfully nice.
 
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I've got 8 days left on the current billing cycle and I'm at about 2400 MB of data... I'm honestly hoping to eclipse 3 GB on the last day and get throttled for a couple of hours so I can jump in on the litigation. :)
 
False Advertising

unlimited

Definition
un·lim·it·ed[ un límmitəd ]ADJECTIVE
1. not restricted: without limits, restrictions, or controls
2. infinite: lacking or appearing to lack a boundary or end
3. complete or total: not subject to qualification or exception

How can AT&T call this plan of theirs "unlimited" if they are breaking the very definition of what it means. I think they used it as a "bait-and-switch" tactic to get people to sign up with their service initially. Everyone that has an unlimited data plan needs to stand up to these people and get them to admit that it truely isn't unlimited. Then get the government to go after them for false / misleading advertising.
 
Throttling sucks, yes, but at least this is a pretty significant improvement--especially once the LTE iPhone comes out in the fall.

Throttling unlimited plans is a better solution than forcing all off-contract and new-upgrade users off the plan onto a tiered one, which AT&T totally could.
 
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Fine. But this still gives me no reason to switch to a tiered plan since it costs the same.

That is what I was thinking. They need to provide some incentive to move the unlimited's to a tiered plan. A family data plan with tethering included might do it.
 
Unlimited customers should be allowed out of their contracts without penalty, this isn't what we signed up for.
 
unlimited

Definition
un·lim·it·ed[ un límmitəd ]ADJECTIVE
1. not restricted: without limits, restrictions, or controls
2. infinite: lacking or appearing to lack a boundary or end
3. complete or total: not subject to qualification or exception

How can AT&T call this plan of theirs "unlimited" if they are breaking the very definition of what it means. I think they used it as a "bait-and-switch" tactic to get people to sign up with their service initially. Everyone that has an unlimited data plan needs to stand up to these people and get them to admit that it truely isn't unlimited. Then get the government to go after them for false / misleading advertising.

I don't like throttling, but it hate this argument too.

You're basically saying that the way it used to be was wrong too since a month is "limited" to 31 days and be phone hardware is limited to 3G speeds. So you're just saying unlimited plans are impossible to have, unless they let you download the whole Internet. .

Come on, we can just say "we don't like this." We don't need weird arguments the essentially say ALL unlimited plans, ever, aren't real.
 
LTE will be useless if your speed is limited after a certain amount of data downloaded is reached.
 
unlimited

Definition
un·lim·it·ed[ un límmitəd ]ADJECTIVE
1. not restricted: without limits, restrictions, or controls
2. infinite: lacking or appearing to lack a boundary or end
3. complete or total: not subject to qualification or exception

How can AT&T call this plan of theirs "unlimited" if they are breaking the very definition of what it means. I think they used it as a "bait-and-switch" tactic to get people to sign up with their service initially. Everyone that has an unlimited data plan needs to stand up to these people and get them to admit that it truely isn't unlimited. Then get the government to go after them for false / misleading advertising.

Absolutely agree! Everyone is focusing on the word "unlimited" as it defines speed, but the word also refers to any restriction placed on the usage of the data. A restriction of the speed is a "limit" on the data as it used by customers. So, I still find this incredibly disingenuous.

Not mention, they seem to be saying now that ALL customers with an unlimited plan who reach 3GB of usage will not be throttled, whereas before this announcement, there were plenty of people who used 5GB or more and were never throttled. So, it seems the whole "by region depending on how crowded the network is" arrangement is moot now.
 
Thanks, AT&T, for rewarding your older customers with such disrespect. As soon as there's an LTE option, you can absolutely GUARANTEE that I'll find my way to another carrier.
 
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HelveticaRoman said:
If their definition of unlimited is spelt "unlimited", can't we use the same elastic interpretation for "Total amount" when we pay their bills.

Maybe I'll try this - "I was throttled for 3 days out of thirty on my last billing cycle. Therefore, I'm paying the first 90% and throttling the rest of my payment - you'll see a few pennies trickle in each day for the rest of the month." LOL
 
It's like AT&T building a super highway with an unlimited speed limit... except they place speed bumps at every block.
 
I care less about the content of this news and more about the fact that it's ACTUAL news from AT&T in the form of an answer WITH NUMBERS.

It's sad that I can be thrilled with such a thing, but there you have it. I am.

Still think they have oodles of extra bandwidth to sell? I think the wording from AT&T's statement makes very clear why they are throttling, and it because their supply can't meet current demands.
 
You're basically saying that the way it used to be was wrong too since a month is "limited" to 31 days and be phone hardware is limited to 3G speeds. So you're just saying unlimited plans are impossible to have, unless they let you download the whole Internet. .

Sorry, but this makes no sense. If a data plan is truly unlimited, meaning no restrictions placed on amount or speed, then the definition of "month" is irrelevant as to this issue, and gives your argument no currency. "Unlimited per month" means the same thing as "unlimited per year" or "unlimited per lifetime." And that is exactly what should be expected of and provided by anything that is advertised and labeled as "unlimited." The only restriction that should be considered valid is "unlimited until you stop paying your bill or
until we cease offering you an 'unlimited' plan at such time as you sign a new contract."
 
unlimited

Definition
un·lim·it·ed[ un límmitəd ]ADJECTIVE
1. not restricted: without limits, restrictions, or controls
2. infinite: lacking or appearing to lack a boundary or end
3. complete or total: not subject to qualification or exception

How can AT&T call this plan of theirs "unlimited" if they are breaking the very definition of what it means. I think they used it as a "bait-and-switch" tactic to get people to sign up with their service initially. Everyone that has an unlimited data plan needs to stand up to these people and get them to admit that it truely isn't unlimited. Then get the government to go after them for false / misleading advertising.
Not to defend AT&T on this one, but I think they've always advertised the unlimited plan as "unlimited data". Technically, even if you're throttled, you have access to unlimited data, just not unlimited speeds.

It's a slime statement that AT&T can hide behind. Ultimately, they'll just stop allowing folks to grandfather their unlimited plans. So then everybody goes on a tiered plan, or they keep their old phones/plans. Either way, AT&T wins. If you sign up for a new plan/phone, they get you for two more years. If you keep your old plan and phone, they keep collecting the monthly fees and they don't have to subsidize the $400+ for a new phone.

Either that, or enough people leave and they're forced to change.

I think that 4G/LTE iPhone will be the equalizer for Verizon/Sprint. AT&T would be wise to lock in as many iPhone users to 2 year contracts as they can. These antics won't help their cause on this front.
 
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