AT&T to throttle unlimited data plan users...

[Tx Rednek]

Only when on a congested cell tower. Once you leave that tower, the throttle is lifted. #VZWFTW!

[isurus]

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Tx Rednek wrote:
Only when on a congested cell tower. Once you leave that tower, the throttle is lifted. #VZWFTW!

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fact!

[BadBadLeroyBrown ACE - Warrior]

Sprint has reportedly starting throttling their "Top 1%" users, just so you know. 

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YvilKittyInSpace wrote:

Just so you know, Verizon also thottles heavy users. The only carrier that does not yet is Sprint but their network is so slow anyways, there is no need for them to throttle.

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[isurus]

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BadBadLeroyBrown wrote:

Sprint has reportedly starting throttling their "Top 1%" users, just so you know. 

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YvilKittyInSpace wrote:

Just so you know, Verizon also thottles heavy users. The only carrier that does not yet is Sprint but their network is so slow anyways, there is no need for them to throttle.

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while roaming ... 

[seajohn]

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BadBadLeroyBrown wrote:

Sprint has reportedly starting throttling their "Top 1%" users, just so you know. 

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Why is it that when AT&T's policies are criticized, people like to point to AT&T's competitors and say "They're doing it too!"?

Shouldn't a company base its policies on what makes its customers happy and what makes the company profitable (both of which are tightly linked), rather than what other companies are doing?

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

News Flash!  They're all cut from the same cloth.

[BINMAM]

Here's how to file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It's really easy to do, and just takes a moment online.

After you do this, be sure to drop by AT&T's Public Policy Twitter Feed where you can leave them a nice courtesy tweet about it:
@ATTPublicPolicy
http://twitter.com/ATTPublicPolicy

For the FTC:
http://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

For "unlimited" data plan customers, AT&T has provided no proof of the accuracy of its internal bandwidth meters, and thus there is no consumer-transparent basis under which this "top 5%" throttling practice is determined and implemented. The FTC needs to investigate this as it is a deceptive business practice in which a plan is marketed as "unlimited" but is throttled to the point of useless (as the video shows) with no clearly defined criteria based on users who can travel frequently from region to region.

The idea of a "market" being based on your "address" is an unfair business practice. When someone travels from NYC to LA, etc. there's no way to label them a top 5% user based on a specific region as AT&T appears to be doing. How can AT&T even claim this? Does the so-called congestion travel with a customer?

Aside from there being no proof of congestion in the first place, there's no way to know if AT&T is really doing the "top 5%"... make AT&T prove it.

AT&T is deceptively marketing an "unlimited" data plan which is throttled to effectively useless speeds based on video evidence. You can point the FTC to this YouTube video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW5aEQzTcW0


This complaint also applies to the tiered data offerings: that's another reason to ensure that these usage meters are accurate. Who's checking this? No one I'll bet... Why would they?

All the more reason for the FTC to make AT&T come clean on this.

As for the FCC:
http://www.fcc.gov/complaints

Select "Wireless Telephone"

Select "Deceptive or unlawful advertising or marketing by a communications company (does NOT include Telemarketing)"

You will fill out "Form 2000A - Deceptive or Unlawful Advertising and Promotion Complaint"

The complaint has the same basis as above. AT&T is deceptively marketing an "unlimited" data plan which is throttled to useless speeds based on video evidence. You can point the FCC to the YouTube video above.

You can submit this form to the FCC online or on paper.

That's all. Very simple to do.

[4sskyrocket]

Just got a follow up call from AT&T regarding my BBB complaint. Keep filing with the BBB. This was a corporate decision and will not change without your input. Getting the word out will affect AT&T's ratings.

[4sskyrocket]

96% reduction from normal average speed for 30 dollars a month.

[belome]

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isurus wrote:

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BadBadLeroyBrown wrote:

Sprint has reportedly starting throttling their "Top 1%" users, just so you know. 

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YvilKittyInSpace wrote:

Just so you know, Verizon also thottles heavy users. The only carrier that does not yet is Sprint but their network is so slow anyways, there is no need for them to throttle.

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while roaming ... 

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The news articles I read said nothing about 'while roaming'

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/sprint-limits-usage-for-1of-its-unlimited-usersceo-says-20120105-01445

[YvilKittyInSpace]

Because people keep threatening leave AT&T due to throttling when, if they do leave, it will be to a carrier who does the same.

[YvilKittyInSpace]

Even Sprint has a clause in their TOS that states that they can limit data to any user who abuses it by using too much and affecting the network.

I'm not defending AT&T in anyway, just pointing out that AT&T, Verizon and Sprint are all guilty.

[savior]

i know one way to get your voice in..... buy 50.1% of the stock of at&t and then you can set your own rules!

[belome]

I think Sprint is the worst offender now, since their entire sales campaign is pushing truly unlimted data.  They should be ashamed of themselves.

Obvoiusly, ATT is next... by throttling poeple at 2 gig, that is absurd.  I was sorta on their bandwagon when they were thottling people going above 8 gig or so, but they lost my vote at 2 gig.

Verizon at least acknowledges they are doing it only to congested areas.  Meaning, when it really does affect their network.

[BINMAM]

We are nothing but $$$ to them. I called to officially complain and to let them know I have also filed complaints with the FCC and the FTC. They'll tell you till their blue in the face that what they are doing is perfectly legal and justified.

"Just use WiFi", "we aren't stopping your data therefore its not limited", "you are one of the top 5% of data users or 2 Gb"

I have NEVER heard anything so ridiculous in all of my 20 years with this company.  How did you calculate your %s?   With all of the tablets and smart phone users out there, I find it very hard to believe that only 5% of users use over 2Gb of data! Prove it!!! I am the consumer, I have a right to know!.  I use 2Gb w/in my first few days of my billing cycle, just streaming music at work!   So yes, I will be better off with Sprints CDMA network because throttled 3G is worthless!!!  You ARE limiting my data, its just a matter of semantics.  Well, there won't be 21 years and I will badmouth AT$T to my grave. I am very involved in XDA and will certainly turn off a good number of potential customers.

[Per Guidelines: Keep it Relevant and Appropriate]

[n19htmare]

If AT&T offers a 4GB plan for $30, I WILL let go of my unlimited plan. You hear me AT&T????

This is just AT&T's way to get people OFF of grandfathered plans and onto tiered plans (pretty messed up AT&T, pretty freaking messed up). OFFER ME A BIGGER INCENTIVE!!!

I'm sure AT&T Won't go broke offering 4GB at $30......

[knucks507]

For the past 2 months have haven been throttled at approx day 20 of my cycle having used 2.08gb of data. My speeds drop from pre throttle speeds of (0.800 - 2.5 Mbps) to throttled speeds of (.010 - .090 Mbps). My billing cycle restarts on the 5th of every month. Last month on January 6th my speeds were still not restored so I contacted AT&T, They had me restart my phone and reset the network settings. That did not restore my speeds, then the agent tells me they are re provisioning my sim card and having create a new connection to the network and my speeds are restored. This month my speeds were still slow but I decided to wait it out today being the 10th my speeds were still not restored so I contacted AT&T and they did the same thing, once they reprovisioned my sim card my speeds were restored. So now not only am I being throttle at 2gb every month while paying $30 dollars a month per phone for unlimited data but I have to remember to call every month to have my speeds restored back to where they're supposed to be. This throttling nonsense is getting ridiculous, this is how you thank a loyal customer of 7 years. AT&T your customer service is awful, your representatives have no compassion, and your CEO should be charge with robbery for trying to extort money out of people like this. All to punish the consumer because your merger with T-Mobile fell threw.

[StopUrEvilWays]

Those that point a finger at other companies doesn't justify what ATT is doing. ATTs justification for this evil policy is "network congestion". As many here have pointed out,if we switched to a tiered data plan,we could use all the bandwidth we want. So....if one pays more $$$,suddenly network congestion is no longer a problem? Nonsense! They just want more $$,at our expense!

I pose the question to the Data Throttling Dept reps,"how does paying more $$ freeup bandwidth"? They can only say BLABLABLAH......lame standard responses they read of the screen. They'll never see the error of their ways. Those poor suckers in the Data Throttling dept just work there. Its not their fault.

Remember how all the new Inspire,Atrix,Infuse owners lost their unlimited plans last February? ATT tried to kick anyone buying a fake 4G phone off of their unlimited plans. And then it took a petition started here by one of the forum members to stop the evil policy of throttling the new Android 4G phones speeds! But...at that time,they didn't throttle the iphone users! Simply evil.

Its evil policies like this that stopped the T-Mobile acquisition.

Don't get me wrong. I love AT&T. Its the best carrier. Ive been with them for 15 years. They've been good to me. But sometimes it was a hard fight.

They keep pointing to the fineprint. Section 5.2 that says, "we can do whateverwewant!". Simply Evil....

[Edited to comply with Guidelines]

[belome]

I totally agree.

Out of curoisity, how many gig were you using in the previous months, before the thottling started?

[4sskyrocket]

File a complaint with BBB. I did.

[knucks507]

I did file a complaint..Actually I filed 3 and everytime someone from AT&T contacts me a states the standard free use we can do what we want, and they ask me is my complaint with the BBB resolved and I respond no it is not. They tell yes it is there is nothing we are going to do this is our policy, then I look on the BBB website and my complaint shows up as resolved. The BBB is just another way to get in contact with AT&T, they are in bed with each other. Hope you have better luck with a government agency that's is run by the corporations there supposed to be overseeing

[knucks507]

before throttling was put into place I was averaging between 1 - 5 gb's a month depending if I used netflex during my comute or not. My standard average was about 2.5 GB, I didn't think I was getting one over on AT&T.  I just liked the ability to use 5gb one month is I needed to.

[belome]

I was just wondering if they could say there was a prevoius pattern of abuse.

I personally have never been over 1 gig since I was forced into being an ATT customer about a year ago.

[Captain Quantum]

There's a petition going around about this that I cannot link to bc of forum guidelines. You can easily find it...

[4sskyrocket]

I found the petition and signed on.

[Dellman87]

This really makes me upset. Why does AT&T offer 3GB plans for $30 a month when our data throttle limit is 2GB or LOWER... I've filed with the BBB and nothing happened...

This is now the 2nd month in a row.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

and your comparision means what? You agreed to the terms when you put your electonic / physical signature under the word to the menaing of "I have read and understood the above terms"

Bottom line - no matter what you say, your agreed to the terms they are enfocing, no amount of complaints or posts will change that simple logical fact. This is nothing about advertising, this is about agreeing to terms of service - which you and every single one of us that have att service with the outdated plan agreed to.

/rofl on honda, lets see how it fairs when they take it to a real venue that allows honda specialized teams to be present. Whcih they have already made a motion for....as is their right, bet you it is over turned

[seajohn]

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wingrider01 wrote:

Bottom line - no matter what you say, your agreed to the terms they are enfocing, no amount of complaints or posts will change that simple logical fact. This is nothing about advertising, this is about agreeing to terms of service - which you and every single one of us that have att service with the outdated plan agreed to.

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What terms?  Please post the relevant section of the contracts which were signed over 2.5 years ago that allow AT&T to provide 'unlimited' data, but in such a way that it is essentially unusable.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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seajohn wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

Bottom line - no matter what you say, your agreed to the terms they are enfocing, no amount of complaints or posts will change that simple logical fact. This is nothing about advertising, this is about agreeing to terms of service - which you and every single one of us that have att service with the outdated plan agreed to.

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What terms?  Please post the relevant section of the contracts which were signed over 2.5 years ago that allow AT&T to provide 'unlimited' data, but in such a way that it is essentially unusable.

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you don;t have yours? pity, still have my paperwork from the first cell phone I got. just search att's site you will find them quickly

[seajohn]

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wingrider01 wrote:

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seajohn wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

Bottom line - no matter what you say, your agreed to the terms they are enfocing, no amount of complaints or posts will change that simple logical fact. This is nothing about advertising, this is about agreeing to terms of service - which you and every single one of us that have att service with the outdated plan agreed to.

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What terms?  Please post the relevant section of the contracts which were signed over 2.5 years ago that allow AT&T to provide 'unlimited' data, but in such a way that it is essentially unusable.

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you don;t have yours? pity, still have my paperwork from the first cell phone I got. just search att's site you will find them quickly

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Yes, I still have mine.  However, I can't find the section that says AT&T may willfully and arbitrarily downgrade data to the point of unusability.  Again, please post the section that you believe permits them to do this.