AT&T Unimpressed With 'Operation Chokehold' Proposal to Strain Cellular Network

[gwang73]

I don't understand. If people really hated AT&T Wireless's service, then LEAVE and use someone else. Unless AT&T is actually losing customers based on their poor service, they aren't going to do much than routine upgrades - and their service isn't that bad. Just think how far it's come in the past 5 years.

A better proposal would be at 12PM Noon, December 18th, for all you people to go into an AT&T Wireless store and cancel your contracts so it won't affect the rest of us who will need to use our phones.

 

[jamespa66]

There are so many things wrong with that statement.

When did AT&T threaten you?

I don't see anywhere in this post that states AT&T threatened him.

However the idea behind this from my point of view is to point out the fact that AT&T is marketing their 3G service under false pretenses. That they have done very little to alleviate the bottle necked portions of their network.
No we didn't have to buy the iPhone, no one held a gun to my head, I did it of my own free will, on the other hand Apple didn't force AT&T to sell the iPhone. But they are continually crying that it is killing their network so either fix it or stop selling the phone. Same choice we have, leave the iPhone behind or find a better solution.

 

[alexbates]

This is going to be great! I will definitely be tethering and downloading huge files during this time period. Thats another great reason to do this, still no tethering allowed is the US!

How many GB's do you think someone can get away with downloading on AT&T? I'm just wondering if AT&T will come after me if I download more than 4GB's in a month...

 

[butterfly0fdoom]

Shame on those of you who are supporting AT&T. They continue to get rich off of the iPhone at our expense. They have not invested in their infrastructure enough to support the iPhone, yet they blame it for all of their problems. The iPhone has been out for over 2 years now....how about investing some of that money back into the freaking network (like Verizon has done with their 4G network - oh and AT&T won't have 4G until 2011 at the earliest while Verizon is rolling it out next year).

I get a lot of bars on my phone, but the calls drop constantly! They have been slow with MMS support, missing their own deadline. They STILL do not allow tethering, and God know when they will actually allow that with their current network woes.

I'm not really one to join a "take down a company" campaign, but this is one that I actually feel is justified. They want to boast in their retaliation commercials against Verizon that they have "more apps" and can browse the web while talking on the phone...these are iPhone generated advantages. The consumers should be thanking Apple, not AT&T.

May the day of a Verizon iPhone come as soon as possible.

Shame on you for being so ignorant. As many significantly more level-headed people have pointed out, if any other provider had the iPhone, they would be feeling the strain AT&T is feeling. Expanding their network isn't a case of "oh let's throw up more towers!". There's tons of red tape involved.

Do you REALLY want AT&T to offer tethering, with their network in the condition it's in? Do you actually NEED tethering? Or are you just blindly using that as a point against AT&T?

I had an iPhone, I was absolutely happy with it. I've been happy with AT&T for the past 8 years. Never a dropped call. Never a bad customer service call. It's always the discontent that are more vocal, anyway. I mean, my data speeds dropped significantly after the iPhone was released, but I was using an iPhone myself, so I'm a part of my own problem. But it's not like my positive experience matters. Clearly I should be ashamed, according to you.

AT&T had a flawed model to begin with. Unlimited data for $20 a month is totally unrealistic with the amount of data people are using and that consumption will only skyrocket upwards. Its their own fault they needed to set a data cap on their plan to something that would be unlimited to a normal user. Rogers has a 6gb cap on some plans and its totally fine, and at least that stops people from tethering and using a ton of data on their unlimited plan...oh wait...they still don't have tethering in the US do they LOL

AT&T does have a cap for their data plans, there's a 5GB reasonable limit in the fine print IIRC. But they, unlike other carriers, don't enforce it except for people with tethering plans.

meh, so if the network isn't strong enough to handle a real emergency (like the earthquake in your post), we should just accept that? If it's so volatile that a simple blog post can bring it down, we should all be focusing on the blog post instead of the gaping flaws in critical infrastructure?

Deeper problems are there. Don't blame that guy for exposing them in this relatively harmless manner (I doubt anyone will die because they missed a critical email, btw.. much more than likely they'll die because of a dropped call on AT&T's consistently poor network. but whatever).

It wasn't only AT&T that couldn't handle it. Even Verizon couldn't handle it. This isn't a problem with AT&T, this is a problem with the industry and how it's regulated. Don't just blame AT&T; they just happen to be in a situation where the problem manifests even when there isn't a major disaster. Again, if Verizon launched the iPhone, they would be in AT&T's situation.

 

[oldwatery]

This is America, Jack! We pay for UNLIMITED plans and don't want caps placed on UNLIMITED plans (that means "without limits"!!) A cap is NOT "totally fine" if you're paying for UNLIMITED! If we wanted caps on stuff we'd move to Canada and pay for caps.

The nerve of some people to say it's "totally fine" for businesses or the gov't to treat us like we're 8 yrs old... limiting what we've paid for and what they've promised. AT&T needs to improve or there will be a "giant sucking sound" towards a competitor when either the iPhone is associated with another carrier or when the iPhone is no longer the greatest thing since sliced bread.

You are an 8 year old. Only some juvenile half whit would be so scared of the dreaded socialist word. What is with you right wing nut jobs that everything that you don't like you label liberal or socialist or some other word of which you obviously have no idea of it's true meaning.
And as for the Capitalist ideal that you are entitled to have everything without limit. That is exactly the thinking that will bring this once great country to it's knees. Ever heard about sharing

 

[senorhappy]

UNLIMITED doesn't mean totally unlimited. In almost every country, there is a limit to these UNLIMITED plans. Usually, that limit is quite big, so people don't notice. That's why you must always read the fine print.

Is this a "depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is" argument? UNLIMITED means "without limits" in every dictionary I have. UNLIMITED does not mean "sorta limited" or "kinda limited". If there is a 1TB cap on my data usage or a cap of 1 million text messages I can send, then it is NOT UNLIMITED.

And this isn't "almost every country"... this is AMERICA! Freedom freedom freedom! I can't believe I'm having this debate!

My point is that we should get what we pay for... I pay for UNLIMITED data, not "up to 6GB of data". I expect data "without limits" and will take my business elsewhere when UNLIMITED no longer means just that or I do not agree with the size of the cap imposed by the carrier. It will not be too smart on AT&T's part to place caps on data because I, for one, will find a carrier that will most closely meet my desires for phone and data services.... hence Capitalism!!! I don't have to have an iPhone, and we can all choose for ourselves if AT&T is the right service for us. Luckily for me, I live in a 3G city. If I didn't, I would have a different device on a different network.

Hooray for Capitalism and all those who fought for our freedoms!! We truly are fortunate to live here!

 

[michael.lauden]

To fakestevejobs and all of you supporters of his action.
Get a life...this really will help fix the situation won't it!
Idiots

get a life?

tethering for an hour won't waste anyone's life, nor would watching YouTube during a lunch break - and if this is something people feel strongly about, who are you to tell them they are idiots?

 

[oldwatery]

You must be one of those little pansy waste lemmings that just follows the person in front of them right off the cliff. You ever hear of standing up and making yourself heard? If we don't use our voices then there is no way to be heard and nothing will change, at best it will get worse. Grow some balls already!

Yep, that's me, a pansy little lemming.
I just won't be following your stupid ass of the cliff you are walking over.
It really takes balls to try and bring down a network for no reason other than your own personal pique. If you want to show your balls then do something positive. Acting like a spoiled baby won't get AT&T to change a thing.

 

[Berio]

You must be one of those little pansy waste lemmings that just follows the person in front of them right off the cliff. You ever hear of standing up and making yourself heard? If we don't use our voices then there is no way to be heard and nothing will change, at best it will get worse. Grow some balls already!

"making yourself heard" will make ATT suddenly realize they have to improve their network????
that's just naive.

your inference that you have balls because you are prepared to make you voice he(a)rd is just pathetic.

be clever rather than loud: cancel your contract, use a different phone, move to another provider who promises you a bluer sky

 

[oldwatery]

get a life?

tethering for an hour won't waste anyone's life, nor would watching YouTube during a lunch break - and if this is something people feel strongly about, who are you to tell them they are idiots?

OK I'll take back the idiots comment if you can rationally explain to me how overloading the network will do anything other than harm innocent people who need the service?
Don't like the service then cancel it. Crashing it serves no purpose that I can see. But i stand to be corrected

 

[senorhappy]

You are an 8 year old. Only some juvenile half whit would be so scared of the dreaded socialist word. What is with you right wing nut jobs that everything that you don't like you label liberal or socialist or some other word of which you obviously have no idea of it's true meaning.
And as for the Capitalist ideal that you are entitled to have everything without limit. That is exactly the thinking that will bring this once great country to it's knees. Ever heard about sharing

Thank you for the lesson in angry liberal socialism. If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it's a duck! If it limits freedom and is more concerned about the "greater good" than it is about getting what you're paying for, then its socialism.

Karl Marx would be proud of your reply. I won't, however, wish you luck in helping to bring this country to its knees. And it's not a "once great" country... it is an incredibly great country. You're even getting to express your feelings about this capitalist without being imprisoned for it.

You're welcome!

 

[jamespa66]

Yep, that's me, a pansy little lemming.
I just won't be following your stupid ass of the cliff you are walking over.
It really takes balls to try and bring down a network for no reason other than your own personal pique. If you want to show your balls then do something positive. Acting like a spoiled baby won't get AT&T to change a thing.

Thank god you didn't help found this country, with your attitude we would have never stood up, had a revolution and fought for our freedoms. You want to live your life where every decision is made for you? Try living in a socialist/communist nation for a month or 2. You might see things in a different light.

 

[Berio]

this is AMERICA! Freedom freedom freedom! I can't believe I'm having this debate!

Hooray for Capitalism and all those who fought for our freedoms!! We truly are fortunate to live here!

you don't sound too fortunate - you sound pretty miserable.
seems capitalism and freedom are giving you Unlimited high blood pressure and maybe an ulcer

take care
-b

 

[jamespa66]

OK I'll take back the idiots comment if you can rationally explain to me how overloading the network will do anything other than harm innocent people who need the service?
Don't like the service then cancel it. Crashing it serves no purpose that I can see. But i stand to be corrected

Need the service? Not really. We survived 20yrs ago with out it just fine, I'll live one afternoon without if it helps make a point.

 

[wizard]

Totally stupid idea, irresponsible too.

First off AT&Ts network isn't that bad!

Second does anybody with any sort of technical background think that Verisons network would do any better under the load iPhone users would put it under? Frankly all this whIne about AT&Ts performance is just the crap flowing out of ignorant mouths.

Third all of the carriers have been continually lobbying the FCC for more spectrum. Why do you think this is? Well that again is simple, they know right now that current spectrum allocations can not support products anticipated for the near future. IPhone just dramatically reinforces the fear that the carriers have, broad adoption of mobile technologies can not be supported with current technologies and spectrum allocations. That is a very real problem and trying to screw up current systems will in no way help the situation.

Finally people really need to look at their local town and city governments to see how they have contributed to stagnation in RF services. Every rule made by these governments effectively reduce the ability of engineers to build proper systems. There is much hate directed here at AT&T that couldd be better directed at your local governments and their meddling in technology they don't have a clue about.

Dave

 

[Berio]

Thank god you didn't help found this country, with your attitude we would have never stood up, had a revolution and fought for our freedoms. You want to live your life where every decision is made for you? Try living in a socialist/communist nation for a month or 2. You might see things in a different light.

it is doubtful whether the founders would have got involved in this whining and complaining.


seems they were more goal oriented and pragmatic than that. they started a revolution, rather than just having their voices heard and talking about their balls.

next you'll be proposing an "ATT protest-picnic-in-the park" or something similarly effective.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I can see 2 outcomes happenning from this ~ should over 250,000 to 1million users engage Operation Chokehold.

1. Users get disabled service and immediate expulsion for willfully disrupting a network which is against contract & possibly against the law (akin to destroying base stations). Users take a class action lawsuit AT&T gets screwed (possibly renaming the service back to Cingular, lol). AT&T gets forced to fix the network by the FCC.

2. The network gets bogged down, extra OT pay to network admins, engineers to patch remedy the immediate issue, and everything back to the way it was.

Either way I see a class action lawsuit pending and customers will R.Y.N.O. AT&T.

Rip Ya a New One = R.Y.N.O.

 

[jamespa66]

First off AT&Ts network isn't that bad!

Second does anybody with any sort of technical background think that Verisons network would do any better under the load iPhone users would put it under? Frankly all this whIne about AT&Ts performance is just the crap flowing out of ignorant mouths.

Third all of the carriers have been continually lobbying the FCC for more spectrum. Why do you think this is? Well that again is simple, they know right now that current spectrum allocations can not support products anticipated for the near future. IPhone just dramatically reinforces the fear that the carriers have, broad adoption of mobile technologies can not be supported with current technologies and spectrum allocations. That is a very real problem and trying to screw up current systems will in no way help the situation.

Finally people really need to look at their local town and city governments to see how they have contributed to stagnation in RF services. Every rule made by these governments effectively reduce the ability of engineers to build proper systems. There is much hate directed here at AT&T that couldd be better directed at your local governments and their meddling in technology they don't have a clue about.

Dave

Very good intelligent counter. However I don't think we have the lobbyist power with the government like the corp giants such as AT&T & Verizon do.
We need to make our point to the companies they then need to pressure the government to open the spectrum that they require. However from watching what is going on in the government the corps are more worried about raising cost, providing little more and the government just adds more taxes and tariffs raising the cost even further.

 

[oldwatery]

it is doubtful whether the founders would have got involved in this whining and complaining.


seems they were more goal oriented and pragmatic than that. they started a revolution, rather than just having their voices heard and talking about their balls.

next you'll be proposing an "ATT protest-picnic-in-the park" or something similarly effective.

Bravo

 

[senorhappy]

Some might say that this is the the very nature of America and its capitalism. ("There's a Sucker Born Every Minute")

And if you're wondering why you are being "treated like an 8 yr old".... maybe it's because you sound just like an 8 year old? stomping your feet and sobbing because a big capitalist corp took your money away. That is their purpose. what will complain about next? your investment in sea-monkeys?

WTF?? I love big capitalist corps... I'd love to run one! So far, AT&T has taken my money and given me exactly what I paid for... UNLIMITED data and texts. That's exactly what I signed up for. If they decide that UNLIMITED no longer means that, and I'm not satisfied with their alternative, then I'm going to use the wonderful system of capitalism and move my business elsewhere.

You are exactly right... their purpose is to make a profit (Capitalism). I chose to pay them money in exchange for a service. Their service is pretty crappy from time to time and depends where you are. If it gets so bad that you or I don't like it, then we have the option to get service from somewhere else.

I was making the point in my original response that the person from Canada didn't mind that UNLIMITED meant 6GB, and was happy to let Rodgers screw him over like that. I am not going to choose to get screwed over like that.

And I knew that sea monkeys were brine shrimp before I bought them, so i was not disappointed with what I got... I didn't get screwed over, and that's all I'm asking for

 

[oldwatery]

Need the service? Not really. We survived 20yrs ago with out it just fine, I'll live one afternoon without if it helps make a point.

That's really rational

 

[wizard]

A very idiotic response.

Need the service? Not really. We survived 20yrs ago with out it just fine, I'll live one afternoon without if it helps make a point.

What point! AT&T already knows there system has been overwhelemed by the use and rapid adoption of iPhone, so how can this help?

Oh and by the way many people do depend upon cell technologies these days. For some it has replaced land lines for others two way radios. For others it is a communications solution they have not had before.

In any event if you really want to help AT&T improve their system download and use there app for that. Sound reports of system failures might actually give AT&T the ammunition they need to fix the problem areas. Especially those areas where the problems are external to AT&T.

Frankly there are right ways and wrong ways to go about fixing stuff in this world. Purposefully harming others to get at AT&T is just wrong. Frankly you are no better than the idiots blowing themselves up to make a point in the middle east. In fact it's pretty much one in the same mentallity.


Dave

 

[jaredmauch]

Happens often to me

your phone is broken? idk never happened to me. you jailbroken and install somthing?

I'm not jailbroken and this happens to me. I even have the magical http://wps.ncs.gov/ active on my phone due to my job. This would be an interesting attack, but likely not have the planned impact. Cellular networks turn down the radio power as they see more 'active' users within the cell.

Best thing AT&T could do to help with these issues would be to launch the microcell nationally, or ship one to every iPhone user that has dropped calls. Apple (at least) gets the intelligence for the number of dropped calls fed into their feedback system from the phone diagnostic data.

eg:

Library/Logs/CrashReporter/MobileDevice/Jared Mauch’s iPhone/Baseband

Check out the contents of the *-stats.txt* files.

When you see the phone drop several times in a 10-15 minute period, here in the good ol midwest, it's not something just seen in NYC/SFO. Phone works fine when I am in Japan on a pure UMTS 3G network..

11:51:45 -0500 ST [clm] disconnect: duration=1227;cause=kNoNetworkService;ceer=355;txPower=13;maxTxPower=24;txPowerLimitType=1;rat=2;cgi=310:410:26507:34749
11:52:10 -0500 ST [rm] reset: reason=call drop;uptime=95993;count=3;callactive=true;pdpactive=false/false/false/false;rat=0
12:05:02 -0500 ST [clm] disconnect: duration=769;cause=kNoNetworkService;ceer=355;rat=0;cgi=310:410:26009:10717
12:05:12 -0500 ST [rm] reset: reason=call drop;uptime=96776;count=3;callactive=true;pdpactive=false/false/false/false;rat=3
12:08:31 -0500 ST [clm] disconnect: duration=187;cause=kNoError;ceer=0;rat=0;cgi=310:410:26009:10717
12:15:06 -0500 ST [clm] disconnect: duration=300;cause=kNoError;ceer=0;rat=0;cgi=310:410:26507:34289
16:39:39 -0500 ST [rm] reset: reason=modem reset: +xlog=4 rsp is err;uptime=113257;count=4;callactive=false;pdpactive=false/false/false/false;rat=2
16:39:39 -0500 ST [rm] crash: state=Resetting

 

[Rad99004]

AT&T again your missing the point !

AT & T we are tired of the high prices you are charging for the I-Phone data plan.

You have some nerve trying to charge even more for a unlimited plan.

I think you need to just back off, invest in your network and provide good service.

Greed will get you know where, providing a fair priced product with good service will get you everywhere.

 

[jamespa66]

it is doubtful whether the founders would have got involved in this whining and complaining.


seems they were more goal oriented and pragmatic than that. they started a revolution, rather than just having their voices heard and talking about their balls.

next you'll be proposing an "ATT protest-picnic-in-the park" or something similarly effective.

Sure why not, sounds like a lot better idea than hiding our heads in the sand and worrying about upsetting the normal balance of life. With what is being proposed sounds a bit like the Boston Tea Party to me. Did they get their point across then?