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Gave up my unlimited data for Personal Hotspot...
- Thread starter HockeyGuy
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AT&T should just offer those of us grandfathered on the unlimited iPhone plan the option to move to the 4GB Data Pro Plan with tethering for the same price we pay today. It would be a win-win situation. They get the data cap and we get tethering.
Since asking is free, I would also like to have rollover data too. Use less one month and more the next month. Works well for voice minutes...
But alas, I think they believe we want tethering more than they want us to limit our usage...
Since asking is free, I would also like to have rollover data too. Use less one month and more the next month. Works well for voice minutes...
But alas, I think they believe we want tethering more than they want us to limit our usage...
Unfortunately our legal system, particularly when it involves litigation, can be less about right vs. wrong than it is about who has the bigger war chest. While it may certainly be possible to countersue, do you have the wherewithal to become embroiled in what may well be a lengthy court battle. I agree that ATT would be unlikely to sue, but not so much out of fear of a counter suit, as there would be very little for them to gain in doing so. I think that they would be far more likely to cancel your service until you comply with the contract.
Well obviously there are bigger reasons att wouldn't sue, but I really believe that there's a 30+% chance att would lose a lawsuit over advertising unlimited while burying limiting language in the contract. The cost/benefit analysis is obviously the major reason they wouldn't, but att certainly doesn't want this issue in court in any way shape or form.
Look up fraudulent misrepresentation...what att is doing is meeting the typical requirements of that almost to a t.
Thanks for the correct spelling! Always had a problem with that and ridiculous responses like yours!
So question for you, are you one of the retards that threw away an unlimited plan to pay for a tethering plan?
Hope you never have a need to go over your allotment of GB's one month, cause you know what will happen! Every cent you thought you were saving will have gone right out the window in overage charges!
Good luck!
I agree that ATT, Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner, et al have all misrepresented the spirit if not the letter of unlimited usage. I was arguing against the idea that the threat of a countersuit will stop ATT from taking action against those who violate the terms of their contract. If the case against ATT was so strong there would already be a class action suit against them. It's not like lawyers can't smell blood in the water.
Happy to help. Maybe next week I can teach you how to form a constructive argument that doesn't rely on some form of the word "retard"
Not yet, but I will most likely make this retarded move, which will save me money, and allow me connectivity away from WiFi in the near future.
Thank you for your concern over my well being. Your financial analysis of the situation has a charming quality not often seen in children over five years of age.
Well, that's a bit over the top but it's just a matter of time before AT&T shuts down all of the MiWi users. The notices that they sent out are just the first salvo. Soon I wouldn't be surprised to see people who continue to tether "illegally" hit with huge bills for usage. It's just a matter of time IMHO
The only big problem with the case is that what damages can a consumer prove? They might be able to get out of the contract without ETF but that's it. Not worth it.
I just did this last week. Looking at my usage I only use about 1gb on my iPhone. So if I double that I still have 2gb to spare. It's also cheaper that a separate data plan on the iPad.
A class action suit (like that's really gonna happen
) would fail anyway, because nowhere in the contract does it say that you get unlimited data for life. Now I admittedly haven't read the contract in detail, but having experience dealing with many contracts, you can be sure that here is a clause in there that gives them the right to change the terms of the contract at will.
I think you did good.
If you are not reguarly exceeding 2 GB per mos on your iPhone, you are giving AT&T "free money" each month. If you are paying for a 2 GB iPad plan and unlimited iP4 data, you are giving AT&T $10 extra dollars per month if you are not using 4 GB each month. Even if you exceed 4 GB here and there, you may well be better off, averaged over a year, with the DataPro plan than continuing the unlimited plan for some "just in case" reason.
I am now thinking of altering my plans for the reasons that you did.
I did the same thing. I've never used more than maybe 1.3 GB/month while tethering.
I have an iPhone 4 and an iPad 3G, and I'll turn off the iPad 3G sometime soon, I'm sure.
I might miss having my mail already replicated on the iPad when I arrive somewhere, but I doubt it.
The net result of using the 4 GB tethering plan for the iPhone 4 will produce a net reduction in my monthly bill. I can obviously get rid of the 29.99/month plan for the iPad 3G, and the AT&T change that allows free calls to all mobile numbers has allowed me to lower my family plan's voice minutes.
If you exceed 4 GB, it's not like they sock you with a lot of penalties.
They just add another $20.00, 2 GB bucket of data, automatically.
Not so bad.
This discussion inspired me to do a little checking up on my mobile broadband plan.
I've been a lifetime user of Virgin Mobile (from back when it began as a "pay as you go" only service). At the time I didn't expect to use a cell phone that much and didn't want to incur a surprisingly large monthly bill from overages (roaming, texting, etc.) And I had good experience with Sprint reception in my travels.
Eventually I switched to a monthly plan, which again has no overage expenses. Services just get cut or they restart your month. My phone plan is $25 per month for 300 mins talk and unlimited texting, web & data. Fine and underused for my cell phone (a crappy wannabe feature phone).
But that led me to jump on the VM MiFi plan last September as soon as it was released. (I went for the cheaper WiFi iPad1 in August because the AT&T ridiculously low data caps on the iPad combined with $130 additional purchase price encouraged me to skimp. But I needed/wanted anytime connectivity. 2 weeks later VM handed me the answer in a velvet bag.) I pay $40 a month and get unlimited 3G data. Only stipulation (after it was widely popular and started throttling Sprint's network) is that if I go over 5GB a month they throttle my speed. Service speed can be spotty. (Sprint supposedly puts VM customers on the second tier of service to push their main contract customers.) But I can usually count on at least 500mbps with peaks over 1000 in urban areas. It's enough to web surf and stream audio with some video streaming.
Best part to me is that I never pay more for my monthly service. No extra charges for going over the cap. It's a set $40 a month (no taxes or fees either). And I can use my MiFi with any WiFi enabled device. So my 5 laptops, 2 iPads and iPod Touch can all go on at will. So can my siblings' computers or the friend I want to gift with service.
I don't get why so many consumers jumped on the "my broadband is tied to my phone" bandwagon and abandoned the MiFi craze of 12-18 months ago. That unwittingly gave the telecoms the upperhand in the negotiating. Now you are locked to certain cell phone plans and get charged extra at will.
Caveat: VM stopped offering the unlimited $40 plan in Feb. I'm grandfathered in (for now) but it is currently $50 and capped at 2.5GB for new customers.
Hopefully when LTE goes mainstream we'll see a resurgence of these MiFi plans with bigger caps and/or unlimited service. Ideally I'd like to see Sprint partner with Google and really push the unlimited/generous data caps for mobile usage. Especially as we do more and more video streaming and video calling.
I've been a lifetime user of Virgin Mobile (from back when it began as a "pay as you go" only service). At the time I didn't expect to use a cell phone that much and didn't want to incur a surprisingly large monthly bill from overages (roaming, texting, etc.) And I had good experience with Sprint reception in my travels.
Eventually I switched to a monthly plan, which again has no overage expenses. Services just get cut or they restart your month. My phone plan is $25 per month for 300 mins talk and unlimited texting, web & data. Fine and underused for my cell phone (a crappy wannabe feature phone).
But that led me to jump on the VM MiFi plan last September as soon as it was released. (I went for the cheaper WiFi iPad1 in August because the AT&T ridiculously low data caps on the iPad combined with $130 additional purchase price encouraged me to skimp. But I needed/wanted anytime connectivity. 2 weeks later VM handed me the answer in a velvet bag.) I pay $40 a month and get unlimited 3G data. Only stipulation (after it was widely popular and started throttling Sprint's network) is that if I go over 5GB a month they throttle my speed. Service speed can be spotty. (Sprint supposedly puts VM customers on the second tier of service to push their main contract customers.) But I can usually count on at least 500mbps with peaks over 1000 in urban areas. It's enough to web surf and stream audio with some video streaming.
Best part to me is that I never pay more for my monthly service. No extra charges for going over the cap. It's a set $40 a month (no taxes or fees either). And I can use my MiFi with any WiFi enabled device. So my 5 laptops, 2 iPads and iPod Touch can all go on at will. So can my siblings' computers or the friend I want to gift with service.
I don't get why so many consumers jumped on the "my broadband is tied to my phone" bandwagon and abandoned the MiFi craze of 12-18 months ago. That unwittingly gave the telecoms the upperhand in the negotiating. Now you are locked to certain cell phone plans and get charged extra at will.
Caveat: VM stopped offering the unlimited $40 plan in Feb. I'm grandfathered in (for now) but it is currently $50 and capped at 2.5GB for new customers.
Hopefully when LTE goes mainstream we'll see a resurgence of these MiFi plans with bigger caps and/or unlimited service. Ideally I'd like to see Sprint partner with Google and really push the unlimited/generous data caps for mobile usage. Especially as we do more and more video streaming and video calling.
Well, yeah. That was my point. Even if you have one or two months where you exceed your usual usage patterns, averaged over a year you may still be ahead with the cheaper capped data plan than the unlimited plan.
Actually, it's even more incremental than that
This (below) is from the AT&T website. I thought we were talking AT&T DataPro, don't know how all this figures for V."If youre on the DataPro plan with Tethering and need more than 4 GB, you'll receive an additional 1 GB for $10. Overage is replenished as often as necessary during your billing period."
I did some testing on this recently. I have an Att iphone4 and a 3G iPad2. I use the bluetooth implementation of tethering. I chose Bluetooth with the thoughts it may be less power hungry than wifi. (if anyone knows definitively which uses less power please chime in).
Anyways, I was able to continually have ipad2 track my position in maps (3G has the gps chip) while downloading hybrid map images and traffic data via the Bluetooth thether while taking a phone call connected to my car's Bluetooth hands free calling system. (my passenger was doing all the gadget handling while i drove)
Pretty neat stuff that these things can do.
Are you certain that the 3G on your iPad was completely disabled and that it didn't hop back onto its own 3G while you were on your call? It's my understanding that the Bluetooth connection can only support one device at a time.
On another note...Among the stories of people getting cease and desist messages from AT&T for tethering on a non-tethering plan, does anyone know if any of these people were on a non-unlimited plan (e.g., 2GB plan)? A lot of people are reporting that 2GB is way more than they'll ever need, so I'm curious if one could get away with just the $25/month 2GB plan and tether with a jailbroken iPhone and AT&T won't notice/care.
Everybody says that Bluetooth takes less battery power, but that it is slower than Wifi.
I'm curious about this, too. Maybe the GPS on either or both the iPad and iPhone does not depend on the 3G data signal.
I have unlimited iPad data and am deciding if I want to sell it and use my personal hotspot instead. I do use quite a bit of data and am worried 2gigs won't be enough for me.
Well, if you use quite a bit, I am not sure I would sell
I use quite a bit as well but I also move around and NEED 3G so taking the chance of hotspot is not something I am willing to do