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So did you not buy any subsidized iPhones since 2009? If you did, then you did agree to new contracts electronically.


I have a line that did not. So no I did not sign one for that line. I have bought unlocked phones. So I have not signed a contract agreeing to throttling. Yet I still get throttled.
 
They'll drop unlimited the next time you upgrade before you can get it back. Good work, FTC.

I'm pretty sure that most cell phone contracts have language in there saying that the carrier can change parts of it, but if they do then you don't have to pay the ETF if you want to cancel because of it. So my guess is that they have to give a small check to unlimited data customers and then they get rid of it for good.
 
But with that same thought process, if it's only 3% and low financial impact for them, it shouldn't be an issue to just allow the unlimited be a true unlimited w/o the throttling. There aren't enough customers to have an impact on towers. From what the report is saying, there are millions of customers.

So your saying 3% is not a big deal to them...your joking right even 1% is a big deal to even the share holders. I dont think you can grasp the big picture here
 
So your saying 3% is not a big deal to them...your joking right even 1% is a big deal to even the share holders. I dont think you can grasp the big picture here

3% people being throttled does not mean that's 3% more revenue for them. Fact of the matter is that letting us go unthrottled won't affect their bottom line .


To everyone saying AT&T will "definitely" eliminate the unlimited plans now -- I don't think so. They're keeping them because they know a few of us are only loyal to AT&T because of the unlimited data. The moment it's gone, I'm switching to Verizon (if I have to go with limited data anyway, I may as well have a carrier with better coverage and features). That would probably be a bigger loss of revenue than just giving 3% of us some more data (which would essentially turn us into customers for life)
 
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This gets said every time the unlimited topic gets brought up. Where do you get they promise data not speed? When I signed the last contract, and every bill I get. It's says iPhone LTE data package. If my speeds are throttled then I am not getting LTE am I? That is what my package says I am paying for.

Sure AT&T may get bogged down at points, and the speeds are great, but slowing speeds on purpose is not the same.

There is no promises of what lte speeds are
 
I have a line that did not. So no I did not sign one for that line. I have bought unlocked phones. So I have not signed a contract agreeing to throttling. Yet I still get throttled.

Likely your contract that you signed in 2009 had language very similar to this.

1.3 Can AT&T Change My Terms And Rates?

We may change any terms, conditions, rates, fees, expenses, or charges regarding your Services at any time. We will provide you with notice of material changes (other than changes to governmental fees, proportional charges for governmental mandates, roaming rates or administrative charges) either in your monthly bill or separately. You understand and agree that State and Federal Universal Service Fees and other governmentally imposed fees, whether or not assessed directly upon you, may be increased based upon the government's or our calculations.

IF WE INCREASE THE PRICE OF ANY OF THE SERVICES TO WHICH YOU SUBSCRIBE, BEYOND THE LIMITS SET FORTH IN YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE SUMMARY, OR IF WE MATERIALLY DECREASE THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA IN WHICH YOUR AIRTIME RATE APPLIES (OTHER THAN A TEMPORARY DECREASE FOR REPAIRS OR MAINTENANCE), WE’LL DISCLOSE THE CHANGE AT LEAST ONE BILLING CYCLE IN ADVANCE (EITHER THROUGH A NOTICE WITH YOUR BILL, A TEXT MESSAGE TO YOUR DEVICE, OR OTHERWISE), AND YOU MAY TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT WITHOUT PAYING AN EARLY TERMINATION FEE OR RETURNING OR PAYING FOR ANY PROMOTIONAL ITEMS, PROVIDED YOUR NOTICE OF TERMINATION IS DELIVERED TO US WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE FIRST BILL REFLECTING THE CHANGE.

If you lose your eligibility for a particular rate plan, we may change your rate plan to one for which you qualify.

Link
 
3% people being throttled does not mean that's 3% more revenue for them. Fact of the matter is that letting us go unthrottled won't affect their bottom line .


To everyone saying AT&T will "definitely" eliminate the unlimited plans now -- I don't think so. They're keeping them because they know a few of us are only loyal to AT&T because of the unlimited data. The moment it's gone, I'm switching to Verizon (if I have to go with limited data anyway, I may as well have a carrier with better coverage and features). That would probably be a bigger loss of revenue than just giving 3% of us some more data (which would essentially turn us into customers for life)


This ^. I still have two lines on the unlimited data plan with three other lines on my family plan. The only reason I haven't switched to Verizon yet is because of the unlimited data plan. If they eliminate ours I'll take all 5 lines of my plan to Verizon.
 
this is what I'm thinking will happen.
In the next 3-6 months, ATT will officially announce your next upgrade has to be on a restricted data plan.
Then shortly after that (2ish weeks) FTC will announce the result of the lawsuit is that ATT can no longer throttle, throttling will end, and FTC will issue a fine to be paid back to customers. There will be a set amount per month, say $5-10, that ATT will need to pay, starting with first month throttle until customer dropped unlimited plan.
ATT will appeal, and in about 24 months the FTC will settle around $3 a month. In 48 months ATT will finally complete the payments to everyone.
 
ATT just needs to tell the truth. They just want to make more money and make it annoying for high data users. So annoy the crap out of them and theottle them. There. I said it.

Just fess up Att. That's the cold truth.

Even in the FTC complaint response. ATT is still lying up their butts. They keep on using the lame excuse they have the right to protect their network and optimize crap excuse. Seriously?

Go ahead. Throttle. But if they want to really use that network optimization excuse. Than why are they throttling 24/7 after someone hits a magic number on their data plan.

Surely if someone who is at 5-6gb and wants to use data at 3am on early Monday morning. Why are those people getting theottled.
 
Here's the difference though. TWC offers unlimited data for all their plans, but charge for increases in max speed. And when the network gets bogged down, the throttling occurs evenly across the affected area of the network (more or less). Furthermore, if there isn't congestion on the network, there won't be any throttling.

AT&T is throttling specific customers who pay less to have more data, and do so with a hard cap. I could be the only person on AT&T's entire network, and if I have unlimited data, I'm throttled at 5 GB. And I may be throttled within that first 5 GB if the network is congested. It's BS.

Oh. I agree that the way they throttle is unfair. They should only throttle if traffic forces it.

I just gave up all our unlimited data accounts when they did this promo.

Same price as unlimited, but with 40GB of data that is NOT throttled. We have 9 lines of service on one account.

It was tough to give up unlimited. I've had it since 2007.
 
Surely if someone who is at 5-6gb and wants to use data at 3am on early Monday morning. Why are those people getting theottled.

Do people actually believe that they can determine the appropriate download speeds in real time for their millions of customers based on the plan each of those millions of customers are on and the level of network capacity at that particular moment?

Seriously?

They are getting throttled since that is what the contract says.
 
Do people actually believe that they can determine the appropriate download speeds in reaal time for their millions of customers based on the plan each of those millions of customers are on and the level of network capacity at that particular moment?

Seriously?

They are getting throttled since that is what the contract says.

I am guessing you don't work in IT. This is not only possible but fundamental to any network. What limits or any other parameters they choose to optimize is up to the provider.
 
I gave up my unlimited plan and switched to T-Mo, this week I've slightly regretted it since I'm assigned to a different site than I normally work and I have absolutely no service there. Nonetheless everything else has been okay, but I kind of wish I had AT&T coverage.
 
Do people actually believe that they can determine the appropriate download speeds in real time for their millions of customers based on the plan each of those millions of customers are on and the level of network capacity at that particular moment?

Seriously?

They are getting throttled since that is what the contract says.

Verizon tethers its 3G devices based on network capacity, and until very recently, they were planning on doing just that for their LTE devices too. If Verizon is capable, then AT&T should be too
 
So your saying 3% is not a big deal to them...your joking right even 1% is a big deal to even the share holders. I dont think you can grasp the big picture here

Oh I grasp the big picture and so does the FTC and surely the judgement shall as well. It's a bad practice to 3%, 30%, 3000% or even just one customer.

3% people being throttled does not mean that's 3% more revenue for them. Fact of the matter is that letting us go unthrottled won't affect their bottom line .

To everyone saying AT&T will "definitely" eliminate the unlimited plans now -- I don't think so. They're keeping them because they know a few of us are only loyal to AT&T because of the unlimited data. The moment it's gone, I'm switching to Verizon (if I have to go with limited data anyway, I may as well have a carrier with better coverage and features). That would probably be a bigger loss of revenue than just giving 3% of us some more data (which would essentially turn us into customers for life)

ABBBBBSOLUETLY correct. I've been with AT&T since 2005 despite being in many areas where Verizon was/is better! AT&Ts service isn't horrid but if I'm forced to paid data plans, it will DEFINITELY be with Verizon w/o a shout of a doubt.

There is no promises of what lte speeds are

Perhaps you have unlimited messages on your plan. So when you hit 2000 messages, your messages will be throttled and maybe just MAYBE your recipient will receive your message by the next day. See how silly that sounds??!! Unlimited is unlimited is unlimited. AT&T advertises LTE speeds with able devices ON THEIR NETWORK so why cut it short? No grounds.

Likely your contract that you signed in 2009 had language very similar to this.



Link

So since the verbiage is soooo explicit with terms and what they can do at any point, where is it specified about changing data speeds? Like I mentioned before, AT&T can do what ever they want, but they need to understand that there may be law suits waiting for them on the other side for suspect practices. Oh wait, there is a law suit in the works now.
 
Do people actually believe that they can determine the appropriate download speeds in real time for their millions of customers based on the plan each of those millions of customers are on and the level of network capacity at that particular moment?

Seriously?

They are getting throttled since that is what the contract says.

That's not the point. Read ATT's defense of throttling. They claim its network protection.

So throttling at 3am is not a valid excuse for network optimization.

Verizon is still even shady with their own network optimization of their 3G CDMA network. They refuse to reveal the actual towers being theottled.
 
a lot of people are giving away Verizon Unlimited Data Plan for free ( 2 year contract ). If you are tired with AT&T Throttle your data, perfect time to make a switch. Check UDP for life thread for more info.
 
a lot of people are giving away Verizon Unlimited Data Plan for free ( 2 year contract ). If you are tired with AT&T Throttle your data, perfect time to make a switch. Check UDP for life thread for more info.

They aren't giving it away for "free". They are using their $450 subsidy. Than leaving. Still a pure profit move.
 
They aren't giving it away for "free". They are using their $450 subsidy. Than leaving. Still a pure profit move.

Yea I was really leary of that. I don't want anything coming back biting me in the end.
 
There are several problems with the way AT&T handled this, as has already been pointed out. They said it was unlimited and then put limits on it. They said that they were throttling people at 5GB because of network congestion and then turned around and offered people on metered plans huge bonuses to their caps. They also keep their unlimited customers from tethering even though they're also subject to throttling, which really doesn't make much sense except as a punitive measure designed to drive people to metered plans. I think these are all troublesome from the point of view of the consumer.

Personally, I've never been throttled because I don't generally get close to the 5GB cap (I have wifi most places that I go during the day). So in one sense I don't really need the unlimited plan. But I hate having to worry about overages, so I've stuck with the unlimited plan even though I'd like to be able to tether. I do think I'll probably be moving to another carrier when I upgrade next.
 
There are several problems with the way AT&T handled this, as has already been pointed out. They said it was unlimited and then put limits on it. They said that they were throttling people at 5GB because of network congestion and then turned around and offered people on metered plans huge bonuses to their caps. They also keep their unlimited customers from tethering even though they're also subject to throttling, which really doesn't make much sense except as a punitive measure designed to drive people to metered plans. I think these are all troublesome from the point of view of the consumer.

Personally, I've never been throttled because I don't generally get close to the 5GB cap (I have wifi most places that I go during the day). So in one sense I don't really need the unlimited plan. But I hate having to worry about overages, so I've stuck with the unlimited plan even though I'd like to be able to tether. I do think I'll probably be moving to another carrier when I upgrade next.

AT&T is being really shotty with their unlimited plan. No real reason to do what they're doing when looking how they handle other plans. It's a bully move and hopefully the FTC lawsuit will put them in their place.

Also, hopefully they'll add tethering to the unlimited plan or I'll just jailbreak my phone. The way I see it, they are cheating me so why should I NOT jailbreak and tether? I know don't sleep with the wolves but hey it just isn't right.
 
I get only 15% off but some employers can get 25%, which is steep enough to offset most of the cost differential especially if at&t has better reception than T-Mobile in a particular area. Better to go with the better reception for a few dollars more.







Personally, paying full price isn't worth keeping unlimited.


You bet it is.
 
So your saying 3% is not a big deal to them...your joking right even 1% is a big deal to even the share holders. I dont think you can grasp the big picture here

AT&T knows exactly who you are, where you live and where you use your phone the most for what purposes, who you call, what data you use, what you search for - everything, for each and every one of their millions of customers.

They can easily identify users who cannot jump to T-Mobile on account of network coverage - say truck drivers, those in rural areas or people who travel to the sticks often and selectively jack up only their prices; confident that these people have nowhere else to go. And even those homebodies stuck in urban areas with good T-Mobile coverage, they can bet on a significant number not changing carriers out of inertia and continue paying them.
 
At this point I want real unlimited or in going with T-Mobile. Just wish this wouldn't take forever to be over but it will
 
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