Net Neutrality Organization Accusing AT&T of Violating FCC Rules With FaceTime Data Plan Requirements

[faroZ06]

ok. Do you have download speed data. I hadn't heard that. I was under the impression LTE was considerably faster than AT&Ts current network. Now I am still on an iP4, not a 4S, so I don't have any real experience with their 4G since I only get 3G, but I thought I got the 7.2 3G+ that came along with the 3GS and 4. Not sure what the 4G speed of the 4S is suppose to be or how fast LTE is.

Technically, HSPA+ can go up to 168mbps to the device and LTE 299.6mbps, but realistic speeds are much lower, especially because there is a bottleneck at the cell tower. I read on Wikipedia and other sources that LTE and HSPA+ are almost the same speed, but they must be talking about something else. Maybe they are counting the cell tower bottleneck?

I'm not an expert on this, but I did a speedtest.net test with a 4S today and got around 5.5mbps download. This was not with full signal, only 4 bars. I just tried my iPhone 4 outside of my house and got 2.85mbps. Searching on Google gives me highly varied results. Just test what's best in the areas where you use your phone.

 

[roland.g]

Technically, HSPA+ can go up to 168mbps to the device and LTE 299.6mbps, but realistic speeds are much lower, especially because there is a bottleneck at the cell tower. I read on Wikipedia and other sources that LTE and HSPA+ are almost the same speed, but they must be talking about something else. Maybe they are counting the cell tower bottleneck?

I'm not an expert on this, but I did a speedtest.net test with a 4S today and got around 5.5mbps download. This was not with full signal, only 4 bars. I just tried my iPhone 4 outside of my house and got 2.85mbps. Searching on Google gives me highly varied results. Just test what's best in the areas where you use your phone.

I did some testing and searching as well. Seems that testing my 3G iPhone 4 came back with typical results in the 2.85-4.25 Mbps range. I read online and saw some test results for the 4S and AT&Ts "4G" network on Android phones in the 6.5-8 Mbps range. Certainly faster.

I then saw some test results on a new iPad giving 17-20 Mbps on an AT&T LTE iPad and 14-16 Mbps on a Verizon LTE iPad. I also saw some unusually high result for a Samsung Skyrocket LTE phone on AT&T getting 55-60 Mbps. Any way you slice it 15-20 or upwards of even 25-30 is still significantly faster than AT&Ts current 3G and 4G speeds on iPhone 4 and 4S respectively.

 

[troop231]

What is the point of that exactly when verizon has already switched to data sharing plans
And REQUIRES you to have only that plan (you don't get to stay on the old one if you want)
AND its more expensive then ATT's?

----------

Becuse Verizon actually has a better network footprint.

 

[maconservative]

T-Mobile

This is AT&T trying to force their customers out who have been grandfathered into the Unlimited Data Protections. Every time I go into the store the Sales person looks at my account and tries to "Upsell" what would be a downgrade, and then reminds me that I won't be able to use all the new features of my phone.

Ugh. if I didn't hate Sprint or Verzion I would move.

This is why I am hoping T-Mobile gets the iPhone this time around.

 

[roland.g]

AT&T is bringing LTE to places like Boca, Little Rock, and most recently Waco. Waco is 197th in population size in the US. Denver is 23rd. Something a little wrong with their priorities. Seattle is still left out too. Sorry, but that too is a huge market to not have LTE in when an LTE iPhone launches. Big gamble.

 

[faroZ06]

I did some testing and searching as well. Seems that testing my 3G iPhone 4 came back with typical results in the 2.85-4.25 Mbps range. I read online and saw some test results for the 4S and AT&Ts "4G" network on Android phones in the 6.5-8 Mbps range. Certainly faster.

I then saw some test results on a new iPad giving 17-20 Mbps on an AT&T LTE iPad and 14-16 Mbps on a Verizon LTE iPad. I also saw some unusually high result for a Samsung Skyrocket LTE phone on AT&T getting 55-60 Mbps. Any way you slice it 15-20 or upwards of even 25-30 is still significantly faster than AT&Ts current 3G and 4G speeds on iPhone 4 and 4S respectively.

There are a lot of misleading or fake results out there. I should test AT&T LTE vs AT&T HSPA+ in my area. I'm sure LTE is faster, but anyway, HSPA+ is classified as 4G. It's not an issue that affects me since with my 200MB data plan, slower is better.

 

[L-U-R-C-H]

It makes absolutely no sense. I can use the video call feature in Skype, but can't use FaceTime over cellular. It's the SAME EXACT concept! It's all about money for AT&T.

 

[avanpelt]

Verizon hasn't even announced any plans to let you use Facetime over cellular data at all, as far as I can find. And if you already have unlimited data with AT&T, you'd be forced onto a metered plan when switching. And you'd have to buy a new phone, because lolCDMA.

I don't suspect Verizon will block folks from using FaceTime over cellular -- especially not if they've switched to the Share Everything plans.

As soon as my wife and I switched to Share Everything, "Personal Hotspot" was able to be turned on on our iPhones. The telcos aren't stupid. Once they get us on metered data plans, the avenues with which they'll let us use data will become seemingly endless because the more we use, the more we'll have to pay.

 

[magpie maniac]

Because we expect AT&T to provide us unlimited access to a hyper fast nationwide network for the monthly price of two large pizzas. It's in the Constitution, dammit.

People these days.

 

[Dionte]

Because we expect AT&T to provide us unlimited access to a hyper fast nationwide network for the monthly price of two large pizzas. It's in the Constitution, dammit.

People these days.

On what page? I'm gonna post it on twitta.

 

[avanpelt]

There are a lot of misleading or fake results out there. I should test AT&T LTE vs AT&T HSPA+ in my area. I'm sure LTE is faster, but anyway, HSPA+ is classified as 4G. It's not an issue that affects me since with my 200MB data plan, slower is better.

What makes me mad is that AT&T decided to make up their own definition of 4G just so they could market themselves as having "double the amount of 4G coverage of Verizon."

Anyone who follows mobile tech at all knows that's a false claim; and AT&T is just covering for the fact that Verizon is kicking their butt in terms of LTE rollout.

The fact that AT&T seems to have gotten away with making up a completely new definition of 4G and is proceeding to malign their competitors on the basis of their own made up definition is beyond asinine.

A company that stoops to that level in its marketing gimmicks is not a company I care to support with my money. Therefore, I'm sticking with Verizon.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Hooray! Give them what they deserve!

 

[freediverdude]

"Just as the euphemistically named “Fairness Doctrine” would instead crush freedom of speech on the public airwaves, any net-neutrality regulations instituted by the Marxist drones of the Obama administration cannot be trusted to accomplish their stated goals without unintended consequences. The “Fairness Doctrine” perverts fairness; Obama’s idea of net neutrality may prove to be anything but neutral"

A lot of conservatives seem to be throwing around these words like Marxist, I suspect without even knowing what they mean. Just thinking it means similar to socialist or something. These people really need to educate themselves before throwing those terms around.

 

[mbh]

So if I only have one wireless device (an iPhone) and I want to be able to FaceTime on cellular, I have to sign up for a more expensive plan where I share my bandwidth between... what, my one phone?

I really can't wait until this industry is disrupted and these companies are turned into dumb pipes to carry the data of the companies that don't have their heads up their corporate butts.

 

[roland.g]

"Just as the euphemistically named “Fairness Doctrine” would instead crush freedom of speech on the public airwaves, any net-neutrality regulations instituted by the Marxist drones of the Obama administration cannot be trusted to accomplish their stated goals without unintended consequences. The “Fairness Doctrine” perverts fairness; Obama’s idea of net neutrality may prove to be anything but neutral"

A lot of conservatives seem to be throwing around these words like Marxist, I suspect without even knowing what they mean. Just thinking it means similar to socialist or something. These people really need to educate themselves before throwing those terms around.

Unfortunately the lack of education epidemic isn't constrained to conservatives or liberals, it strikes without political prejudice and with more unchecked growth than Starbucks, so much so it is probably worse than texting while driving, obesity, and the social plague of thinking it is acceptable to wear flip flops just about everywhere all combined.

 

[macUser2007]

Why does anyone chose AT&T (or even worse, Verizon), is beyond me.

There are other options, such as T-Mobile.

And the FCC should do its job.

 

[e-coli]

Can someone please remind me of the advantages/disadvantages if I was to switch to Verizon? They have a larger and faster LTE rollout, correct? I'm weighing my options.

If you leave the country (assuming you're in the US or Canada) you can't use your phone if you have Verizon. That's a complete deal breaker for me. It's the only reason I still have AT&T.

 

[Dobbs2]

If you leave the country (assuming you're in the US or Canada) you can't use your phone if you have Verizon. That's a complete deal breaker for me. It's the only reason I still have AT&T.

Incorrect.

http://www.macworld.com/article/1162960/how_international_is_the_iphone_4s_world_phone_.html

 

[MacKai]

I'm sick of AT&T. Without the iPhone, they'd be nowhere near the powerhouse they are now.

How about treating iPhone users like the goddamn cash cow we are instead of bothersome customers?

How in the hell is Facetime data different than regular data?

Why am I being punished as a long-time customer for wanting to keep the plan I enrolled with?

Could not agree more!

 

[Dominicanyor]

Ppl make fun of my sprint iPhone this FaceTime thing is a joke on them.

Is a joke to who? And why?

 

[AeroEng]

Well AT&T is of the mind set that making things hard for their customers to do is the right way to protect themselves and grow their business. Little do they understand Verizon seems to be of the he we might not have super super fast Internet but at least we give you the common sense things and in the end people will only put up with it for so long before it will be gone. If AT&T wants to play that game well it takes two to tango and I'll go on over to Verizon. No need to waste my time on what I can't do. Besides I can already Skype over 3G and they don't block that so what other excuses could they have?

 

[faroZ06]

What makes me mad is that AT&T decided to make up their own definition of 4G just so they could market themselves as having "double the amount of 4G coverage of Verizon."

Anyone who follows mobile tech at all knows that's a false claim; and AT&T is just covering for the fact that Verizon is kicking their butt in terms of LTE rollout.

This is just plain wrong. The ITU announced that HSPA+ is 4G. You know, the same ITU that announced that LTE is 4G, the ones who set those standards. AT&T didn't make up anything, and they aren't the only ones who use or have used HSPA+ and marketed it as 4G. Do a little Googling or at least look at the Wikipedia page for "4G".

 

[darkazcura]

Why does anyone chose AT&T (or even worse, Verizon), is beyond me.

There are other options, such as T-Mobile.

And the FCC should do its job.

because if service sucks, it sucks.

For example the only services worth owning in MA are AT&T and Verizon. Business practices aside, T-Mobile's coverage is spotty here, and I'd be pretty surprised to hear otherwise. Sprint's even worse here.

 

[Blorzoga]

All of these moves (tethering, FaceTime) are AT&T 's attempts to entice customers to drop their unlimited data plans. Eventually, though, I'm sure AT&T will just discontinue the unlimited plans, period.

 

[Mundty]

I love how rather than taking all that additional revenue from iPhone sales, and using that money to create better infrastructure so their network could handle the new data load. Instead, they blame the customers for using too much data while pocketing all the additional revenue from iPhone sales.

The fact of the matter is, AT&T and Verizon are not responsible for any of their success. The whole reason they have all this additional revenue that they didn't have pre-iPhone is because of Apple and it's customers. But when it comes time to put that money to good use, like increasing their infrastructure to handle all the new customers. Then they become a bunch of penny pinching thieves, who'd rather increase their customers rates instead of increasing their network capabilities.

Sprint, you are looking more and more tempting each and every day.