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Why is AT&T doing this now
- Thread starter fuseone
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Verizon is offering 4gb of data for 30 bucks a month, I am currently on the unlimited plan. Do you think that Verizon will allow unlimited users the access to the 4GB without throttling, or will we continued to be throttled after we reach 2GB?
Yeah, I have always used between 4-5gb a month since I got my iPhone 4, never got any kind of warning or anything. We'll see what happens this upcoming month. I wonder if it's only users in congested markets or users on cheaper voice plans?
I think pretty much everyone on unlimited data plans will get slowed down once they climb up to 3GB, which sucks.. too damn low of a ceiling.
It would make sense if they did it in congested markets where the (over)use would be more problematic for the 'rest of the people'.
I know that I'd be pissed if someone was on the local cell tower yanking down half the available bandwidth for watching porn on their iPad when I'm trying to get my office email and have a usable phone like the other 100 or so people, using a Microtome to take our thin slices of bandwidth and make something magical happen...
Perhaps AT&T's perception of what the future would hold was off base.
At the time, they could handle unlimited plans with the current and forcasted user group numbers. Now there are so many users, they can't handle it anymore and they are happily passing the buck to the user.
Typical.
At the time, they could handle unlimited plans with the current and forcasted user group numbers. Now there are so many users, they can't handle it anymore and they are happily passing the buck to the user.
Typical.
No. This is political. They are crying spectrum shortage due to the government blocked Tmo merger. Now they feel even more justified to aggressively move people to capped plans. If the government "investigates", they'll pull the merger block out of their pocket as an excuse.
Not true. As many argued in old posts, the unlimited part still stands. No one on unlimited will have to "pony up" for additional data. The only "cost" is slower speeds, which most have been experiencing anyway, and at a lower cap.
I understand there has to be some limit to keep some people from abusing it. I say over 20GB would be abusing it. I don't know why they don't do what Verizon does. Throttle only those who are on a congested tower using perhaps more than 3GB.
I see both sides, even though a recent article claimed throttling doesn't help their network. 5GB is nothing on LTE, one could blow through that in a day.
I get the point that AT&T doesn't want anyone on their network PERIOD. All they ever say is "USE WIFI" "WIFI DOESN'T COUNT AGAINST YOUR USAGE." Why even advertise a 4G network if you don't want people taking advantage of it?
I see both sides, even though a recent article claimed throttling doesn't help their network. 5GB is nothing on LTE, one could blow through that in a day.
I get the point that AT&T doesn't want anyone on their network PERIOD. All they ever say is "USE WIFI" "WIFI DOESN'T COUNT AGAINST YOUR USAGE." Why even advertise a 4G network if you don't want people taking advantage of it?
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You guys get screwed over big time over there! My unlimited contract is unlimited. The contract is no longer available but providing I don't take an upgrade it'll stay that way.
You guys get screwed over big time over there! My unlimited contract is unlimited. The contract is no longer available but providing I don't take an upgrade it'll stay that way.
Only the 1% who are sucking large amounts of data are. There is a limited amount of spectrum and air interface capacity, it shouldn't be wasted by a select few.
But how do we REALLY know what is being used and if there is a bandwidth shortage? I was throttled at 4 gigs last month. Is that abusive? Is there really a shortage or is AT&T just trying to push us into a thethered plan?
The more this debate goes on and on, the more I think AT&T should just dump the unlimited plan entirely. Either they should do it over a phased period, where you lose it when you upgrade, or all at once but let everyone out of their contract if they want. Of course, they way they've handles situations like that was to force you to accept the new way of doing things, or cancel your service. There was no option to end your contract and also continue service. That wouldn't be ideal, and I'm sure people would complain to the ends of the earth, but I think it would be better than this constant bickering.
As for the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, ever hear of the tyranny of the majority?
As for the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, ever hear of the tyranny of the majority?
I notice you're also in Eastern CT. There is no spectrum or capacity shortage out here, that's why we're seeing Speedtest close to 6000, with "bad" ones in the 1500 range, and rock solid voice and data all over mooville and east bumble*$&^.
Try going to NYC, when your phone is fighting for it's life just to get 200kbps, you'll realize what a bandwidth shortage actually is. Thing is, they have 55mhz down there for 9 million people, here they have 55-65mhz to cover cows. Cows don't use a lot of bandwidth. Heck, I was in relatively urban West Hartford today, I was pulling 5500. The people density just isn't there to cause the network to get congested.
here we go again
ok, i'm starting to see how pointless those post are
but
1) throttling is not fair. period. you offer service, you should provide it as long as i'm willing to pay for it. attFail shouldn't have offered it if they are unable to provide it.
but i'm "meet in the middle" kinda guy. i can see abusers straining the network ... (except if it's only 5% of users, right att? )
a fair solution would be to offer all of 17 million unlimited users latest, highest plan available - 5gb, _then_ throttle.
2) as far as i'm concerned, we won!
we kinda got it ... when iPhone 5 goes LTE, if you'll buy it at full price & won't resign a new contract, you'll get 5GB.
especially that according to this, we don't really have a legal case, nor can class action or jury trials.
3) socialism has nothing to do with this issue. you can't pay for my bandwidth, even if i use 10gb ... you pay for yours, i pay for my. we pay the same $30 ... find birthers forum & vent there
4) in all irony, seems users in rural areas (CT, TX, OH, UT), still do not get throttled?!
if you need more then 3-5GB, here's your solution: switch to any of those markets ... (you're welcome)
5) still not happy? cancel! switch to h20, etc (see below how to avoid ETF fees). nothing sends a stronger message to a greedy corp then taking your business elsewhere ...
ps: i consider myself a heavy data user: nav, stream radio, occasional tethering, rare netflix. the most i've personally ever used on my mobile data is 5.7gb ... and that's trying hard - as in i've managed to use about 1gb per day (after being throttled) by streaming radio 24/7. as in my iPhone had to be plugged into a charger ... 24/7.
my normal, highest usage ever was 4.6gb. in the past year i've averaged 1.8gb/month
ok, i'm starting to see how pointless those post are
but1) throttling is not fair. period. you offer service, you should provide it as long as i'm willing to pay for it. attFail shouldn't have offered it if they are unable to provide it.
but i'm "meet in the middle" kinda guy. i can see abusers straining the network ... (except if it's only 5% of users, right att?
)a fair solution would be to offer all of 17 million unlimited users latest, highest plan available - 5gb, _then_ throttle.
2) as far as i'm concerned, we won!
we kinda got it ... when iPhone 5 goes LTE, if you'll buy it at full price & won't resign a new contract, you'll get 5GB.
especially that according to this, we don't really have a legal case, nor can class action or jury trials.
3) socialism has nothing to do with this issue. you can't pay for my bandwidth, even if i use 10gb ... you pay for yours, i pay for my. we pay the same $30 ... find birthers forum & vent there
4) in all irony, seems users in rural areas (CT, TX, OH, UT), still do not get throttled?!
if you need more then 3-5GB, here's your solution: switch to any of those markets ... (you're welcome)
5) still not happy? cancel! switch to h20, etc (see below how to avoid ETF fees). nothing sends a stronger message to a greedy corp then taking your business elsewhere ...
ps: i consider myself a heavy data user: nav, stream radio, occasional tethering, rare netflix. the most i've personally ever used on my mobile data is 5.7gb ... and that's trying hard - as in i've managed to use about 1gb per day (after being throttled) by streaming radio 24/7. as in my iPhone had to be plugged into a charger ... 24/7.
my normal, highest usage ever was 4.6gb. in the past year i've averaged 1.8gb/month
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ok, i'm starting to see how pointless those post are
1) throttling is not fair. period. you offer service, you should provide it as long as i'm willing to pay for it. attFail shouldn't have offered it if they are unable to provide it.
So your solution is to let unlimited users run wild and let the network go to hell?
I think that the ultimate solution is AT&T should get a backbone and de-grandfather everything, including my voice (FT850) and data (2GB) plans whenever any line on that account is upgraded, or when the whole plan gets out of contract. That way, whenever they make a change, 12 months in, 80+% of users would be switched over, and in month 25, they could permanently delete it from the system. And they should be strict about it.
False. I live in rural southern Ohio. I reached 6 gb last billing period and got a 5% warning. not throttled, but warned. I thought this area was exempt as well.
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I have noticed that AT&T has temporarily removed my throttling. I suspect it's either the result of an FCC complaint that I filed or the small claims court finding against AT&T.
Put another way, if you are getting throttled...then take AT&T to small claims court and it should be an automatic win since a judge already found in favor of the plaintiff.
pooleman said:
I have noticed that AT&T has temporarily removed my throttling. I suspect it's either the result of an FCC complaint that I filed or the small claims court finding against AT&T.
Put another way, if you are getting throttled...then take AT&T to small claims court and it should be an automatic win since a judge already found in favor of the plaintiff.
I wouldn't say that but if one person can do then there is no doubt others can too.
I'm more surprised with how bad the throttling is. My buddy on AT&T is being throttled and it's near unusable. Speedtest showed him at .2 mb down. Anything below .3 and I give up, at that speed I have a tough time browsing the web and even receiving an email with an attachment. I'm on Verizon so I'm used to those speeds lol.