AT&T warns of coming clamp-down on iPhone data hogs - Page 4

Thats only for the data cards they use for wifi, not the iphone



When your usages effects 80+ million customers from being able to enjoy the network due to your rampant use it abuses the service.


Thats your fault you pay an extra 20 bucks a month for what you dont need. What sucks is the fact people abusing their services makes the 100 dollars a month i spend for AT&T just completely reek and i dont even use an iPhone! I dont like AT&T service as much as the next but lets be real here, the issues comes not only from iphone users but most ABUSERS.

I'm not chanting for the mega corp but when 3% of your users eat nearly half your available bandwith that is not fair to the 80+ million people who pay for the same damn service and not expect to get atleast one dropped call a day or have their network flipflop from 3G to Edge (and in turn kill the battery of the phone sooner cause its constantly searching for 3G). I expect them to come in and say "enough is enough" and get a handle on some things.

You are clearly someone who most likely uses more than their fair share of the internet (you sound like it). Im sure your parents taught you that if you abuse something, it gets taken away. They could put a 5GB cap and i wouldnt care, they could do tiered pricing and id probably be happy if it brings my bill down, but if them making YOU PAY MORE FOR YOUR USAGE improves my network, then i'm all for it

Is this a case of AT&T being able to change the terms of a contract in the middle of the contract. Meaning if I signed up last week for the $30/mo. unlimited data plan that they can limit my usage before my two year contract expires, and if I don't like it I can cancel my service and pay an ETF? Big balls for someone about to lose their butt next year.

Who doesn't understand this?
I don't think anyone here needs your explanation.

My point is if you advertise it with the word "unlimited" there should not be any cap no matter what.
If the cap is 5GB, just say 5GB not "unlimited"!

AT&T is trying to escape from their responsibilities by bringing hatred of some of their subscribers who are paying for and using something as they advertised.

Yes if they choose to change the contract terms they can. You can cancel your service but you wont have to pay an ETF, you get out of your contract with no loss (in fact it would most likely be AT&Ts loss if you just started your contract since they dont recoup iphone costs for almost 2 years)

They can increase rates but they can't increase the rates of a current contract. You sign a 2 year contract which locks in your rates. Its an unlimited data plan its very clear.

I looked over it again, you are right it does not specifically say for the iPhone. The contract does say that if you are tethering your phone and consistently using over 5GB a month, AT&T has the right to charge you more or disconnect your service.

If you are consistently over 5GB, you are likely tethering your phone, and then subject to this part of the contract.

Exactly.
Instead of bringing hatred and paying lawyers big money for stupid lawsuit, they should spend time and money on fixing the problem. Put more money they get from the unexpected millions of new customers back to the network, change their plan structure, stop advertising and selling fake "unlimited" plan, etc.
Just not blame some of their customers who are paying for and using their service as advertised.

Works for me! So my mandatory " $30 Unlimited Data" gets charged again even though they charge me for texting (which is data BTW). I can then cancel my contract with AT&T without a penalty then I will do so!! :-) Then I will just jailbreak my iPhone 3GS and go to T-Mobile for half the price!!! Wooohooo I would be saving money!!!
Sounds like a winner to me...........

this upsets me just enough to constantly stream pandora on my iphone instead of listening to my music. i renewed my contract when the 3gs came out, so i've got a while to force all your call to drop. muah ha ha.

Don't think so buddy! - By the way, how much is AT&T or some other Socialist group out there paying you to say this garbage?

My contract is for UNLIMITED BANDWIDTH. PERIOD. I do think that if people want to pay less for less bandwidth usage, AT&T should offer cheaper deals for them; however, they should leave our unlimited bandwidth usage alone (and at the same price).

As time passes, these cell phone companies need to INVEST (i.e. use the $$ we pay them) in NEW and FASTER networks such as the 4g network (http://www.4gnetwork.com/).

Streaming videos and media is just the tip of the iceberg. AT&T and others need to build their networks up to handle the load. It may take a while; however, they need to be progressing and not regressing. This whole scheme is just a way to gouge consumers so the big wigs up top can make an extra buck. Its no different than the price gouging that goes on at the gas pumps.

Check out Stop the Cap at:
http://stopthecap.com

Quad Cities (Davenport, IA Region).... If I was anywhere else in Iowa I wouldn't have 3G at all.

Can I give my 'unlimited' bandwidth to someone else? maybe they can use it?

<channels Molly Wood>
WTG AT&T Execs! Display your ignorance for all to see so that we don't have to speculate anymore. What a stupid, threatening thing to say to your own customers.

These so-called "abusers" and "data hogs" are your best and most excited customers. They actually put up with your poor network quality and pay you for your services anyway. The fact that they're using lots of data means that they're running around, dodging the dead zones in your network and limiting their "mobile" lives to your coverage map. Its not like Apple would allow a bittorent client on their phone that would eat up any available bandwidth. The folks you call "data hogs" are also known as users. If your network can't balance the load from the users you've signed up, that's your own problem. You should have included the price of the necessary upgrades in your contracts with Apple and with users and rolled those improvements out by now.

Idiots...
</channels Molly Wood>

Actually, I think that's when the leaving begins...

Yes, I'm one of them 'hogging' all the data....what u don't seem to understand is, whatever new pricing plan at&t comes out with, it is doubtful that the lowest price will be less than $30/mth

So you thinking that this will benefit you....it won't...

Fairness is, if you advertise an unlimited plan....keep it unlimited...I don't care if you want to put a soft limit to monitor data usage....as long as you don't charge me for it...

Another point of note: Some months I may use over 6 GB of data, some moths i may use less than 1B....if my plan is capped at say 5 GB, will I be reimbursed for my 4 GB I didnt use? or will I be able to add them to my next month? If there tethering plans are anything to go by....I doubt it....

I agree with you 100%....iPhone users have given at&t a much needed boost regardless of poor coverage and dropped calls rate....Then they come out threatening to charge more because that is the easiest way to reduce load on the network....

Would it not be more beneficial for them right now to invest in network infrastructure to accommodate the iPhone and all the other data hogs that are eventually gonna come out in the future?

The iPhone user uses 10 times the data because it is usable. The other phones don't use data because they are not usable. If the apps are crap and the system is like using dos, then you will not use much bandwidth!

Any "moron" can and did predict the iPhone's success loud and clear above the din of clueless idiots like yourself.

I expect to be delivered EXACTLY WHAT I PAY FOR: Unlimited Service.

Put your head back into your ass now. Thanks.

Are you high on crack right now? Your unlimited bandwith that YOU suck up makes MY service suck. YOU hogging up bandwith brings the networks to its knees and its struggling. I am not making an excuse for AT&T and its crap network, it needs to be fixed and expanded asap, but im not making an excuse for you either. The crap service stems directly from users exorbitantly abusing the term unlimited and illegally tether and stream constantly like their sitting at a PC.

Also, as much as we would like OTA wireless internet =/= cable internet with fiber optics

I think it's best to avoid making accusations like that.


I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that AT&T have a good quality of service system set up so that high data use doesn't choke out non-data services.

I'm sure they are improving, just too slowly for my tastes.

I think it's inappropriate for internet providers to advertise unlimited service when it really isn't, it's kind of sleazy marketing.

It's best to leave out the slams when replying to other people. I don't know what has people so upset today, we've had more complaints today than I see in a typical week or even month. Maybe the snowstorm is aggravating people's stress levels.

I'm tempted to drop a banhammer on people that call others morons, idiots, etc. rather than just hand out infractions. I really don't care if you think it's the truth, if you're going to be that rude, then you really shouldn't be posting. Several days off should do people some good.

I don't think this will be any kind of a PR disaster for AT&T. How much bandwidth is consumed on a little iPhone by 95% of the users? It's not like the iPhone is some kind of server.

Contrast this with Verizon Wireless who actually have a lot of 3G cards in people's laptops. Aren't those laptops using far more bandwidth than an iPhone???

It got deleted an hour ago, shortly after you reported it. We can't nail this stuff immediately. We all do have other things to do with our time. I don't read AI during the day very much.


Color me unsympathetic especially if someone flies off the handle like that. Someone wronging doesn't justify responding in kind. Just report it like you did, we don't need escalations.

Before you go all hyperbolic--oh, wait, you already did--you do realize wireless internet is a whole different animal from wired broadband?

I really don't understand why fellow customers keep blaming other customers as if they were in direct competition with each other. Take a look at AT&T's quarterly earnings. Their wireless is not a problem. If they have any profit it's because of that.

Trying to switch to a tiered system is not to 'save' the network, or the bandwidth, or reduce dropped calls. It's a pure money grab because other areas are hemorrhaging money.

A tiered system would indeed start at $30 and unlimited would sky rocket from there. They aren't going to sacrifice what they know they can get. And if you're on a lesser tier that tiered limit will be so low that your grandma would go over the limit each month and pay exorbitant fees that would push her way over the $30 a month. Have you looked and done any research on the data limit and price per kb the phone companies charge for their data plans?

Please keep in mind that the unlimited for $30 was pretty much Apple's idea to get people to use the services the iPhone provides. Really, without the $30 unlimited most people would never use or have even bought the iPhone. And because of the iPhone mobile services have taken off.

I'm not saying the iPhone is perfect. In reality, it's a better example of how badly all the Nokias and Motorolas sucked at producing phones that people wanted and could be used for more than just a phone.

And lastly, it's really AT&T's fault for not being able to handle the capacity. They had a crappy network long before the iPhone came out. I'm just glad I live in a smaller area where I don't notice it as much. I'm sure the execs at AT&T have been ignoring what their network engineers have been telling them for years. "We need upgrades." "We need more bandwidth." "We need capacity for peak times."

After all, it's AT&T that's cashing the check. It's their responsibility to take care of the problem. Not the customers.

They'd like to... But they will pay $30/month and heavy users will pay $90. I don't belive that AT&T will reduce price for lightweight user

Its really not childish to expect what you pay for. I don't have an iPhone. But I would expect that Unlimited does indeed unlimited.

I'm with you in spirit. However, when the carriers all do it, there is no alternative for which to leave. It will happen, and we will pay. The stench of oligopolies chokes technological innovation in the States, and here is another fine example.

I've said this before and I'll repeat it here.
My wife has a phone with Verizon. It's an enV Touch. She has unlimited messaging (MMS+SMS). 450 minutes. No e-mail, no internet. Her bill comes to $82 a month after taxes and fees.
I have an iPhone 3G. On AT&T. 450 minutes, 200 texts. My bill after taxes and fees is $86.

For all of you who think Verizon Wireless is the pinnacle of service, the awesomeness that can rip off AT&T's head and poop down it's neck, good luck. They will never offer a truly competitive price point for the iPhone's services that you enjoy with AT&T.

Unless....AT&T is going to screw us with tiered pricing and caps. Then, and only then, will Verizon be competitive. For all the wrong reasons, mind you.

People finally found out how to use that little exclamation point over there, eh

It truly dumbs a conversation down when people just pop insults back and forth. I'd rather read YouTube comments for that, thanks

Oh, and banhammer.

AT&T is rock solid where I am at and there are plenty of iPhone users here. Rarely a dropped call, download speeds average 1.5 Mbps and sometimes hits 2.2 Mbps. 850 Mhz spectrum. 7.2Mbps rollout here shortly. How can I complain?

They have to if they want to proof the fact that fair use helps to solve bandwidth problems and to show that they are trustworthy.

I'm no AT&T customer but I really would be glad to see a balanced and fair package of measures (including capacity expansion) being successful. I also demand a fair salary for my work - not more not less.

I'm not pleased about the "hot" discussions in this threat. As a dev I would much more like to see people enjoying technology we could not imagine some years ago instead of feeling they got too little for their money.

using more than their "fair share"??? it's an UNLIMITED plan!!!!!

depending on where you live, get t-mobile. they actually give you a discount for not being in a 2 year contract.

500 minutes, unlimited talk and text for $40/month. add web and it's $60

My plan is unlimited according to AT&T. That's what I signed up for. NO LIMIT.

(I'm not a bandwidth hog, but I'm just making a point.)

It's unlimited meaning all you can GET not all you can USE or all you WANT. By the way, no one has a contract longer than two years. All ATT has to do is wait until your contract expires or renews to implement a new policy.

It's super easy to be a bandwidth hog. For example lets say you enjoy pandora while at work. Here's a simple scenario that involves nothing but pandora:

Streaming Pandora at: 128 kbps

16,000 bytes per second

960,000 bytes per minute

57,000,000 bytes per hour (~57meg)

Assuming that you listen when you are at work:

9,216,000,000 bytes per month (based on 160 hours of work per month)

So you have used almost 10 gig of your infinity of bandwidth your contract says you can have.
That's without a single e-mail, web page, youtube video etc.
5 gig a month is easy even without tethering. So don't blame the jailbroken.


Sheldon

A little critical thinking needs to be used. You signed a contract and that contract specifically stated what unlimited was.

... which they can change.

I have a quick question. Is here any way that AT&T can tell if someone is "illegally" tethering other than higher than average bandwidth usage?

They can infer it from the sorts of IP ports used. For example, you could be accepting connections on port 80 for example which means you are running a web server. if there was no web servers apps on the app store, then you are doing something not allowed with your connection. Accepting connections on port 23 would be an example of this and would mean that you are running a SSH server, which no non-jailbroken app does. So either you are jailbroken or you are tethering. Both are frowned upon.


Sheldon

T-Mobile sucks where I live, I know three different people who left them. And one is a very close friend of mine, who went to AT&T from there.

My previous example of V vs. AT&T was to tell the people who think the grass is greener on Verizon's side of the fence to stay on the fence...until they see where the prices go when Verizon gets iPhone. It is my honest opinion that much like the music industry, the phone companies haven't learned a thing. They are not interested in innovation, they are interested in money. If technology stopped where it was in 2006, they would have been happier. They could just continue to rob their customers.

Case in point:

I had two "smartphones" on Verizon's network. My first was a Treo 650, when that failed I got an HTC Apache running Windows Mobile. Terrible, horrible phones they were. I could get emails though, and for the $100+ Verizon charged me a month I was sick in the head to do it. Trust me, if they get the iPhone, it will not be cheaper than I was paying for those other two phones. It simply cannot be. My wife's phone pricing solidifies my thinking. If a enV goes for $82 a month, a data hogging iPhone surely is worth $120 a month, right?

Oh, and that is why AT&T is crying foul now, because people are hooked on the data and will pay. They'll bitch, but they will pay more. The sad thing is, these prices should be dropping, and they aren't. For another place to see where you are bleeding money, see the Berkman Broadband Study.