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AT&T Starts Throttling Unlimited Data Users after 2GB of Monthly Usage

mysticbluebmw said:
Don't throttle the data hogs (the me first folks) = slower network = everyone suffers.

Throttle the data hogs = only the data hogs suffer AFTER they've hogged out.

Lesson: Don't be a data hog = faster network = everyone wins.
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What proof do you have that "throttling data hogs" = a better network for you?

Furthermore, how 2 GB equal a data hog? AT&T's own plans are 3GB and 5 GB. They'll also give you as much data as you want for $10perGB, without throttling.

Am I just not paying enough for you? Because my plan states that I pay $30 for Unlimited?

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pika2000 said:
Well it's already pretty clear that this throttling nonsense is only to get people off the unlimited plans, nothing to do with "strained" network.
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It couldn't be more clear. Their own current data plans prove it. I'm hampering the network at 2 GB for $30, but its perfectly fine if I want to pay $30 for 3 GB
 
Rad99004 said:
I have unlimited and never have been throttled. I don't recall AT&T defineing that it would throttle people in the original contract based on a certain usage.

It was always the unwritten rule that this number was around 5 gigs.

People that think like you are exactly what At&t wants.

Your'e the same type of person that most likely doesn't complain about gas prices at the pump either?

Enough said I will think twice about staying with At&t if this continues.
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Wasn't there always a soft cap of 5 GB of data usage a month? I'm wondering why all of a sudden AT&T has arbitrarily set it at 2GB now, particularly when for the same cost users can have 3 GB.
 
I'm on an Unlimited Plan and got a text from AT&T that I was approaching the top 5% of data users. I called them to clarify their intent and expressed that I hadn't even reached their tiered 2 GB level and that I pay extra for Unlimited. They gave me the standard line that they just warn users when they are approaching the top 5%.

I explained that I watch hours of online broadcasting daily but that it's usually via my WiFi, and the rep suggested that while on WiFi I turn off Cellular Data in Settings > General > Network to make sure all data is restricted to WiFi.

Considering that I pay extra for my so-called Unlimited Data Plan I find it misleading to get this treatment from AT&T especially when using data beneath the level of their standard 2 GB data plan.

Looking forward to the day I can dump AT&T for something better.
 
To all my AT&T friends still left,

Please remember, the only way to fight these repulsive charges is with your wallet, and anything else is futile. AT&T, along with the other top 3 companies, have clearly shown that they couldn't care less about you.
 
ghettochris said:
they need an app to download max data while you sleep or phone is not being used, I'm sure you'd have to work hard to use up another 8gb once you get throttled.
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Disable wifi and start downloading objects from the Gutenberg project. Or configure Music Match and download your library. :) Both entirely legitimate ways to use bandwidth.
 
This shouldn't even be legal. You pay for UNLIMITED data and throttling puts a limit on it. Someone should get a lawsuit started
 
I'm in the chicago area and I have use around 7-10gbs per month and I still have not gotten the throttle text yet.

Also on a side note, this worries me that if the rummors are correct about the iPhone 5 having 4g lte, will at&t make me give up my grandfathered unlimited package because it would no longer be 3g service???
 
three points

as already pointed out, at&t is trying it's best to raise it's ARPU (average revenue per user) by switching unlimited users to tiered plans, counting on the fact that it's customers are disaggregated and will only consider their short-term gain in isolation. what's interesting to read here is that a number of customers see through the manipulation and are formulating strategies against it, while a number haven't yet seen through it and are just going along. at&t is obligated to its shareholders to try to raise profits by any (semi-legal) means, and only its customers can keep prices at bay (in an oligopoly, you get no help from competition) and make capitalism work the way it is supposed to work (drive prices down to just above costs).

1) at&t customers should not be complaining about "data hogs" because they raise the data cap for all. it's a trap to fall into the zero-sum game of thinking that "data hogs" take away from your ability to use the network. at&t should be building out its network to serve all customers under it's contract commitments (like unlimited service), not turning customers against each other by not provisioning enough bandwidth in high-use (e.g., high revenue) areas.

2) the amount of data you use and the date rates available are inextricably linked (a rate is the derivative of an amount in calculus). since these things are not mathematically independent, it doesn't make sense to say that one is limited, while the other isn't (saying a slower rate is not equivalent to limiting data is logically incorrect).

3) there should be an app (bittorrent?) that all at&t users can install so that we can all take advantage of our unlimited (or up to our bandwidth limit) data allocation to keep the 5% cap high and force at&t to build out its network properly rather than wasting money on things like executive pay and perks.
 
lilsoccakid74 said:
To all my AT&T friends still left,

Please remember, the only way to fight these repulsive charges is with your wallet, and anything else is futile. AT&T, along with the other top 3 companies, have clearly shown that they couldn't care less about you.
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That's cute, but it won't help. All the other companies -- Virgin Wireless, Boost, Cricket, MetroPCS -- are reselling service from AT&T, Verizon or Sprint. Only T-Mobile has its own infrastructure, and given Deutsche Telekom's express desire to get rid of it, I'd say it's only a matter of time.
 
The point very few seem to also comment upon is that AT&T have no way of proving exactly how much data you are using.

My iPhone 3GS data throughput as shown in the "Usage" panel has ALWAYS basically agreed with the data usage AT&T had online. Lately they TOTALLY don't match up. I had barely 600mb worth of data when AT&T had me already at over 2GB- after 6 freaking days! Of course this started when the throttling started. :eek: After an hour on the phone with a higher level tech, he told me there was a 3-6 day delay while the iPhone "caught up" with the true data usage. What a steaming load of dung. At the end of the month they were still way off (too high of course!)

I usually never exceed 5GB per month, doing the same thing I have done for over 3 years- standard web & email usage and a bit of music streaming- the very purposes they sold me the damn phone for in the first place.

I am sickened by the actions of this utterly reprehensible company.
 
I'm unlimited but I normally don't use more than 200MB in a month because I'm always around wifi. I only keep unlimited in case I go out of town, or need it for some other reason.

So I've decided to finally stick it to them. I just turned WIFI off and I started to run Pandora 24/7. I'd recommend that all of you do the same. F* AT&T. I've been with them for 15+ years. If they're going to be this ridiculous, I guess I'll finally switch carriers when the iPhone 5 comes out.

The only question is whether it'll be Sprint or Verizon. If Sprint finally fully jumps on LTE, it'll likely be Sprint. However, since I finally switched to FiOS, it might be worth it to stick with Verizon if they adopt slightly better plans. Still, I like how Sprint is going. They're far more focused on customer satisfaction than either of the other companies.
 
Just guessing but: I wouldn't be surprised if this is ATTs way of getting rid of users that cost them too much. Maybe they are happy to push these users off to another carrier. Sounds like the plan is working, too... ;)
 
I fought with AT&T over this the past few days. I ended up dropping our voice plan down to 700 minutes a month and upping my Unlimited data to 5GB With Tethering.

This makes our family plan the same price and it leaves the other two phones with unlimited data since they use under 2GB.

AT&T told me that the Texas market gets throttled at 2GB but other areas are as high as 10 GB. Completely unfair and I am upset that I had to switch to use my phone since I can't stay under 2GB a month.

Unlimited data is over folks--move on.

Also, when my unlimited data was removed, my speeds went up to 4.5 Meg's down. The other two iPhones, on unlimited data, are only getting 1 meg down. AT&T confirmed they also limit the speeds on the unlimited plan.
 
pika2000 said:
I'm sure 640kb is enough for you then.

Yesterday's bandwidth "hogs" are today's normal users. Who would think that you could browse full web pages, social networking, easily uploading media via apps, VOIP, etc, on a phone to boot, a decade ago? This lame "bandwidth hogs" argument is the same thing that ISPs are using. Years ago, watching a postage-stamp-sized real video = a bandwidth hog. Today, streaming HD video via netflix = normal use.

Besides, throttling real data "hogs" (eg. people that goes, let say, 20+GB a month) may sound okay, but reality is even people that goes barely at 2GB a month got throttled. I only use my phone for email and social networking, no streaming video/music, and my monthly usage is already at 400-500MB. I can see streaming video/music here and there will push you to 2GB very quickly, more if you do those regularly. So the argument that people using anything below 5-10GB as bandwidth "hogs" is simply marketing, and an insult to users and customers in general.

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The corporate fanboyism here in the US is simply amazing. I mean really, seeing how many people here went above and beyond to actually defend AT&T, making up excuses and attacking other users, it's mind boggling. No wonder we suck at wireless compared even most European and Asian countries. There are these people that just keep bending over for the carriers and asking for more...

Just another comparison, Singapore's Singtel, for ~US$32 a month, you get 12GB (yes GIGAbyte) data quota that INCLUDES tethering. Yet we in the US went from unlimited to 5GB to 2GB/3GB to being throttled at less than even the sold tiered points, and tethering is charged extra to boot. :rolleyes:
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Lots of people in the USA have been brainwashed to bow down to their slave masters.
 
TomA said:
But IMHO that is MUCH less an issue than what is going on at ATT.
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Agreed. But it's the primary reason I never switched to Sprint, despite their hellacious 6mb throughput that my friends tend to get in this area on their Sprint 4G smartphones. :( Jealous.

My 3GS averages 600k-800k on the dl- which I never really lost sleep over, but the throttled 20-32k is just disgusting.
 
seamer said:
Disable wifi and start downloading objects from the Gutenberg project. Or configure Music Match and download your library. :) Both entirely legitimate ways to use bandwidth.
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I did that back in October. I used my 3GS to download on 3G from iTunes Match and easily used 3.5GB. You just need to Jailbreak so that you can download songs over 20MB.
 
pika2000 said:
The corporate fanboyism here in the US is simply amazing. I mean really, seeing how many people here went above and beyond to actually defend AT&T, making up excuses and attacking other users, it's mind boggling. No wonder we suck at wireless compared even most European and Asian countries. There are these people that just keep bending over for the carriers and asking for more...

Just another comparison, Singapore's Singtel, for ~US$32 a month, you get 12GB (yes GIGAbyte) data quota that INCLUDES tethering. Yet we in the US went from unlimited to 5GB to 2GB/3GB to being throttled at less than even the sold tiered points, and tethering is charged extra to boot. :rolleyes:
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I agree. My wireless plan from TRUE in Thailand costs me less than $20 per month. I have unlimited 3G and some amount of minutes that I never exceed. I tether constantly. The 3G service is faster and I have NEVER dropped a call.

OTOH: My house in the US is less than 1 mile from I-75 and I get 1-2 bars of service. AT&T is a joke.
 
Throttling? My LTE Galaxy Nexus does not know of this strange word. Can someone ask Siri for me since my phone is so inferior.

Just joking. I might join the iphone ranks if Apple can deliver on iphone 5 but that's a big (4 inch plus) if.
 
cdmoore74 said:
Throttling? My LTE Galaxy Nexus does not know of this strange word. Can someone ask Siri for me since my phone is so inferior.

Just joking. I might join the iphone ranks if Apple can deliver on iphone 5 but that's a big (4 inch plus) if.
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I like Android and have a Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Apple's music match on the phone is fantastic, though. Much better than storing everything on the phone.
 
I sorta understand your guys' pain of having your unlimited product being "limited"...

...but seriously how much are you guys using and what for anyway? Can't you get on wi-fi? streaming music all day? why don't you just buy songs or get a radio? or how about stop using your phone that much and do something else? It's still just a phone...

maybe, just maybe, just because you have unlimited doesn't mean you have to use 1,000GBs...
 
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