Right. If you're on unlimited, there's a HUGE risk of losing unlimited. If you're on the 2GB, you can just change it back every time that they change it, if they ever do.
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There isn't a reason to keep unlimited data anymore... right???
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Right. If you're on unlimited, there's a HUGE risk of losing unlimited. If you're on the 2GB, you can just change it back every time that they change it, if they ever do.
And that's how they make their money - off of thousands of people like you who are staying out of fear.
I had the unlimited plan, ended up switching to 200mb cause 99% of the time I am within access to free wifi. If I come close to breaking that limit I just upgrade to the 2GB package, or wait it out. If I travel and may be in need of a hotspot, I upgrade to the 4GB w/ tethering plan for that month.
I prefer to keep my money in my pocket instead of blindly give it to at&t. Different packages exist for different usage patterns. There's really no need to pay for the data plan "insurance" just so you may go over at some point. I mean, if you are fine with the 200mb or 2GB plan 11 months out of the year and went over just 1 month, paying the penalty would probably still be less than paying for unlimited for 12 months.
Everyone has different usage, and might not have wifi access at all times. I can say I probably use 1gb per month but i rather stay on my unlimited plan and be safe. I do not have to monitor my usage, and I do not have to worry if I want to stream a movie on netflix etc.
2GB may last you now, but it won't in the future.
In 2000, I bet people would have been okay with having a 25GB cap on their internet. All they used it for was to check email on America Online and go to chat rooms.
Well, 12 years later, 25GB isn't going to last you very long with all the new advances in the internet with lots of things being streamed and transferred digitally, so if people had agreed to a cap then, it might have been sufficient at the time, but later on, when everyone is on capped plans, it would really suck.
Same thing is happening with mobile broadband, except the corporations are being smart and not letting people get used to unlimited data, because they know in the future, things are going to take more data and people are either going to have to not use their devices very much or pay that corporation more money to do so.
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Just because you don't use 2GB now doesn't mean you won't in the future. Things change. If you think mobile broadband is going to be just like it is now forever, then you're mistaken.
$5 a month is worth the peace of mind of having unlimited and not ever having to worry about what you do with your mobile device. I pay for this device and I want to use it.
In 2000, I bet people would have been okay with having a 25GB cap on their internet. All they used it for was to check email on America Online and go to chat rooms.
Well, 12 years later, 25GB isn't going to last you very long with all the new advances in the internet with lots of things being streamed and transferred digitally, so if people had agreed to a cap then, it might have been sufficient at the time, but later on, when everyone is on capped plans, it would really suck.
Same thing is happening with mobile broadband, except the corporations are being smart and not letting people get used to unlimited data, because they know in the future, things are going to take more data and people are either going to have to not use their devices very much or pay that corporation more money to do so.
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Just because you don't use 2GB now doesn't mean you won't in the future. Things change. If you think mobile broadband is going to be just like it is now forever, then you're mistaken.
$5 a month is worth the peace of mind of having unlimited and not ever having to worry about what you do with your mobile device. I pay for this device and I want to use it.
I've been wrestling with this issue- only because I would like to be able to tether my wifi only iPad when I am away from wifi areas. But I've kept my unlimited for a few years now. I almost never hit 2gb but I keep it for the off chance that when 4G is here we will still be grandfathered.
I expect that ATT will force us onto a new "package" and we will be forced to abandon our unlimited plans when 4G truly arrives. I hope not, for my sake as well as everyone else.
I think the real issue is you never know whats around the corner. You might not "need" unlimited this month, but next month there could be some sweet new app that destroys data or you could just find yourself away from wifi for days on end.
I expect that ATT will force us onto a new "package" and we will be forced to abandon our unlimited plans when 4G truly arrives. I hope not, for my sake as well as everyone else.
I think the real issue is you never know whats around the corner. You might not "need" unlimited this month, but next month there could be some sweet new app that destroys data or you could just find yourself away from wifi for days on end.
That's what I think a lot of customers fail to realize. They live in the now and since they don't use 2GB now, they don't think they ever will.
Just a few years ago I never imagined I could watch live NBA games on my mobile device while at work, or stream HD movies, or listen to my home music library at my house while I'm not there, but now I can. Who knows what the future will bring, but what we know for certain is that it will take a lot of data.
If this statement were true, they would allow people to still sign up for unlimited.
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I agree with you 100%, HOWEVER, AT&T is becoming more strict every passing day with who they slap the throttling on. I am lucky to be able to enjoy unlimited and have yet to be throttled (right around 3GB a month thus far). I know it's just a waiting game though.
Absolutely. But the reason they are able to do it is because nobody makes a fuss about it. Someone will complain for a minute, then get over it and move on, and that's exactly what AT&T wants. For people to just be complacent and say, "....okay."
If people made a bigger deal out unlimited data being taken away, then they wouldn't be able to take it away so easily. But the mobile telco companies are smart about it. They're getting people used to capped data now, when people don't use much, because in the future, when everything is digital and mobile, people will already be used to capped data and keeping an eye on how often they use their mobile devices.
The statement IS true - except at&t makes even more money on mistakes (overages) than fear. They will obviously do what's best for them and not the consumers. Look how they are forcing people to buy unlimited or zero texting now that iMessage is out.
Sorry, but this is just the type of foolish thinking that gets people deep in debt. I know we will eventually use more data as our phones get more complex and we subscribe to more services, but I'm also sure better technology will arrive. For all we know, LTE will be billed on a completely separate package and that's how at&t will do away with unlimited data plans. That means anyone paying for unlimited but never got close to over 2GB a month would have wasted years vesting in outdated technology and outdated bandwidth that they will never be able to recover.
I understand and I am speaking from my own usage. If you use 1GB a month, I think you are pretty safe for downgrading. Paying for 2GB should give you the same piece of mind as unlimited - of course, you are free to convince yourself of anything; reasonable or otherwise.
No, really, it still isn't. Nobody is forcing a single person to stay on unlimited. If AT&T were banking on fear mongering to make their money, they would not have gotten rid of the unlimited data. They would still force everyone onto the $30 plan AND start throttling the high data users. That would have been incredibly easy to do. You can try to skew it however you like, but no matter what company you look at, they are always in it for the money.
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Actually, we do know better. ATT has already rolled out LTE and it is billed exactly the same. That is, if you have an unlimited plan, unlimited is still an option. Then they have the 4GB tethering and 2GB/200mb data packages, sames as they do with 3G.
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There are class action lawsuits in the works. Thing is, I doubt they will go anywhere. Sure, you can take your service elsewhere. But elsewhere either has the same rules, or unlimited data that is so terribly slow it is unbearable anyhow.
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Pay for what you can afford. If you can't afford $5 a month, you probably shouldn't be purchasing a smartphone to begin with. Making purchases one can't afford is what gets people into debt. Not potentially throwing money away (if you have the cash to blow).
True to a certain extent, but mobile use can be offloaded to a certain extent to those very same land-based networks. You also have the fact that if Comcast or AT&T (DSL) runs out of capacity, they just split nodes or add capacity at the CO, respectively, whereas on the wireless side, there is a limited amount of spectrum to use.
The applications are also very different. At home, video, software downloads, etc, are big, whereas on the mobile side, audio, and small apps are the biggest bandwidth users.
Don't forget streaming video. Despite that they try to make streaming video on 3G a taboo subject, it's something they show in their TV ads all the time. YouTube, NetFlix, U-Verse TV streaming app, etc.
As for why would anyone watch a movie or TV on a small screen, you'll never know when you will want to. I personally don't watch movies, but TV shows, yes. Short clips like YouTube, definately.
Lately, I haven't even streamed videos anymore - again this chilling effect. I am now afraid to. I'm sure others feel the same way. Thus, the "top 5%" ceiling will fall because of this chilling effect.
I wrote about this before I found out that others were being throttled at 2 GB. I thought it was just me for a minute, but decided to search the internet for others who are in the same boat. I was looking for additional voices that can hopefully band together to get AT&T to see this is wrong. If not AT&T, at least the media (CNET, PC World,), more established tech blogs (Engadget, Ars, etc). Even mainstream news.
http://www.guytechie.com/articles/2...s-at-22-gb-for-30-less-than-3-gb-30-plan.html
I live in eastern CT as well and have consistantly used 7-14 gigs a month. Just got throttled for the first time this month 6 days into my billing cycle. I was at 11 gigs. I stream Netflix constantly, or at least I did. I'm keeping my unlimited plan because I have no idea what is coming down the road. As they expand 4G and grow the network they my loosen or remove the throttling.
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What was this loophole you speak of?
Streaming video is a real mismatch between the marketing departments and reality. These networks can't support even moderate volumes of streaming video if a lot of people start doing it, unless it is well compressed (YouTube would stream over EDGE just fine on my Nokia E71, so it is possible to compress into the 100-150kbps range). Even audio streaming, which is a much more compelling use case, will start to suck more and more bandwidth.
Slinging TV worked well at the beginning of the 3G networks, and now on 4G, but that's just for the initial roll-out where there aren't enough users to slow those networks down.
Interesting. What on earth were you doing streaming Netflix like that? That's the kind of use AT&T is trying to get under control.
Because of the explosion of smartphone use, and the coming wave of users using more and more data, I think that carriers and users need to look at both supply-side and demand-side ways to do more with less data, and be able to handle more data.