Clauses in AT&T Contracts Have Always Provided for Limits on 'Unlimited' Data Plans

[gepapaya]

First off, I do not like this throttling stuff... which is why I'm frequently reading these threads to see if anything is changing.

With that said, this debate about throttling at 3GB while having a 5GB/no throttling plan may be misleading. I very highly doubt that someone on the 5GB plan is using 5GB in one or two weeks... more likely gets to 4-5 GB in a billing period. Whereas, the "high volume" users are most probably using 3GB in one or two weeks. So give the 3GB user on "unlimited" plan, and he most probably will not stop at 5GB in a billing period. Said another way, the 3GB user is getting to 3GB much faster than the 5GB user... and so is consdered a "heavy user".

So, as others have posted, the throttling point should probably be 5GB. Then, this "high volume" user has a choice at 5GB within a billing period... pay more, or go slower.

 

[blybug]

I think it's all a scam to get unlimited users to switch plans. Check out my usage graph and explain to me why I have a sudden, massive jump in data use in December 2011 when my phone-use habits have not changed one bit:
Image

Mine looks exactly the same - but I did enroll in iTunes Match at the end of November. I've presumed that's where my massive jump came from. Did you start iTunes Match?

Never did the math ahead of time, but was very surprised at the dramatic increase, since my prior usage was like yours ~0.5GB/month, and I'm pretty much only off WiFi while in the car.

 

[BiggAW]

I did, but I don't really use Siri that much; certainly not enough to justify that big of a data jump.

Siri uses almost nothing.

And to the idea that it should be 5GB because there is a 5GB plan... that plan is $50. Feel free to switch if you want that much data.

 

[jjhrick]

Siri uses almost nothing.

And to the idea that it should be 5GB because there is a 5GB plan... that plan is $50. Feel free to switch if you want that much data.

So according to you 5GB is more than unlimited very fuzzy math on your part. ATT's motivation to move users to the 5GB plan is the $50 vs $30 it's that simple. ATT made a mistake they offered an unlimited plan and now want to get rid of it. No mystery there either. Using what you pay for does not equal abuse.

 

[doktordoris]

wow you americans really get screwed!

In the UK I use 3 PAYG. I give them 15 pounds a month, then ask them to transfer the 15 quid into a dataplan which costs £15, I then get 5 hours of talking, 2000 texts and absolutely unlimited data. And I mean unlimited, in fact 3 call the service "all you can eat data", i sometimes use 30 gig a month. My advice is move to Blighty.

 

[ericrwalker]

wow you americans really get screwed!

In the UK I use 3 PAYG. I give them 15 pounds a month, then ask them to transfer the 15 quid into a dataplan which costs £15, I then get 5 hours of talking, 2000 texts and absolutely unlimited data. And I mean unlimited, in fact 3 call the service "all you can eat data", i sometimes use 30 gig a month. My advice is move to Blighty.

Not sure anyone here can decode what you just said, but refer to my earlier post and understand why it cost more for less in this country. It's population density and the cost of infrastructure.

 

[BiggAW]

So according to you 5GB is more than unlimited very fuzzy math on your part. ATT's motivation to move users to the 5GB plan is the $50 vs $30 it's that simple. ATT made a mistake they offered an unlimited plan and now want to get rid of it. No mystery there either. Using what you pay for does not equal abuse.

You have an extreme sense of entitlement. You think that you, because you have a grandfathered plan, should get something for nothing.

I, however, am more realistic, and I wouldn't mind if AT&T takes away all my grandfathered plans next time I upgrade something on the account. That's what they should be doing.

They should just grow a pair and kill off unlimited. On month 25, everyone would be out of contract, off the unlimited plan, the plan could be deleted from the system, and it would be ancient history. All other plan changes should work the same way. If our system was rational, and didn't have contracts and subsidies, plan changes would be done and old plans deleted from the system in 32 days.

In fact please explain what you had difficulty understanding and next time Ill use simpler words for you. okay?

And why does your avatar have a word meaning a frothy mix of excrement and ejaculate in it?

How do they support that sort of data usage without getting totally overloaded?

Santorum is a presidential candidate. That other meaning was because of his blatant disregard for gay rights, and offensive comments towards gay rights. Some people on the internet made it up to Google bomb him.

 

[DiamondMac]

As others have said, the idea of AT&T trying to tell people using 2gb-3gb that they are being "heavy" users then wanting them to get on a tiered plan with a 5gb cap is and should be illegal.

It is AT&T lying to its consumers and forcing them onto a more expensive plan to give their bottom line yet another boost.

 

[BiggAW]

As others have said, the idea of AT&T trying to tell people using 2gb-3gb that they are being "heavy" users then wanting them to get on a tiered plan with a 5gb cap is and should be illegal.

It is AT&T lying to its consumers and forcing them onto a more expensive plan to give their bottom line yet another boost.

AT&T is throwing their customers a bone by allowing them to keep unlimited. Most businesses in that situation would eliminate the plan if any line on the account were upgraded, or the customer got out of contract.

 

[jjhrick]

AT&T is throwing their customers a bone by allowing them to keep unlimited. Most businesses in that situation would eliminate the plan if any line on the account were upgraded, or the customer got out of contract.

ATT is offering it, customers are paying for it. What don't you get? So what if ATT is throwing a bone, if they offer it they should honor it.

It is not a gift, bone or boon, it is cost $30 a month for those users "lucky" enough to have it. ATT should honor it or get rid of it, you should not be an appoligist for ATT's attempt to subvert it. BTW I am repeating this point on purpose.

Maybe ATT should call it our Limited Unilmited plan will lower data caps than our 3 or 5 GB plans.

 

[DiamondMac]

AT&T is throwing their customers a bone by allowing them to keep unlimited. Most businesses in that situation would eliminate the plan if any line on the account were upgraded, or the customer got out of contract.

It is not unlimited if you are being throttled to dialup speeds. Period.

 

[rjohnstone]

It is not unlimited if you are being throttled to dialup speeds. Period.

Weak argument since speed is subjective.

Your access to data is continuous and there is no limit to how much you can use.
You will not be charged any overage for data usage since there is no set byte count on how much you can use.

While I hate throttling and think it's pure BS, speed was never defined as unlimited in the contract, only the amount is defined as unlimited.

The person in California won because AT&T chose to limit the speed so low that the service became essentially unusable thereby denying access to the service.

AT&T has since said they have increased that throttled speed to something faster. Still waiting to see what that actually translates into.

 

[jjhrick]

Weak argument since speed is subjective.

Your access to data is continuous and there is no limit to how much you can use.
You will not be charged any overage for data usage since there is no set byte count on how much you can use.

While I hate throttling and think it's pure BS, speed was never defined as unlimited in the contract, only the amount is defined as unlimited.

The person in California won because AT&T chose to limit the speed so low that the service became essentially unusable thereby denying access to the service.

AT&T has since said they have increased that throttled speed to something faster. Still waiting to see what that actually translates into.

They upped it to 3GB (CAP) according to one article I read. Actually your arguement is weak it's not unlimited if it is being throttled. Speed is not subjective if it is measured. If the network is slowed because of traffic that is a limitation of the network itself but throttling is an artificial cap ATT is applying. Ask yourself if ATT can offer a 5GB plan why are they throttling an unlimited plan at less than 2GB and now 3GB. My answer is the additonal $20 they get for the 5GB plan, whats your answer?

 

[BiggAW]

ATT is offering it, customers are paying for it. What don't you get? So what if ATT is throwing a bone, if they offer it they should honor it.

It is not a gift, bone or boon, it is cost $30 a month for those users "lucky" enough to have it. ATT should honor it or get rid of it, you should not be an appoligist for ATT's attempt to subvert it. BTW I am repeating this point on purpose.

Maybe ATT should call it our Limited Unilmited plan will lower data caps than our 3 or 5 GB plans.

They reserve the right to modify the service at any time if they believe you are negatively impacting their network.

They are required to either honor the plan until the end of the customer's contract, so long as the customer does not upgrade anything on the plan, OR if they change the plan to one with overages, let the customer out of contract. They are not required to continue offering it when the customer upgrades a line on their plan, and they should not be continuing to offer it.

It is not unlimited if you are being throttled to dialup speeds. Period.

It's still unlimited use. You are not guaranteed speeds.

 

[Ronnoco]

It's better than the whiners on these boards who are (quite successfully) playing 'stupid'. If the contract expressly says the company can do X, don't complain when the company actually *does* X. They didn't trick you, they told you up front that this was a possibility. You just weren't paying attention.

Wrong...don't state "UNLIMITED" if the services is LIMITED...small print doesn't make misleading marketing "ok"...
look up the definition of "UNLIMITED"...(without limits)...paying attention has nothing to do with misleading customers...AT&T is basically saying "UNLIMITED high speed data" (with some limits)...some of the "limited" speeds are virtually unusable...

 

[jjhrick]

They reserve the right to modify the service at any time if they believe you are negatively impacting their network.

They are required to either honor the plan until the end of the customer's contract, so long as the customer does not upgrade anything on the plan, OR if they change the plan to one with overages, let the customer out of contract. They are not required to continue offering it when the customer upgrades a line on their plan, and they should not be continuing to offer it.



It's still unlimited use. You are not guaranteed speeds.

Again you are incorrect unlimited where "use" is attached to it by you not ATT. Data is not being throttled by network limitations it is being throttled by ATT's business decision. Thus the speed the user expects is being taken away due to no abuse by the user. Thus ATT is limiting the unlimited plan. I notice you have given up on the other points you failed to make, congrats you are getting closer to the truth.

 

[flat five]

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I like all the 'you should read the contract before buying' type of posts.. then the subsequent arguments by the same people about what the contract actually means..
there's a point in there somewhere.. I think

 

[Smileyboy]

So do 4G unlimited customers get 5GB of data? Cause my New iPHone 4S is 4G

 

[neversink]

Sheep

All you defenders of ATT's salacious policy of limiting the unlimited are like sheep being led to the slaughter.... IDIOTS.... ATT is laughing at you....

 

[BiggAW]

Again you are incorrect unlimited where "use" is attached to it by you not ATT. Data is not being throttled by network limitations it is being throttled by ATT's business decision. Thus the speed the user expects is being taken away due to no abuse by the user. Thus ATT is limiting the unlimited plan. I notice you have given up on the other points you failed to make, congrats you are getting closer to the truth.

It's in the contract that anyone with AT&T service signed that they reserve the right to modify the speed if they believe the user is negatively impacting their network, and that speed isn't guaranteed. It couldn't be more crystal clear.

I didn't give up on anything. Point it out if I didn't respond to it, and I will shatter your little I'm-entitled-to-the-world attitude to a million pieces. Heck, I'll quote from AT&T's user agreement if need be.

 

[TheBronx]

Again you are incorrect unlimited where "use" is attached to it by you not ATT. Data is not being throttled by network limitations it is being throttled by ATT's business decision. Thus the speed the user expects is being taken away due to no abuse by the user. Thus ATT is limiting the unlimited plan. I notice you have given up on the other points you failed to make, congrats you are getting closer to the truth.

The user should only expect speed that is guaranteed by the contract, and there is no speed guaranteed in the contract.

 

[jjhrick]

It's in the contract that anyone with AT&T service signed that they reserve the right to modify the speed if they believe the user is negatively impacting their network, and that speed isn't guaranteed. It couldn't be more crystal clear.

I didn't give up on anything. Point it out if I didn't respond to it, and I will shatter your little I'm-entitled-to-the-world attitude to a million pieces. Heck, I'll quote from AT&T's user agreement if need be.

I'll try to explain it simply for you. ATT offers a 5GB plan, agreed?
They also offer a 3GB plan, agreed?
They don't throttle them why do they NEED to throttle the unlimited plan, first they tried at the 2GB level now the 3GB level. I will concede the point that using the network at any level utilizes the bandwidth and therefore impacts the throughput, but so the 3 and 5 plan users. Where is the difference?

Just saw an ATT commerical advertising their "unlimited" mobile to mobile calling plan with the tagline paraphrased Call whomever, whenever for as long as you want. I wonder when ATT will consider this abuse and at what level?

Points you ignore:
3 and 5 GB plans not throttled at 2/3 GB levels why is ATT picking on the unlimited plan.

ATT offers an unlimited plan, why won't they honor it?

Why do you consider paying for a plan $30 a month an entitlement?

Even more simply why is using that what you are paying for abuse.

Here is a senario for you. Two users are connected to the same cell tower and both are using the same ammount of the data stream and have been for 15 days, one gets throttled at 3GB and the other is still going. Why? According to you and ATT the throttled user is abusing the network, why not the other user? I know the other user is paying $20 more for a 5GB plan is that clear enough for you? Stop being obtuse. If ATT does not want to honor what they are accepting payments for they should terminate all unlimited user's contracts but they won't because some may leave for greeener pastures. Perhaps it is not the unlimited user's sense of entitlement but your sense of jealousy on missing out on it. Your position is nothing more than WAH WAH it's not fair, he got the bigger piece! Anyways feel free to answer those questions or ignore them as you see fit.

 

[ericrwalker]

Probably because they want you to chose a new plan.

I understand why people are mad, but you signed a 2 year contract, and that contract is over.

Why should either of you be held to that contract? Yeah I know they grandfathered you in, but that was their choice. Maybe after the contract is over they should force you to sign another then, with new terms.

(I am grandfathered in on an old plan, minutes plan and I am thankful, but if they told me I had to get off that I would understand. They don't offer it anymore and I signed a 2 year agreement for it about 6 years ago).

I'll try to explain it simply for you. ATT offers a 5GB plan, agreed?
They also offer a 3GB plan, agreed?
They don't throttle them why do they NEED to throttle the unlimited plan, first they tried at the 2GB level now the 3GB level. I will concede the point that using the network at any level utilizes the bandwidth and therefore impacts the throughput, but so the 3 and 5 plan users. Where is the difference?

Points you ignore:
3 and 5 GB plans not throttled at 2/3 GB levels why is ATT picking on the unlimited plan.

ATT offers an unlimited plan, why won't they honor it?

Why do you consider paying for a plan $30 a month an entitlement?

Even more simply why is using that what you are paying for abuse.

Here is a senario for you. Two users are connected to the same cell tower and both are using the same ammount of the data stream and have been for 15 days, one gets throttled at 3GB and the other is still going. Why? According to you and ATT the throttled user is abusing the network, why not the other user? I know the other user is paying $20 more for a 5GB plan is that clear enough for you? Stop being obtuse. If ATT does not want to honor what they are accepting payments for they should terminate all unlimited user's contracts but they won't because some may leave for greeener pastures. Perhaps it is not the unlimited user's sense of entitlement but your sense of jealousy on missing out on it. Your position is nothing more than WAH WAH it's not fair, he got the bigger piece! Anyways feel free to answer those questions or ignore them as you see fit.

 

[jjhrick]

The user should only expect speed that is guaranteed by the contract, and there is no speed guaranteed in the contract.

Two users using the network at the same level are treated differently one is throttled after 3GB the other isn't until he/she reaches 5GB. The throttled user is abusing the network the other isn't.

Throttled user is on the unlimited plan.
Unthrottled user is on the 5GB plan.

Please explain the DUH! moment. My attempt to explain it is $20 more per month in ATT's pocket. ATT can only justify throttling an user by the "abuse" clause but that fails becuase the offer a 5GB plan. If ATT was a little bit smarter they would have throttled at the 5 GB level to curb abuse but they want the $20 dollar bump in revenue. "BiggAW" believes unlimited users have this sense of entitlement that allows them to get something for nothing, while ignoring the the fact that ATT is charging $30 for and recieving $30 from the unlimited users. Anyways a catch all phrase such as abuse is too vague to enforce, especially when they offer plans that exceed the level they wish to throttle the unlimited users. I hope I have explained why I consider your speed not being guarrenteed argument is moot.

 

[jjhrick]

Probably because they want you to chose a new plan.

I understand why people are mad, but you signed a 2 year contract, and that contract is over.

Why should either of you be held to that contract? Yeah I know they grandfathered you in, but that was their choice. Maybe after the contract is over they should force you to sign another then, with new terms.

(I am grandfathered in on an old plan, minutes plan and I am thankful, but if they told me I had to get off that I would understand. They don't offer it anymore and I signed a 2 year agreement for it about 6 years ago).

You get it, timing is everything you were fortunate to get a good plan. The cell phone companies were in trouble with the govt because they were changing users' plans unilaterally once their contract ended. In order to get themselves out of trouble they agreeed to grandfather the users on their current plans and only change it when the user wished to upgrade their plan, but why would a user want to upgrade an "unlimited" plan. This is ATT's method to accomplish this by muscling the "unlimited" users out.