AT&T to Face Net Neutrality Complaint Regarding FaceTime Over Cellular Limitation

[urbanslaughter1997]

The average American is sorely lacking in knowledge of basic macro and microeconomic principles.[/QUOTE]

And the average American who thinks he knows all about economics knows nothing about the law.

 

[RocketRova]

Let's be realistic here. It's either that or we lose our grandfathered unlimited data and be forced to switch to the mobile share plan a la Verizon.

Can't eat our cake and have it too.

They want us to lose our Unlimited Data from peepz who have it now - trying to force us to get that crappy family plan which is BS!!

 

[macrumorschamp]

A great many of you are too young to remember when ATT, WAS the telephone company. The ONLY phone company. They pulled this crap back then and it took deregulation to break them up and create competition. This is the reason you now have choices. Trust me when I tell you that they would have screwed you up one wall and down the other and often did back then.

READ THIS TO SEE HOW THEY WERE/ARE

http://economics.about.com/od/governmenttheeconomy/a/telecom.htm


This needs to happen again and then and only then, they will stop pulling this crap.

Thank you, I remember this. The current CEO is on record with statements like, "they are as happy as they need to be" and "I lose sleep over users using FaceTime without paying extra for it".

 

[Pikepride2000]

You do FaceTime calls at the gym? 🙄

Check out his new haircut.

/Jägerbomb

 

[samson533]

You are an idiot. This is about drawing a line. AT&T doesn't have to stop at FaceTime, they can continue to every app on the appstore. You may not be able to use data for anything but e-mail or text messages eventually unless you pay for a data package PER APP. What JuBe said is exactly what is going on. You are paying for 1s and 0s and not the data the 1s and 0s translates to additionally. I bet you're you like government run healthcare as well. Why let the government stop at healthcare, why not all insurance companies. Then why stop there, why not let them tell you that you can not only not drive without a seatbelt on, but you have to have both hands on the wheel and a foot on the brake pedal as well and let them install video cameras to ensure you follow the rules. It's about limits and fair practice.

I agree with you. But I do think it's funny that you take my avocations for a free market then say I like government run healthcare.

You are absolutely right, who cares how we use the 1's and 0's we pay for?!? The issue isn't for those that buy a certain number of 1's and 0's. The issue is for those that purchased a plan in a different technological age and market that provided unlimited 1's and 0's. AT&T doesn't want to provide that unlimited pool of 1's and 0's in today's devices and technology.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

AT&T official argument is that they can do this because it is a stock app and not a downloaded app? Maybe Apple should make a move and remove it from iOS6 and offer it as additional download ... Apple must also be sick of AT&T since they limit iPhone functionality for no good reason.

Many people complain the iPhone is limited on what it can do, but many of its limitations are imposed by AT&T.
The other carriers should be more open as it would bring more users to them.
AT&T sees an opportunity on the iPhone to make a lot more money by charging a premium for features that should be standard.
A few years back Tethering was free if your phone supported it, not a remote sign of it becoming a "Premium Feature". AT&T started this BS of charging for what doesn't belong to them.

BTW, I've been with T-Mobile for over 10 years, dying to get an iPhone but not under current AT&T Terms.
One feature I love on T-Mobile's VoiceMail is the ability to receive and forward faxes for free. Does AT&T have such feature?

 

[darkslide29]

You are an idiot. This is about drawing a line. AT&T doesn't have to stop at FaceTime, they can continue to every app on the appstore. You may not be able to use data for anything but e-mail or text messages eventually unless you pay for a data package PER APP. What JuBe said is exactly what is going on. You are paying for 1s and 0s and not the data the 1s and 0s translates to additionally. I bet you're you like government run healthcare as well. Why let the government stop at healthcare, why not all insurance companies. Then why stop there, why not let them tell you that you can not only not drive without a seatbelt on, but you have to have both hands on the wheel and a foot on the brake pedal as well and let them install video cameras to ensure you follow the rules. It's about limits and fair practice.

No reason to go into name calling, you're not going to get anyone to take you seriously, it only takes away from your post.

If you read the entire article, you saw that AT&T for its part said "it was within its rights to block FaceTime over Cellular for customers on other plans because net neutrality regulations do not apply to apps that are preloaded on devices as seen with Apple's FaceTime app", so no they won't go on to do this with every app in the App Store, as you stated.

I agree with you that I should be able to use my data as I please, and find it odd that FaceTime is not OK, but Skype is OK. Data is data, I will rarely hit my 5gb max before being throttled, but why do they care how I get there? Oh well, we'll see how this plays out.

 

[macrumorschamp]

I'm not backing AT&T up or anything... they're the only service provider that catches at my house...

It works both ways... trying imagine what our data speeds would be like if they did allow facetime over cellular? talk about bogging down the network it be pointless to facetime being all choppy and lagging...

be happy AT&T didn't do what verzion is doing... NO UNLIMITED plans with iPhone 5...

and on the plus at least we can talk and browse...

it's not much, but it is something...

Try to imagine that skype is free to video chat over cellular amongst dozens of others and what it would be like if they started asking you to get a new data plan just to use them. Try to imagine a world where you are told you can buy eggs, but not use them to bake a cake, only make an omelette. The fact is, they have ZERO proof to show there is a data increase that would even slightly put strain on their network and have lawsuits that they have been postponing and prolonging for years now where they refused to release that information.

 

[appleguy123]

There is no cost to pass on. Data is data. If you use more, you pay for it.

Period. That's the issue of the debate.

I mean that AT&T will charge more to pass the lawsuit costs onto us.

 

[Diode]

I agree with you. But I do think it's funny that you take my avocations for a free market then say I like government run healthcare.

You are absolutely right, who cares how we use the 1's and 0's we pay for?!? The issue isn't for those that buy a certain number of 1's and 0's. The issue is for those that purchased a plan in a different technological age and market that provided unlimited 1's and 0's. AT&T doesn't want to provide that unlimited pool of 1's and 0's in today's devices and technology.

Well to be fair - the cell phone business in the US is far from a free market. Licensing of spectrum restricts it to only a small number of players where the game is to buy it up and restrict entry.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

They want us to lose our Unlimited Data from peepz who have it now - trying to force us to get that crappy family plan which is BS!!

A Family Plan for one makes no sense. I have no need for a Family Plan.
All I need is Data Plan on my iPad and that's all I need. I'm not giving up my Unlimited Plan no matter what. I'll stick to Skype while out of WiFi range until AT&T gives up.

 

[magpie maniac]

What part of the agreement that AT&T offered makes you think it's unreasonable for their customers to expect unlimited data?

* They were offered unlimited data.

* They paid for unlimited data.

The whiner is AT&T who are trying to wriggle out of an offer that they freely made.

Your unlimited contract isn't indefinite, right? Once it's up, you both have the right to amend the terms.

I have an AT&T grandfathered unlimited plan and I honestly don't see what the problem is here. I won't complain when I convert to a limited shared data plan because there's no such thing as a free lunch. You folks are wanting to invite the neighbors over for the $7.99 all-you-can-eat buffet, but pay one check.

 

[VenusianSky]

What if they said you can't use safari over cellular unless your on a shared data plan?

What if? I don't live by what ifs; only by what is.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Well to be fair - the cell phone business in the US is far from a free market. Licensing of spectrum restricts it to only a small number of players where the game is to buy it up and restrict entry.

Well, regardless how bad it is here, it's not as bad as in several South American countries where cell phone and land-line carriers have their feuds, and if you want to call to someone one on a different carrier than yours, you either can't or have to pay more per minute.

 

[DJsteveSD]

It seems to me that for people with 3G iPads, that the mobile shared plans could offer significant savings. To add an iPad to a shared account is only $10 and unlike the previous $15 250MB plan, you are not limited per device. So, in theory, you could use as much mobile data for your iPad as is in your shared data tier. (Not to mention that for people with WiFi iPads, mobile share data plans also make sense since, on AT&T, mobile hotspot is included on all devices!)

I think that had AT&T not required a switch to mobile share plan, most customers would have opted for it anyway since it would have represented a better value. So not quite sure why they made that choice, but also not sure why people seem to assume it is a move to gauge customers either.

I'm single and have a wifi only ipad, switching to a "shared" plan would increase my monthly bill about $20 before taxes. Like I told the AT&T rep, how does that make sense? He agreed.

 

[janderson0719]

You do FaceTime calls at the gym? 🙄

Lol. Yea, I actually laughed out loud.

 

[magpie maniac]

Why do you illustrate a complaint about Americans with a photo of Veruca Salt?

It has nothing to do with her nationality. It's the fact that she's a pretty good cultural reference to the spoiled rotten consumer nowadays.

"But I want it now, daddy!"

 

[urbanslaughter1997]

I get what you are saying. I have a problem with people going to regulators to force a company to provide a service that they no longer wish to provide. Obviously AT&T wants out of the unlimited data space. For what ever reason, it bogs down there system, costs too much, they make more of a profit charging a different way. Whatever the reason, they want out. They should be free to do so.

AT&T offered unlimited plans back in a very different technological market. The bargain they offered its customers wasn't unlimited data w/ netflix, hulu, pandora, facetime, or any other data hog. But things change. And in current market conditions, they say no. That's ok, let them.

But of course, you realize that's the entire foundation of our legal contract system? If people were able to get out of contracts because they wanted out, then we would no longer have reliable contracts. As someone else pointed out, my circumstances have changed during the years I've had this contract with them. AT&T certainly wouldn't let me change the rules, nor should we let them.

 

[DimeTech]

FYI Cable/DBS penetration is around 90%. How many more customers do you think they're going to get?

I disagree, but you are entitled to your opinion. We are going backwards not forward.

Did I forget to mention that I worked for ATT back then and I remember the BS they used to pull. I also jumped ship for a while to Pioneer Teletechnologies which was bought by MCI/Worldcom for a while.

Remember all the phone calls trying to get you to switch?

Yeah (sadly) I helped them do that.

Same BS. It was profits above all else then, and it is now.

How about providing decent service and not nickel and dimming people to death?

Take Cable:

There are millions of people who can't/won't pay $100 per month to watch the 10 channels they actually like.

If the cable companies figured out a way to charge $25 for those 10 channels, they would gain millions of customers overnight. But they won't?

There are ways to do things better.

 

[kemal]

First They Came for the

First they took away MMS, and I did not speak out- Because I did not use MMS.

Then they took away FaceTime over cell data, and I did not...

I better stop before Martin Nemoeller strangles me from the grave.

 

[macrumorschamp]

I know of a friend that has a limo service and there are very expensive airport taxes added to your business if you want to drop someone off to the airport. There is actually a tag they have to put on the car to make it legally possible. The taxi service person probably just didn't know to say that.

Those costs are passed down to the customer.

AT&T is just trying to prevent their network from getting killed by iPhone users. But I wish for non unlimited customers, they would allow FaceTime. They can control it like they do tethering.

If you honestly think their network would be killed by this, you are in worse shape than I thought. People don't even make voice calls anymore and text instead. It's a statistical fact that text usage has increased and voice calls have decreased. FaceTime won't cripple the network. Did AT&T's network get hurt when Skype allowed video chat over data? Or how about when a thousand apps came out that allowed you to make voice calls over your data plan? No. Because data is data and it doesn't matter what program you use for it if you pay for a set amount of that data.

 

[0815]

AT+T will have to get rid of the grandfathered unlimited plan sooner or later. They probably should have ended it when the iPhone 5 was announced.

Jealous?

But seriously: The grandfathered unlimited plan is basically the only thing that keeps me with AT&T ... If I couldn't keep it, I would take a close look at the other providers - AT&T pissed me of too often to have any loyalty, so taking away unlimited would mean good bye AT&T (and I am sure many other grandfathered are thinking the same way)

 

[macrumorschamp]

I know of a friend that has a limo service and there are very expensive airport taxes added to your business if you want to drop someone off to the airport. There is actually a tag they have to put on the car to make it legally possible. The taxi service person probably just didn't know to say that.

Those costs are passed down to the customer.

AT&T is just trying to prevent their network from getting killed by iPhone users. But I wish for non unlimited customers, they would allow FaceTime. They can control it like they do tethering.

And you can add that tag onto any car so his point is still valid. What is going on in his example is that the company made their price gouging decision to only place them on towncars instead of putting half on towncars and half on prius's.

 

[samson533]

Well to be fair - the cell phone business in the US is far from a free market. Licensing of spectrum restricts it to only a small number of players where the game is to buy it up and restrict entry.

I understand. Monopolies can only truly be created through law and regulation. The existing cellular companies to the best they can within the legal environment they are in. But they didn't create the legal environment. Government did. Sure there are lobbyists, but at the end of the day our elected officials and the bureaucrats they put into power who created this environment.

 

[ZacNicholson]

If you guys hate At&t so much just switch to a different carrier. And for those who say no other carrier gets service in my area, and/or i will lose my unlimited data then switch to straight talk. $45 a month for unlimited everything. they also use at&t cell towers. problem solved.