AT&T defends plan to block 3G FaceTime for non-Mobile Share customers - Page 2

I'm thinking the same.  TMobile & Sprint with unlimited data & cheaper plans.   Are their networks really that bad??

Good point about Apple not buying Sprint...Apple should concentrate on China (BRIC's).

 

I too have cut the cord for the past 4 years and also live in a valley with no over-the-air reception. I rent from Redbox and have had Netflix in the past. Having said that, I do miss watching the golf, Formula One, and tennis.

 

Trying to watch things online is a bit fragmented, although I agree it can be done. I watched a CNN Rep. Primary Debate and halfway thru it stopped and told me to watch the rest on TV. Fareed Zakaria's GPS (one of the best programs on TV) was a video podcast for about a year then stopped. PBS News Hour is shown online a day after the broadcast.

 

But I take your point it is awfully hard to go back to paying a $100 mo. for TV. Especially with all the crap channels and the incessant commercials! Ugh!

 

Enjoyed your comments on the Cable industry. :)

Edited by christopher126 - 8/22/12 at 8:42am

Since AT&T hasn't seen fit to roll out, or even PLAN to roll out, LTE coverage where I live (Portland, OR), and now are putting all kinds of restrictions on my cell-phone plan (which I've had with them since the first iPhone), I'm interpreting all of this as they are BEGGING me to jump to Verizon when the iPhone 5 comes out!  I already dumped them when I got the new iPad (which, btw..I can tether from without hassle).  I guess moving my entire families phones to Verizon is the next move.
 

Fwiw - facetime over a 3g network would be seriously brutal. If you guys suffering with 3/4g complain about bandwidth now... Imagine your internet speeds getting worse than that when people add in their facetime calls.

Facetime over WiFi is barely decent even with a solid 10mbps connection. Doing facetime at 1-4mbps... ATT is doing us a favor.

Don't get me wrong, I think ATT should just say go ahead... But everyone else will pay dearly with really bad internet connectivity.

 

… Then that's AT&T's problem.

So does this mean if I bring my own iPhone not purchased or subsidized by ATT that FaceTime would work over cellular with an unlimited contract? Seems that the logic used in the AT&T post would require it.

With LTE-A that T-Mobile is rolling out next year (which by the way, LTE chips support LTE-A) can reach speeds of up to 1 Gbps [WHOOOOO]!

 

Actually, given the glacial pace of AT&T's LTE network deployment I must question their resolve to building their own infrastructure.

 

Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Kansas City, San Antonio and Waco already have Sprint LTE.  Apparently, Sprint expects to cover nearly 200 million potential subscribers by the end of 2014.

 

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, Sprint is the most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all industries, over the last three years.

 

I read somewhere else Verizon won't block FaceTime because of a Net Neutrality Agreement. Either way, when the new iPhone comes out, I'm switching to either Sprint or Verizon. I'm done with AT&T. Not only because of this FaceTime blocking crap, AT&T's LTE network is pretty limited compared to Verizon. I would imagine AT&T will be losing a ton of customers over this. I hope a lawsuit is filed soon or the FCC gets involved. I don't see how this can be legal.  

Virtually every internet-enabled app on the iPhone competes with AT&T services.

Q: So what makes FaceTime so special?

(A: nothing!)

 

AT&T is making a switch to Verizon look very easy, inexpensive and very worthwhile.

 

People don't use it because they don't know if they can.

It's bad enough that you need to know they have an iPhone 4 or better,

but then you specifically need to know that they've got wi-fi access... WTF?

 

It's not going to be widely used until it can be used anywhere by a majority.

Right now, it's not a real option, and that's the carriers' fault.

Just go here for net neutrality.

http://www.fcc.gov/complaints

Well then Apple should just let people download the FaceTime app, like they would Skype or ooVoo, the AT&T+Apple exclusive contract is over, I think that Apple has a little more freedom to make AT&T mad now.

AT & T's argument is lame.  Data is data... the call is Zeros and Ones, the apps use Zeros and Ones, FaceTime uses Zeros and Ones.  C'mon... the cell companies (Cable companies too; Voice, Internet and Television are all Zeros and Ones) are ripping the consumer off.  Moreover, if one purchases their own device.... AT & T still charges full freight.  Any device, using any app, on any network at any time for a flat fee.  Get it and be vocal!!!!

I pay $125 (with taxes) now for two iphones, 550min family talk, and 2GB/m x2. With this new plan I would have to pay $150 + taxes. AT&T wants to shove a useless texting plan down our throats because it "lost" revenue after Apple allowed Messages to bypass their SMS system. If their service was getting noticeably better, perhaps they could have an argument for this price hike, but their service remains bad, FAIL!

 

• Improved backhaul for carriers (not just the signals like Verizon has but expanded capacity),
• Ubiquity of 28 nm CMOS processes as well (15%-30% improved battery life for some functions, e.g. Wi-Fi) (HTC One X aren't all 28nm for example)
• 4G LTE Advanced solutions 
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi (up to 1300 Mbps on 5GHz and 450 Mbps on 2.4GHz)
• PowerVR Series 6 (Rogue) GPU (20x better performance and 5x more efficient than current GPUs) and,
• ARM Cortex A15 MPCore CPU (5x better performance than current CPUs)

I don't think any of your concerns are really issues at all.

First off, in my experience most people don't want to video chat except possibly with relatives and only then on rare occasion.

If you want to video chat more than likely you know the other person and know what kind of phone they have as it is probably your spouse.

We have had video chat on Skype for years. The current version works really well for video, but it is tiresome to hold the smartphone in position for very long and a regular audio only call is much more relaxed especially for extended time.

Fine. I'll just use Tango and my grandfathered unlimited data plan. It works just as well as FaceTime, and over cellular data networks, and is compatible with Android users.

As posted elsewhere:

 

 

• …Sprints network, right?
• No true 4G, right. 
• Slow as hell, right?*
• No simultaneous voice and cellular data, right?

* 3G and 4G Wireless Speed Showdown: Which Networks Are Fastest?

Well here's a thought, what about facetime over the so called 4G or LTE network? There's no mention of blocking that. It would suck if those that own the new iPhone were able to facetime over the network whilst blocking those still on 3G only.

Unfortunately no he is not an idiot. Legally he is correct.

The rules in question only say that carriers can't block 3rd party functions that copy carrier native ones. For example they can't block IMessages going over 3G/4G because it copies SMS/MMS. But if all the apps are 3rd party like Skype and FaceTime they can legally do what they want since the issue isn't cobbling said 3rd party apps to force folks to use the carriers offering and likely pay more for it.

The idiot in this case is the person that tried to use these rules which don't apply. The applicable argument is that data is data and the carriers shouldn't be allowed to nitpick what we paying customers can do with our data so long as we agree to paying the charges, deal with their legally allowed speed throttling etc.

You are right

 

If FaceTime could do audio only, which would be easier on the network, then it would be Clear that AT&T blocked similar service.

My Guess is that Apple never offer this iChat Feature because of the talk they had with AT&T before the first iPhone.

 

It is inevitable that one day, Cellular provider will become Internet provider and VOiP will get real Quality of Service (QOS), comparable, i hope to current voice technology.

 

BUT, as a result, they will loose all the money they make on voice, and SMS, and since they hate making less money, the will rise the price of the MB...

 

So at the end, we will have what we want but will pay a lot more for it.

Now that is a way to attempt to argue within the quoted rules, pity the initial case wasn't as smart and went with just focusing on Skype etc

With the iPhone available with many carriers, time to jump ship from AT&T. It's all about profit and exec. salary rather than improving the customer experience. Anyone know the innovation example, a washing machine that also washes potatoes. An innovative company would have invented one that does it all. Time for Apple to become a carrier and blow these MOJOS out of the water. RIM couldn't keep up, Nokia hanging by a thread, Samsung had to copy and now the time is right to morph into a carrier. Jobs would have thought of it, make it all VOIP. Snooze, you lose.

With Verizon they allow you to keep your current plan until you decide to upgrade your phone. Then you have no choice but to move ot the Share Everything Plan. The nice thing about this plan is they allow you to use your device as a hotspot without an extra charge. The shared data at least for me works out better because I use next to no cellular data because I am over wifi most of the day. So that was a wasted 2GB.

 

ATT plan is more expensive. However either one is like dealing with the Mafia.

 

Unless you never had data to begin with! Then you can stay on a phone without data.

In exactly one month, and if everything actually does work as it's supposed to, our plan is to drop Verizon unceremoniously and get three iPhones on Straight Talk. I have to make absolutely certain of a few things before we do that, otherwise we'll just stick with our seven year old phones on Verizon.

Makes me think of Apple not allowing apps that have the same function as built in apps.

Curious that the (very) Appleionado doesn't grasp that...

 

Then maybe reading the article will make you think something different (correct).

The problem with you AT&T, is that, you don't understand how business works. Companies like Apple and others are trying to provide customers with innovative products and services. You on the other hand are trying to take advantage of loop holes within the law system to rip off customers pockets.

 

AT&T, it doesn't matter that what you are doing is within the law, IT PISSES CUSTOMERS OFF!!

YOU ARE ACTUALLY GIVING PEOPLE A REASON (FEEDING THEIR DESIRE) TO USE OTHER CARRIERS. YOU ARE GIVING T-MOBILE AND SPRINT FREE ADVERTISING. You are giving ME (your customer for years) many reasons to change carrier.

 

On the long run you will see that customers care more about how much they pay than for how much coverage you have, just because you are trying to limit these services like Facetime through 3G.

What does the app have to do with pushing people to sign up for there MORE EXPENSIVE shared CRAP! Why does changing the plan to the shared plan suddenly make it OK to use FaceTime?

There are millions of apps out there, does that mean every time I put an app on my iPhone I have to change my plan?

What actually changes? 

I'll tell you, absolutely NOTHING!!

AT&T B.S.!!!!

Agree 100%

 

Just did exactly that last weekend .

Ported the verizon number to a GSM iPhone on Straighttalk.

45 a Month for unlimited calling/text/web vs 85 for verizon.

 

For three iPhones, unlimited talk, text (which we will never use for any reason), and 2GB data TOTAL, Verizon would charge us $200 a month.

 

It's $120 a month for unlimited talk, text, and 6GB data TOTAL (2GB each) on Straight Talk.

 

And more than that, Straight Talk with infinity/infinity/6GB is LESS MONEY than our current Verizon plan, 1000/250/0GB!

 

We can no longer justify staying with those morons.

 

Here's my list of concerns, though…

 

Network: It's AT&T, right? Or do they supplement with other GSM providers, too? What sort of coverage/quality/dropped calls?

Data: It works on an iPhone, right? At what speeds? I know they don't have LTE access yet and we won't be able to use LTE on our LTE iPhones, sure, but is it at least HSPA+? There's probably no HSPA+ service through AT&T where we live though, anyway… 

 

Can other users thereof comment specifically on that? I know jragosta has been able to do it, but he had trouble that I forget about.

 

I just posted a complaint stating something like this:

 

"AT&T is forcing me to buy a more expensive plan to use FaceTime video-call service over cellular connection. AT&T is blocking FaceTime on my existing Data plan despite the fact that I pay monthly for a 3GB data allotment and only intend to use FaceTime within the limits of my plan. I believe this is a  violation of the network neutrality rules"

 

Guys, I encourage all of you to do the same.

 

Huh??  The jailbreak I have for 5.1.1 took less than 10 minutes and was all automated.  Did it for a friend who wanted to use a 3GS on Boost Mobile.

Not necessarily.

Skype won the issue in part because it has or at least had, a text feature and an audio call feature both of which directly compete with AT&T offerings. That you had to download it is moot.

The key feature of FaceTime is video chatting which AT&T doesn't offer, so the rule isn't immediately applicable. that is the issue with the argument. Positioning it as an later native to making voice calls plus a data is data argument might win but 'you allow Skype' not really

I would love for this to become a reality. The problem is that under their terms of service you cannot file a class action suit. You can only go through an arbitration service of their choosing. Personally, I find this to be the most heinous part of all of this. For U.S. customers, AT&T and basically every other carrier out there are trying to limit and remove your right to challenge them in court. This is your 7th Amendment:

AT&T and all the others out there do not want to go to court with you, or even a class of you. They just want to control your data.

Not at all. They are focusing on the video feature of FaceTime, which they don't offer. And because they don't offer their own video chat service the quoted rule doesn't apply.

That the iPhone has it built in would only regulate Apple, not AT&T.

And unfortunately for us it is a legit legal argument under this particular rule.

 

Actually they are plannig to cover 250-270M by the end of 2013 and it will also be LTE-A

 

I don't understand your point about Skype in this regard, though. Could you elaborate?

 

Skype presents an even greater threat to AT&T's revenue than FaceTime ever could.