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

[Dellman87]

Here is what I want to see. Actual evidence of the towers being clogged. Charts, research etc.

Or at least throttle users who are on a tower that is actually clogged. Don't punish us!

How come AT&T hasn't reached out to the community about this?

[DustyBarnes]

I have been using AT&T since 2004 and I am grandfathered into the unlimited data plan. Today I got a text and then an email stating that I was in the top 5% of users and was threatened of throttling if I continue to be in the top 5%. I have an UNLIMITED DATA PLAN! How can you punish me for using what you've been selling me since 2004?!?!?! Nothing but an attempt to FORCE you into a tiered plan. The "best solution" I was given when I called to ask about this was switch to a tiered plan! How can you call it UNLIMITED, but throttle my speed as a punishment for using what I pay for? False advertisement to say the least.

{post merged}

[Dellman87]

And you wonder why everyone hates AT&T...

People Booing AT&T

[mikewho]

I know a lot of people who are fed up with att these days. Seems like they are the most hated cell carrier in the us right now.

[formercanuck]

yeah - I haven't found a nice way to clone an IMEI yet.

Personally, I would 'hope' that they would not start changing based solely on a device swap.

Eg.  iPhone 4 for iPhone 3GS being considered a device change, and effectively forcing a user to a different plan.

I've currently only seen it go 'one way'  plain/feature phone to smartphone.

You may end up having customers ticked off over popping the SIM from their $600 iPhone to a goPhone to go fishing and have their features revoked/plan changed.

[BadBadLeroyBrown ACE - Warrior]

What kind of DL speeds are you getting with them? When it works as intended, Clear is great...the problem I had with their home service is that it rarely did that. And be wary of Clear...they went through a similar stink as AT&T, except they weren't really telling people they were throttling until the evidence was overwhelming that they were doing so.

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Dellman87 wrote:

This is from yesterday. Yes, that is 3.28 GB used... in 10 hours.

AT&T should stop throttling people. Obviously CLEAR can handle MY traffic...

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[StopUrEvilWays]

After using 1.8 GB ATT slowed me to .16 KB. Useless. When I called the DaTa Ripoff dept,I clearly explained that there is no way that 1.8 is what the top %5 are using. In nyc? Impossible. So they said,"But you used it in 3 days". So I said,so now its a time thing now too. She said yes! Actually a few reps told me the same thing. "U used that much in 3 days". So now their justification for the ridiculously low %5 estimate,is that you're also using it too fast! Time limit or amount?
Both.

[4sskyrocket]

Wow, throttled at less then 2gb. The top 5percent is dropping....yeah right! Makes no sense except to for e you to one of the new plans.

[4sskyrocket]

AT&T Mobility Rated A+ Nationally On Average by Better Business Bureau
AT&T Mobility records fewest number of complaints, receives lowest complaint rate among peers over the last 12 months

Dallas, Texas, December 07, 201

Say good by to this rating........

[StopUrEvilWays]

^ By who? ^The BBB? You must be kidding. They were bribed!

[formercanuck]

I would tend to agree with that.

AT&T (and other carriers) typically attempt to make it look like its a TON of data.

30 minutes of streaming video/day and 1 hour of music / day would put you over the limit... this isn't HD either, according to AT&T's data calculator.

In fact, 1 1/2 hours of audio (daily commute anyone ?) alone with basic email and sites would put me over.

I'd assume that AT&T considers the 'standard' user that consumes on average 12x less data someone that has a smartphone but does not use it, or uses WiFi only.  166MB is ~30 emails (no attachments) and 30 web pages.

If that was going to be the extent of my use, I'd purchase an iPod and not use AT&T's service.

[formercanuck]

Are you suggesting that I get an iPhone with a data only plan ?

[drumn_bass]

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StopUrEvilWays wrote:
After using 1.8 GB ATT slowed me to .16 KB. Useless. When I called the DaTa Ripoff dept,I clearly explained that there is no way that 1.8 is what the top %5 are using. In nyc? Impossible. So they said,"But you used it in 3 days". So I said,so now its a time thing now too. She said yes! Actually a few reps told me the same thing. "U used that much in 3 days". So now their justification for the ridiculously low %5 estimate,is that you're also using it too fast! Time limit or amount?
Both.

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1.8 GB in 3 days = 18 GB in 1 month. Just math.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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StopUrEvilWays wrote:
^ By who? ^The BBB? You must be kidding. They were bribed!

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finaly someone who realizes that the BBB ratings can be bought and sold - both excellent rating and poor ratings. They have a worse reputation then consumer reports does for accuracy. Funny how people depend on their ratings and "rulings" since the BB has absolutely no power to enforce anything and only send a grovel letter to the "offending" company.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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formercanuck wrote:

Are you suggesting that I get an iPhone with a data only plan ?

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where - no carrier that has the iphone offers that.

[yozhbk]

WOW so now 1.8GB and that 5% and in NYC no less, I guess the more people with service the more chances of being with in 5% ? NYC area is the most congested on there network, I`m assuming we are getting punished for ATTs inability to keep up with demand.... Never saw it coming below 2GB is exessive use in 2012 ! We are going to be afraid to use our phones for data, constantly looking for WIFI access ? 

[4sskyrocket]

I am remembering back to the 90's when I signed up with AOL because they had unlimited. Then later I had AT&T DSL unlimited. When I finaly purchased a smartphone (iPhone) it was because AT&T had unlimited. I don't download movies or tv shows, but recently,  it was beginning to look like the internet would replace all tv media, or it looked like it was heading in that direction. Not any more. The internet providers are destroying that before they transferred the power to them selves. Can you picture watching a tv show for 30 min and having to pay another ten dollars. The industry would die a quick death. Will be interesting to see how it plays out. Mean while please depost another ten dollars for some more internet time..... )

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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4sskyrocket wrote:

I am remembering back to the 90's when I signed up with AOL because they had unlimited. Then later I had AT&T DSL unlimited. When I finaly purchased a smartphone (iPhone) it was because AT&T had unlimited. I don't download movies or tv shows, but recently,  it was beginning to look like the internet would replace all tv media, or it looked like it was heading in that direction. Not any more. The internet providers are destroying that before they transferred the power to them selves. Can you picture watching a tv show for 30 min and having to pay another ten dollars. The industry would die a quick death. Will be interesting to see how it plays out. Mean while please depost another ten dollars for some more internet time..... )

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broadband providers are already capping home internet services, from 100GB to 500GB max per month depending on the speed that you are paying for. For charter if you have the 100MB your cap is 500GB, at 30-60 it is 250MB, below that 100GB. In the case of one broadband provider if you break cap to often they suspend your service for 6 months.

There have been numerous articles (NOT initiated by carriers)  coming out for a pay for use for premium services on wireless, like movie / video streaming, social networking, etc - you pay an additional monthly fee for unrestricted use. This is an intersting concept that is recieving a lot of disussion

[BINMAM]

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yozhbk wrote:

WOW so now 1.8GB and that 5% and in NYC no less, I guess the more people with service the more chances of being with in 5% ? NYC area is the most congested on there network, I`m assuming we are getting punished for ATTs inability to keep up with demand.... Never saw it coming below 2GB is exessive use in 2012 ! We are going to be afraid to use our phones for data, constantly looking for WIFI access ? 

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The whole 5% thing is bullspit!  They are throttling nearly ALL grandfathered users at 2Gbs.

That's why I am leaving. 

Worst service ever!

[Kjack646]

You guys are looking into this too hard. AT&T wants everyone to switch to the new tiered plans so they can make more money because on the tiered plan every GB over your plan limit is $10 no throttled. The 3 GB tiered plan is $30 just like the unlimited but they see no throttling ever .. It's very unethical and a typical AT&T move. In October the top 5% was something around 10 GB's. By November the throttling starts taking place around 8 GB's. Every month users get throttled earlier than before because the top 5% Is moving down. By April everyone will be getting throttled at barely 1 gig. By then keeping an unlimited data plan would be useless and you will more than likely stop holding out. Unfortunately AT&T is not voiding the contract because it is still unlimited just slowed down so no ETF pass. If they keep this up I'm heading to sprint. iPhone 5 unlimited 4G sounds pretty darn good

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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Kjack646 wrote:
You guys are looking into this too hard. AT&T wants everyone to switch to the new tiered plans so they can make more money because on the tiered plan every GB over your plan limit is $10 no throttled. The 3 GB tiered plan is $30 just like the unlimited but they see no throttling ever .. It's very unethical and a typical AT&T move. In October the top 5% was something around 10 GB's. By November the throttling starts taking place around 8 GB's. Every month users get throttled earlier than before because the top 5% Is moving down. By April everyone will be getting throttled at barely 1 gig. By then keeping an unlimited data plan would be useless and you will more than likely stop holding out. Unfortunately AT&T is not voiding the contract because it is still unlimited just slowed down so no ETF pass. If they keep this up I'm heading to sprint. iPhone 5 unlimited 4G sounds pretty darn good

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/rofl a iphone 5? wasn't that the one that was supposed to come out last year where everyone swore up and down it would be the Iphone 5 and it turned out to the the iphone 4S? Anything being "published" about the specs of the unit and ghost availability is all pure speculation.

Might want to check sprints rules really close, they tend to be a lot more strict on enforcing them then anyone else, given the simple fact that the Sprint owned Virgon Mobile is restricting "unlimited data" now supsect that sprint is not to far behind - read their rules closely you may not be getting all you believe you are.

[4sskyrocket]

We have three iPhone 4s's in the house. On is with Sprint. No throttling. Can't say the same fl my AT&T .

[yozhbk]

@wingrider01

I dont mean to come down on you, but as I said before, they breach there contract and it was proven by many people with degrees.... and now by the system.... hate to say it, but I told you so...

[4sskyrocket]

I was talking about this pages ago. Wingrider said it woud never go down this way. Little customers rights are preserved. It may take on at a time and months to years to defend.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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4sskyrocket wrote:
I was talking about this pages ago. Wingrider said it woud never go down this way. Little customers rights are preserved. It may take on at a time and months to years to defend.

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it still hasn't - you win by default if one of the parties doesn;t show up, lets see what happens when professionals are included in the mix - then I will believe believe I am incorrect.

[seajohn]

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wingrider01 wrote:

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4sskyrocket wrote:
I was talking about this pages ago. Wingrider said it woud never go down this way. Little customers rights are preserved. It may take on at a time and months to years to defend.

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it still hasn't - you win by default if one of the parties doesn;t show up, lets see what happens when professionals are included in the mix - then I will believe believe I am incorrect.

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According to what I read, the AT&T district sales manager was there on AT&T's behalf.  You can't get any more professional than that can you?

[yozhbk]

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wingrider01 wrote:

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4sskyrocket wrote:
I was talking about this pages ago. Wingrider said it woud never go down this way. Little customers rights are preserved. It may take on at a time and months to years to defend.

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it still hasn't - you win by default if one of the parties doesn;t show up, lets see what happens when professionals are included in the mix - then I will believe believe I am incorrect.

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WOW you still pushing this ? When exactly are you going to say that your argument was wrong ? 

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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yozhbk wrote:

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wingrider01 wrote:

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4sskyrocket wrote:
I was talking about this pages ago. Wingrider said it woud never go down this way. Little customers rights are preserved. It may take on at a time and months to years to defend.

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it still hasn't - you win by default if one of the parties doesn;t show up, lets see what happens when professionals are included in the mix - then I will believe believe I am incorrect.

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WOW you still pushing this ? When exactly are you going to say that your argument was wrong ? 

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Never because it is not, when it ends up in a real room that deals with it properly and loses then I will agree, this is grandstanding. the only thing this will probably do is hasten the ending of this plan which is the one good thing that will come out of this incident. To bad that the rules of the forum do not allow direct references or you would understand it better if you read a brief prepared by professionals that work in the field day in and day out. This validates nothing

Love some of the statements in the article though - "although I did need money...." or the fact that att reinstated his unlimited plan after he violated the tos by tethering on the unlimited plan. and the presiding "pro-tem" official.

[4sskyrocket]

Wingrider will never admit to it. 

[Dellman87]

Look at the pictures I posted earlier in the forums.

The first one is from CLEAR.  I do agree with you when you say about service though. I will be moving soon, and the house is in a small dead zone they have... *sigh*

AMAZING service though. I 100% am keeping the service bc I travel alot. Constant speeds of 9MBPS with boosts up to 15mbps at times.

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BadBadLeroyBrown wrote:

What kind of DL speeds are you getting with them? When it works as intended, Clear is great...the problem I had with their home service is that it rarely did that. And be wary of Clear...they went through a similar stink as AT&T, except they weren't really telling people they were throttling until the evidence was overwhelming that they were doing so.

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Dellman87 wrote:

This is from yesterday. Yes, that is 3.28 GB used... in 10 hours.

AT&T should stop throttling people. Obviously CLEAR can handle MY traffic...

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