Why is AT&T charging me to tether?

[Rodimus Prime]

that is exactly what i do. although all my torrenting is in the evening and overnight.

i just recently dumped my comcast deal, so ive been tethering for little over a week now, im already over 17gb usage. thank god for the unlimited plan.

you see that gets their attention and I expect in the future AT&T will be cracking down on the abusers and excise use. 17gb and your time of usage is enough to flag for father investigation and they will find you in violation of your contract.

 

[strodda]

well first, i dont pay for tethering. second, i have been paying for an "unlimited" plan for years. they cant prove ****. all they see is usage, they cant tell what im doing.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

well first, i dont pay for tethering. second, i have been paying for an "unlimited" plan for years. they cant prove ****. all they see is usage, they cant tell what im doing.

but they can prove excise use. 17 gb is what is going to be consider excise use. If you read your contract there are terms in there to prevent you the user from abusing the thing. AT&T is starting to crack down on people who are hitting that high of a number.

Btw do not think they can not tell what you are doing. It is not that hard for them to monitor your cell phone and track what sites you are going to. They can easily tell by doing looking at how the packets are routed if it is torrenting. Hell it does not take much work for them to do a little packet sniffing and see that they are torrents something they know that no smart phone can run or would need to run which leads to direct proof that you are tethering.

Btw all that above is legal for AT&T to do it. They can easily log what your cell is doing.
As I said before 17gb and time of day is more than enough for them to want to look deeper and start monitoring you.

 

[ajohnson253]

I'm going to be honest. I jailbroke yesterday to tether until Tuesday since I moved into my new house I won't get Internet until Tuesday. I was online on my mbp last night for a few hours and then this morning I got a message saying I'm 65% into my data plan.

So I called AT&T after I received that and asked if anything could be done since I know I'll be going over. Well anyway, the rep put me on hold about 3 times. She said she could do anything about switching me to unlimited she tried a few times with her manager. It didn't work. I was irritated, but it's all gone now that I'm at home blower off like 9 bags of my volcano. 😛

 

[Goldinboy17]

well first, i dont pay for tethering. second, i have been paying for an "unlimited" plan for years. they cant prove ****. all they see is usage, they cant tell what im doing.

Amazing the sense of entitlement some people have. You're abusing your privilege, it should be revoked.

 

[DavePurz]

I've written to my members of Congress to get the FCC to step in and forbid extra charges for tethering. If I pay for 2 GB of data, it's irrelevant HOW I consume it. I've paid for it and it's mine to use as I see fit! The idea of charging ANY fee based on my method of connecting is asinine! If I go over my data limit, either with the phone OR notebook, I get charged for it. AT&T actually could MAKE money legitimately from excess data usage.

I asked Congress to step in because they've done it before. Many years ago, the Plain Ol' Telephone Service ("POTS") used to charge extra for EACH jack in your home. They claimed it was a convenience to have a jack in other rooms and customers had to pay for it.

If we follow AT&T Wireless' flawed logic, then the "POTS" should charge an extra fee for hooking up a cordless phone to your line. Since it allows you to move from room to room more freely, you might talk on the phone more and that could increase your usage. That argument doesn't stand up because, if you're on a limited plan, you pay extra when you go over, regardless of whether you use a wired phone or a cordless one.

The FCC also stopped Cable Companies from charging extra per TV outlet. This happened when "cable ready" TV came out. Equipment rental fees for converter boxes are exempt.

It's time for GREEDY Cell Phone Companies to be forced to STOP this unjustifiable gouging!

 

[Goldinboy17]

I've written to my members of Congress to get the FCC to step in and forbid extra charges for tethering. If I pay for 2 GB of data, it's irrelevant HOW I consume it. I've paid for it and it's mine to use as I see fit! The idea of charging ANY fee based on my method of connecting is asinine! If I go over my data limit, either with the phone OR notebook, I get charged for it. AT&T actually could MAKE money legitimately from excess data usage.

I asked Congress to step in because they've done it before. Many years ago, the Plain Ol' Telephone Service ("POTS") used to charge extra for EACH jack in your home. They claimed it was a convenience to have a jack in other rooms and customers had to pay for it.

If we follow AT&T Wireless' flawed logic, then the "POTS" should charge an extra fee for hooking up a cordless phone to your line. Since it allows you to move from room to room more freely, you might talk on the phone more and that could increase your usage. That argument doesn't stand up because, if you're on a limited plan, you pay extra when you go over, regardless of whether you use a wired phone or a cordless one.

The FCC also stopped Cable Companies from charging extra per TV outlet. This happened when "cable ready" TV came out. Equipment rental fees for converter boxes are exempt.

It's time for GREEDY Cell Phone Companies to be forced to STOP this unjustifiable gouging!

When you're purchasing a data package for a cell phone you're paying for a service to your cellphone. These companies are allowing you to pay extra for additional services like tethering. A home phone is just that, for your home to use whenever you need to make calls. If you want additional features like fall forwarding, voicemail and fax services many times you can't have just the basic package. Look at Vonage. They're giving you unlimited domestic calls for $25. If you want to fax as well it'll cost you extra since it's done over thir VOIP service.

 

[milani]

^ Sorry, but that's BS. Tethering isn't facilitated by the carrier, it's facilitated by the device. Does AT&T provide a means by which your iPhone talks to your computer? Nope. Do they provide you with a special cable to connect them? Nope? Do they have anything to do with the data transfer between your iPhone and your computer? Take a guess...

If the carriers didn't monitor the data so rigorously, they wouldn't know the difference between in-device data usage and tethering usage. The reason your argument fails is because "extras" like voicemail are handled by the carrier; however, data consumption is indiscriminate from the carrier's point of view. In other words, it makes no difference whether you consume your data from an iPhone or from a tethered computer insofar as it uses the same data, drawn from the same pool of allotted data (which you have already paid for).

The only real difference between a smart phone and a tethered device (and it's not a very readily distinguishable difference) is that it is in theory easier to use your data from a tethered device. Again, in theory. The real story here is that carriers are overselling. They sell you 2 GB of data with the understanding that you will not use that much data. Thus, they can sell more data to more people because they calculate that x number of people will only use y amount of their total allotted data. However, given the relative ease with which more and more customers are using their data, the carriers have to put artificial stoppages in place in order to stop you from using all of your data (thus threatening the integrity of the oversold network).

It has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the carrier providing an extra service to you.

People who have the option to tether usually do, causing a larger strain on their network. To be honest though I do think $20 is rather extreme. I'd say $5, equalizing the price to their former unlimited plans would be fair

On the other hand, if ATT can't handle the actual data usage, then they shouldn't be selling that data in the first place.

 

[Tarzanman]

When you're purchasing a data package for a cell phone you're paying for a service to your cellphone. These companies are allowing you to pay extra for additional services like tethering. A home phone is just that, for your home to use whenever you need to make calls. If you want additional features like fall forwarding, voicemail and fax services many times you can't have just the basic package. Look at Vonage. They're giving you unlimited domestic calls for $25. If you want to fax as well it'll cost you extra since it's done over thir VOIP service.

No offense, but you have NO IDEA what you're talking about.

When AT&T got rid of their unlimited plans, this changed the nature of the 'data' from being a service to a good.

Instead of $30/month buying you unfettered access to the internet, $25 now buys you exactly 2 GB worth of data transfer from the internet. What AT&T is doing with their tethering fees is charging you TWICE for the goods you have already paid for. Paying AT&T for tethering doesn't give you more than 2GB (if it did, then it would fair for them to charge for it).

It is EXACTLY like the water company charging you an extra monthly fee for the ability to use the water bathe in a jacuzzi vs just us it to take a shower.

It is people like you, those who have been brainwashed by big companies and their marketing, and those who don't understand technology, that allow AT&T to make money off of such schemes.

AT&T charges as much money as they can get for data, period. It is up to them to make sure that they can deliver they goods they promise. 2GB for every user. If they can't, then it is their own fault for making false promises and not delivering on their end of the contract. Yet you blame the users for using all of the data that they have paid good money for. Don't make me laugh! Do you know how many BILLIONS of dollars AT&T made last year? They are awash in cash, and still nickel & diming their customers for goods that they have already paid for.

 

[RetiredInFl]

ive been tethering for little over a week now, im already over 17gb usage. thank god for the unlimited plan.

You won't thank God when they cut you off for exceeding the 5GB limit in their "unlimited" service. 🙂

 

[Demosthenes X]

People are actually defending AT&T's greed-driven practice of charging extra for tethering? Talk about drinking the cool aid... 😕

As has been said over and over, how one consumes the data they've bought is of no concern to AT&T. If you pay for 2GB, you should be able to use those 2GB however you like.

The argument that tethering users use more of their allotment and thus should be charged more is insane. They're entitled to the 2GB they paid for, whether or not its accessed on the device or on a notebook.

The network load argument is also rubbish. AT&T's network is designed to handle high volumes of data - if it couldn't, they wouldn't offer tethering or 3G sticks for notebooks.

For reference, in Canada we're not charged extra for tethering. As long as you have a dataplan with 1GB or more, you tethering is included. AT&T is just being greedy - nothing more.

 

[Sdahe]

People are actually defending AT&T's greed-driven practice of charging extra for tethering? Talk about drinking the cool aid... 😕

As has been said over and over, how one consumes the data they've bought is of no concern to AT&T. If you pay for 2GB, you should be able to use those 2GB however you like.

The argument that tethering users use more of their allotment and thus should be charged more is insane. They're entitled to the 2GB they paid for, whether or not its accessed on the device or on a notebook.

The network load argument is also rubbish. AT&T's network is designed to handle high volumes of data - if it couldn't, they wouldn't offer tethering or 3G sticks for notebooks.

For reference, in Canada we're not charged extra for tethering. As long as you have a dataplan with 1GB or more, you tethering is included. AT&T is just being greedy - nothing more.

Well said!... thanks

 

[sirslaysalot]

People are actually defending AT&T's greed-driven practice of charging extra for tethering? Talk about drinking the cool aid... 😕

As has been said over and over, how one consumes the data they've bought is of no concern to AT&T. If you pay for 2GB, you should be able to use those 2GB however you like.

The argument that tethering users use more of their allotment and thus should be charged more is insane. They're entitled to the 2GB they paid for, whether or not its accessed on the device or on a notebook.

The network load argument is also rubbish. AT&T's network is designed to handle high volumes of data - if it couldn't, they wouldn't offer tethering or 3G sticks for notebooks.

For reference, in Canada we're not charged extra for tethering. As long as you have a dataplan with 1GB or more, you tethering is included. AT&T is just being greedy - nothing more.

that's absolute crap.

here's proof enough as to why at&t should be able to control how their network is used:

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story.../2010-10-14?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

unless you're saying the article is fabricated, my point stands. and this ONE device you're talking about. ten, maybe fifteen users tethering and using bittorrent can easily slow down the network speed to a crawl.

 

[old-wiz]

I've written to my members of Congress to get the FCC to step in and forbid extra charges for tethering.

You forget that nowdays the cell phone companies slip Congress lots of money for "election campaigns" and expect return on their investment. No rep in Congress, be it Democrat or Republican is going to vote against people that give them lots of money. Voting against the people who slip you campaign contributions results in the money going to whoever is running against you in the next election, In lots of countries this would be called bribery, but in the U.S. it's simply "campaign contributions". I bet that if you got rid of all people in congress that accept money in dubious fashion, you would have no one in Congress at all; they'd all be in jail, except they have immunity.

 

[sviato]

Amazing the sense of entitlement some people have. You're abusing your privilege, it should be revoked.

abusing a privilege? he pays extra for "unlimited" service, if they actually want to limit it then this unlimited plan is false advertising

when i signed up for unlimited texting and racked up 4000 incoming and almost as much outgoing in one month, i didnt get charged extra.

unlimited is unlimited, if it's not, then it shouldn't be called that

 

[Demosthenes X]

that's absolute crap.

here's proof enough as to why at&t should be able to control how their network is used:

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story.../2010-10-14?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

unless you're saying the article is fabricated, my point stands. and this ONE device you're talking about. ten, maybe fifteen users tethering and using bittorrent can easily slow down the network speed to a crawl.

That article refers only to data accessed via handsets - not via tethering. To me, that only supports the idea that it doesn't matter how data is accessed, only that it's being accessed.

Your point seems to be that AT&T's network is incapable of handling the load if all of their users actually use all the data they're entitled to. That's probably true. But that doesn't mean AT&T should artificially prevent users from accessing data. It means that they should either stop overselling their network and only sell as much capacity as it can actually handle, or they should upgrade their network to match their promises.

There's no reason that a user that downloads 2GB of data on their handset (very easy with audio/video streaming) should pay more for that 2GB just because it's on a computer. If the user watches 2 hours of Netflix on their iPhone or 2 hours of Netflix on their computer, it's the exact same data... why does one cost more?

That's not to say that there aren't potential network problems with lots of data activity going on. Only that it shouldn't matter where the data requests are coming from. Because a tethering user "might" use more doesn't cut it - they've paid for and are entitled to those 2GB. Once they go over that, sure, charge them more. But how they use those 2GB shouldn't matter.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

You forget that nowdays the cell phone companies slip Congress lots of money for "election campaigns" and expect return on their investment. No rep in Congress, be it Democrat or Republican is going to vote against people that give them lots of money. Voting against the people who slip you campaign contributions results in the money going to whoever is running against you in the next election, In lots of countries this would be called bribery, but in the U.S. it's simply "campaign contributions". I bet that if you got rid of all people in congress that accept money in dubious fashion, you would have no one in Congress at all; they'd all be in jail, except they have immunity.

I wrote my congressman about it when all the carriers were charging for data. Response I got back was saying he ran about not campaign about not stepping over the bounds federal government and that is a local and state matter. (how can it be a state matter when it is national and the states do not have the authority to do anything about it I will never know.

 

[kas23]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0 like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A293 Safari/6531.22.7)

The reason why AT&T charge people extra to tether is because people sign a contract allowing them to. To further strengthen their reasoning to charge, people then send them extra money to do so.

 

[alfonsog]

The whole 2GB limit and charging fixed price is most profitable for AT&T except for those people who actually use 2GB. Its a way to charge for 2GB and hoping users use way less. Obviously if you tether you will be using at least the 2GB and then paying $10 more for each 1GB, stressing its network.

The ideal for consumers would be for no plans and just pay per MB usage and allow tethering for free. However consumers very rarely demand or choose the best options for themselves. (e.g. elections)

In the end AT&T can raise prices, lower data plans, charge more for tethering, or do whatever they want; just read the fine print. Especially with iPhone exclusivity I'm surprised we are paying what we are now (probably thanks to Apple.) They also didn't have to grandfather the unlimited plan, but didn't want the bad publicity. If iPhone was available on all carriers then we could say the market would sort the pricing out, sadly it isn't. yet.

 

[TruckdriverSean]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

I like Tiered Data.

It has the advantages of equalizing the priority of data (net neutrality) and connects company profits directly to improved bandwidth and overall network enhancements.

Better your network is, the more people will use data and profits will increase.

The $20 tethering fee doesn't make sense in that regard though, and I can only think of one logical reason to put it in place.

They don't want you to tether. They believe they're network can't handle it.

Other companies offer tethering, and AT&T was taking a beating in the PR department for not allowing it at all. So, in order to placate the masses and "offer" tethering they stuck a $20 pay wall in front of it to limit its use down to an absolute minimum until they're network can really handle the data without melting down and causing more PR nightmares.

 

[jlw2387]

The whole 2GB limit and charging fixed price is most profitable for AT&T except for those people who actually use 2GB. Its a way to charge for 2GB and hoping users use way less. Obviously if you tether you will be using at least the 2GB and then paying $10 more for each 1GB, stressing its network.

The ideal for consumers would be for no plans and just pay per MB usage and allow tethering for free. However consumers very rarely demand or choose the best options for themselves. (e.g. elections)

In the end AT&T can raise prices, lower data plans, charge more for tethering, or do whatever they want; just read the fine print. Especially with iPhone exclusivity I'm surprised we are paying what we are now (probably thanks to Apple.) They also didn't have to grandfather the unlimited plan, but didn't want the bad publicity. If iPhone was available on all carriers then we could say the market would sort the pricing out, sadly it isn't. yet.

I will be relieved when the iPhone is no longer an AT&T exclusive, not that I will change carriers, but they will have alot more competition.

People here defending AT&Ts right to charge for tethering on a limited data plan are out of their mind. A laptop uses no more data then an iPhone. I can download albums all day long on iTunes over 3G and it uses the same amount of data as it would using my Macbook. If anything I'm more likely to download on my phone because its my main music player, and I can skip the step of transferring from my computer to my phone.

Charging for tethering is BS and we all know it. I don't care if it is because they assume you will use more of your 2GB every month or not.

 

[PsyD4Me]

cause you are with ATT

 

[crizyal]

Lets flood AT&T with calls about this.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Before people jump on me for defending AT&T much more I just pointed out why they do it.
My next phone will be an android phone. I will be using wifi teathering on it for free and I am going to be granfathered in unlimited.
That being said I do not plan to use teathering that often and will be rather limited when I do use it so it is not like I am going to spike my data usage.

It will happen at lay over at maybe an airport and worse case is if I am traveling in a car I might use it but unlike the user I jump on for the 17gb of data I never intend to have it replace my internet at home and it will be very VERY limited use.

 

[palmerc2]

why is the sky blue?
why does gravity only work 1 way?
why does a car need tires?

why does att have to squeeze every last stinking dollar in the US from the iPhone? sucks doesn't it?