$40 - $45 a month unlimited minutes/text/data. my wife's iphone 4 contract is up next month and i'll just pay the ETF for my 4S and will get both phones unlocked
they go over AT&T's network and supposedly only MMS won't work which is a non-issue with imessage
at this point i don't even care if i keep the phone for 3 years. I hate Siri and don't play much games. Maps, i just bought navigon with the maps on the device and they use navteq
between the ridiculous new verizon family plans and the fact that i barely use any minutes and the fact that i'm on wifi 90% of the time i would have went to virgin and their $30 plan but i don't want to buy a new iphone
More likely, this might be the carrot to get you off your grandfathered unlimited data plan. Facetime didn't work when you signed your contract and it will continue to not work. Therefore, you are getting the service you signed up for. If you want Facetime, upgrade your plan (ie, drop your unlimited plan). Charging extra for a particular data service would likely land them in a lot of hot water with the regulators. But not giving you a service you never had would be very defendable by the carriers.
FaceTime is not a service AT&T offers. Netflix wasn't there when I signed my contract, so I shouldn't be allowed to use it? Similarly, should AT&T be allowed to block any software released for iOS? No, you paid for your data, you should be allowed to use it. What's next, youtube, safari, mail, messages costs?
More likely, this might be the carrot to get you off your grandfathered unlimited data plan. Facetime didn't work when you signed your contract and it will continue to not work. Therefore, you are getting the service you signed up for. If you want Facetime, upgrade your plan (ie, drop your unlimited plan). Charging extra for a particular data service would likely land them in a lot of hot water with the regulators. But not giving you a service you never had would be very defendable by the carriers.
I actually voluntarily gave up my unlimited plan when I recently upgraded to my data only LTE hot spot. The AT&T rep helped me make the decision because he said "Would you rather hit your data limit and be throttled or hit your data limit and be charged $5?" Easy choice for me.
This is interesting. I have a iPhone 4 with 5Gb hotspot, to tether to my iPad 3. the iPad is unrestricted when tethered, as it operates just like computer data would. My guess is that in order for a sim locked device to be authorized, it has to have a tiered data plan. Which sucks for people who pay full price for their device, in order to keep their unlimited data plans.
Btw, our FCC is the worst FCC in history. They're only listening to carriers, and not the people who are forced to use them due to no competition in the wireless market.
Verizon will no longer be honoring grandfathered unlimited data plans once the contract is up. You will have to select a new data package. So this will only be true until the turn-around of customers contracts who have unlimited data.
Completely false. You can keep your unlimited plan as long as you like. The caveat is after June 28th, if you want to upgrade a device at subsidized pricing at the end of your contract, you will have change plans. However you are free to buy a device at full price, or use any device and renew your current contract (or not) and keep your data package. Comparing plans side by side, buying at full retail and your keeping current plan is STILL cheaper than subsidized pricing and new plan over 2 years. Food for thought.
FaceTime is not a service AT&T offers. Netflix wasn't there when I signed my contract, so I shouldn't be allowed to use it? Similarly, should AT&T be allowed to block any software released for iOS? No, you paid for your data, you should be allowed to use it. What's next, youtube, safari, mail, messages costs?
There is a small problem with an Apple App on an Apple partner carrier that requires instant bandwidth. ATT wants to throttle the use of anything that expects realtime bandwidth bidirectionally from Apple (or ATT... eg. voice).
Netflix... all downstream. Facetime... as much or more 'UPSTREAM' which has always been about 1/10th the capacity of downstream, and it's 'real time' (a 20 second delay on email, twitter, not a big deal... 20 second delay in a voice/visual conversation sucks). ATT doesn't want everyone to jump onto the net and generate massive bottlenecks and failures.
ATT has no QoS on the data side, has limited upstream bandwidth, and has constantly failed in bandwidth delivery in general. the latter was the issue with tethering. So ATT is using $$ to keep everyone from doing it.
Instead of doing the obvious and fixing their backhaul network.
This is ATT's version of Verizon's "Share Everything" plan. However, ATT got the concept wrong, when they think of 'Share Everything', they are thinking of your money!
SADLY this is why I do not own a smart phone, iPhone or "others". Anyway, I can't see doubling, now close to tripling my cell phone bill.
I wonder if this is what Steve Jobs had in mind when he first introduced the iPhone. Maybe got suckered a little. Apple reinvented the phone that's for sure, just not the phone bill THAT'S FOR SURE ALSO!
I wish Apple would create a semi smart phone, where you have limited options. I just want to check e-mail and maybe visit a website on wifi and that's it, but get to enjoy Apple's technology and product build quality.
Why don't they charge per app you use? And then introduce app bundles. And charge for the distance your bits travel. And every time I lose at Angry Birds.
There is a small problem with an Apple App on an Apple partner carrier that requires instant bandwidth. ATT wants to throttle the use of anything that expects realtime bandwidth bidirectionally from Apple (or ATT... eg. voice).
Netflix... all downstream. Facetime... as much or more 'UPSTREAM' which has always been about 1/10th the capacity of downstream, and it's 'real time' (a 20 second delay on email, twitter, not a big deal... 20 second delay in a voice/visual conversation sucks). ATT doesn't want everyone to jump onto the net and generate massive bottlenecks and failures.
ATT has no QoS on the data side, has limited upstream bandwidth, and has constantly failed in bandwidth delivery in general. the latter was the issue with tethering. So ATT is using $$ to keep everyone from doing it.
Instead of doing the obvious and fixing their backhaul network.
This is the line they feed us but it's BS. Show me hard data that indicates the network can't handle the congestion, and I'll tell AT&T to go ahead and throttle during those peak times of congestion, not to artificially cripple the hardware and software capabilities. The truth of the matter is tethering, iMessage, FaceTime, etc. all affect AT&T's revenue stream, nothing else. If freeing congestion were what this was really about, we'd see temporary throttling, not the blanket treatment that AT&T implements on unlimited plans exclusively. We wouldn't see the CEO complaining about iMessage tearing into their text messaging plans. Everything AT&T does and says strikes me as disingenuous, except when they talk about ways to increase revenue.
And the reason the backhaul is in trouble is because it is over saturated. They keep adding more and more subscribers, even to the point where the network can't handle it. The problem isn't VOIP, Tethering, or any other software feature/app. It's about AT&T resisting at all costs becoming solely a data dumb pipe.
Just like AT&T blocks the personal hotspot feature for the unlimited (throttled) data users, AT&T is obviously going to block them from using facetime over data too. There's nothing to suggest that they'll add a new charge if you're already paying for limited data (2G, 5G, 10G) but I guess AI just goes with the copy and paste tech pundit crowd.
This is the line they feed us but it's BS. Show me hard data that indicates the network can't handle the congestion, and I'll tell AT&T to go ahead and throttle during those peak times of congestion, not to artificially cripple the hardware and software capabilities. The truth of the matter is tethering, iMessage, FaceTime, etc. all affect AT&T's revenue stream, nothing else. If freeing congestion were what this was really about, we'd see temporary throttling, not the blanket treatment that AT&T implements on unlimited plans exclusively. We wouldn't see the CEO complaining about iMessage tearing into their text messaging plans. Everything AT&T does and says strikes me as disingenuous, except when they talk about ways to increase revenue.
And the reason the backhaul is in trouble is because it is over saturated. They keep adding more and more subscribers, even to the point where the network can't handle it. The problem isn't VOIP, Tethering, or any other software feature/app. It's about AT&T resisting at all costs becoming solely a data dumb pipe.
ATT's network is oversaturated. You agree to my point.
I worked in Telephony, and the primary goal of 'network operations' was to operate the smallest amount of bandwidth that optimized profits (what is minimum amount of network we need to maximize the number of people who DON'T drop the service). The whole concept of 'Erlang' was a measure based on that (what level of congestion is just below when would people complain that 'circuits are busy, please try again later'). Why were there plans for 9pm-7am lower/free rates? Those calls weren't cheaper to make... they were just shifting descretionary (non- business) calls to keep capacity demands lower during the day. Charging for FaceTime does the same thing... Fewer people Facetiming with someone's kitten.;-)
I agree ATT is maximizing profits. I don't agree that facetime cuts into call revenue. Nor does messaging (if someone messages that much, they have to have both the 'infinite' plan and iMessage). I'll give you tethering, as that was a product.
And I agree on your last point. ATT and all the carriers are trying not to be a dumb pipe. They want the customer (fighting Apple in the same manner that Dell/HP/Toshiba are fighting Microsoft now for the 'Windows Tablet Customer')
ive had no pop up or problem placing a FaceTime call on at&t’s 3g network on my iPhone 4S
You must have already had it enabled when you upgraded from iOS 6 beta 2 to beta 3. I have yet to check to see myself if I get an error but I have not turned off FaceTime over 3G then turned it back on again. I bet if I did this I would then get an error.
FaceTime is not a service AT&T offers. Netflix wasn't there when I signed my contract, so I shouldn't be allowed to use it? Similarly, should AT&T be allowed to block any software released for iOS? No, you paid for your data, you should be allowed to use it. What's next, youtube, safari, mail, messages costs?
True, but tethering isn't a service provided by the carriers either. It's a function of the phone. Yet they had no problem monetizing that. I'm not saying it's right. Just that it's a possibility.
And carrier protectionism isn't unique to American carriers. A good friend who lives in Germany is interferred with in trying to use Skype on her Android phone. Even on wi-fi, the phone limits Skype calls to 15 minutes. We are disconnected at 15 minutes, on the dot, whenever she uses Skype on her phone (but not her computer or iPod touch, only the German cell phone disconnects us). And that's on wi-fi! I've never been able to test it on the cell data connection because it's too unreliable (in fact, it's completely useless on cell data).
I wish Apple would create a semi smart phone, where you have limited options. I just want to check e-mail and maybe visit a website on wifi and that's it, but get to enjoy Apple's technology and product build quality.
Huge market opportunity there for Apple! And they can "stick it to the carriers" with a phone like that.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by Just_Me
to which service?
straight talk
$40 - $45 a month unlimited minutes/text/data. my wife's iphone 4 contract is up next month and i'll just pay the ETF for my 4S and will get both phones unlocked
they go over AT&T's network and supposedly only MMS won't work which is a non-issue with imessage
at this point i don't even care if i keep the phone for 3 years. I hate Siri and don't play much games. Maps, i just bought navigon with the maps on the device and they use navteq
between the ridiculous new verizon family plans and the fact that i barely use any minutes and the fact that i'm on wifi 90% of the time i would have went to virgin and their $30 plan but i don't want to buy a new iphone
Quote:
Originally Posted by imbrucewayne
What makes this another plot of Google?
Maybe you need to keep up with the news (history now).
You have been warned......almost a million Sprint Users viewing/complaining about iPhone service:
http://community.sprint.com/baw/thread/78766?start=0&tstart=0
FaceTime is not a service AT&T offers. Netflix wasn't there when I signed my contract, so I shouldn't be allowed to use it? Similarly, should AT&T be allowed to block any software released for iOS? No, you paid for your data, you should be allowed to use it. What's next, youtube, safari, mail, messages costs?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wiggin
More likely, this might be the carrot to get you off your grandfathered unlimited data plan. Facetime didn't work when you signed your contract and it will continue to not work. Therefore, you are getting the service you signed up for. If you want Facetime, upgrade your plan (ie, drop your unlimited plan). Charging extra for a particular data service would likely land them in a lot of hot water with the regulators. But not giving you a service you never had would be very defendable by the carriers.
I actually voluntarily gave up my unlimited plan when I recently upgraded to my data only LTE hot spot. The AT&T rep helped me make the decision because he said "Would you rather hit your data limit and be throttled or hit your data limit and be charged $5?" Easy choice for me.
This is interesting. I have a iPhone 4 with 5Gb hotspot, to tether to my iPad 3. the iPad is unrestricted when tethered, as it operates just like computer data would. My guess is that in order for a sim locked device to be authorized, it has to have a tiered data plan. Which sucks for people who pay full price for their device, in order to keep their unlimited data plans.
Btw, our FCC is the worst FCC in history. They're only listening to carriers, and not the people who are forced to use them due to no competition in the wireless market.
I will be upgrading two iPhones with the 5 hits this year. I had planned on switching to VZW. This reinforces that decision.
It's my data, I'll use it how I want. I wish I didn't have to pay to be a hot spot. It's my data!
Quote:
Originally Posted by macxpress
Verizon will no longer be honoring grandfathered unlimited data plans once the contract is up. You will have to select a new data package. So this will only be true until the turn-around of customers contracts who have unlimited data.
Completely false. You can keep your unlimited plan as long as you like. The caveat is after June 28th, if you want to upgrade a device at subsidized pricing at the end of your contract, you will have change plans. However you are free to buy a device at full price, or use any device and renew your current contract (or not) and keep your data package. Comparing plans side by side, buying at full retail and your keeping current plan is STILL cheaper than subsidized pricing and new plan over 2 years. Food for thought.
Quote:
Originally Posted by johndoe98
FaceTime is not a service AT&T offers. Netflix wasn't there when I signed my contract, so I shouldn't be allowed to use it? Similarly, should AT&T be allowed to block any software released for iOS? No, you paid for your data, you should be allowed to use it. What's next, youtube, safari, mail, messages costs?
There is a small problem with an Apple App on an Apple partner carrier that requires instant bandwidth. ATT wants to throttle the use of anything that expects realtime bandwidth bidirectionally from Apple (or ATT... eg. voice).
Netflix... all downstream. Facetime... as much or more 'UPSTREAM' which has always been about 1/10th the capacity of downstream, and it's 'real time' (a 20 second delay on email, twitter, not a big deal... 20 second delay in a voice/visual conversation sucks). ATT doesn't want everyone to jump onto the net and generate massive bottlenecks and failures.
ATT has no QoS on the data side, has limited upstream bandwidth, and has constantly failed in bandwidth delivery in general. the latter was the issue with tethering. So ATT is using $$ to keep everyone from doing it.
Instead of doing the obvious and fixing their backhaul network.
This is ATT's version of Verizon's "Share Everything" plan. However, ATT got the concept wrong, when they think of 'Share Everything', they are thinking of your money!
SADLY this is why I do not own a smart phone, iPhone or "others". Anyway, I can't see doubling, now close to tripling my cell phone bill.
I wonder if this is what Steve Jobs had in mind when he first introduced the iPhone. Maybe got suckered a little. Apple reinvented the phone that's for sure, just not the phone bill THAT'S FOR SURE ALSO!
I wish Apple would create a semi smart phone, where you have limited options. I just want to check e-mail and maybe visit a website on wifi and that's it, but get to enjoy Apple's technology and product build quality.
Why don't they charge per app you use? And then introduce app bundles. And charge for the distance your bits travel. And every time I lose at Angry Birds.
Skype wins again.
Was just thinking that myself...surprised but, glad to hear that...
This is the line they feed us but it's BS. Show me hard data that indicates the network can't handle the congestion, and I'll tell AT&T to go ahead and throttle during those peak times of congestion, not to artificially cripple the hardware and software capabilities. The truth of the matter is tethering, iMessage, FaceTime, etc. all affect AT&T's revenue stream, nothing else. If freeing congestion were what this was really about, we'd see temporary throttling, not the blanket treatment that AT&T implements on unlimited plans exclusively. We wouldn't see the CEO complaining about iMessage tearing into their text messaging plans. Everything AT&T does and says strikes me as disingenuous, except when they talk about ways to increase revenue.
And the reason the backhaul is in trouble is because it is over saturated. They keep adding more and more subscribers, even to the point where the network can't handle it. The problem isn't VOIP, Tethering, or any other software feature/app. It's about AT&T resisting at all costs becoming solely a data dumb pipe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by johndoe98
This is the line they feed us but it's BS. Show me hard data that indicates the network can't handle the congestion, and I'll tell AT&T to go ahead and throttle during those peak times of congestion, not to artificially cripple the hardware and software capabilities. The truth of the matter is tethering, iMessage, FaceTime, etc. all affect AT&T's revenue stream, nothing else. If freeing congestion were what this was really about, we'd see temporary throttling, not the blanket treatment that AT&T implements on unlimited plans exclusively. We wouldn't see the CEO complaining about iMessage tearing into their text messaging plans. Everything AT&T does and says strikes me as disingenuous, except when they talk about ways to increase revenue.
And the reason the backhaul is in trouble is because it is over saturated. They keep adding more and more subscribers, even to the point where the network can't handle it. The problem isn't VOIP, Tethering, or any other software feature/app. It's about AT&T resisting at all costs becoming solely a data dumb pipe.
ATT's network is oversaturated. You agree to my point.
I worked in Telephony, and the primary goal of 'network operations' was to operate the smallest amount of bandwidth that optimized profits (what is minimum amount of network we need to maximize the number of people who DON'T drop the service). The whole concept of 'Erlang' was a measure based on that (what level of congestion is just below when would people complain that 'circuits are busy, please try again later'). Why were there plans for 9pm-7am lower/free rates? Those calls weren't cheaper to make... they were just shifting descretionary (non- business) calls to keep capacity demands lower during the day. Charging for FaceTime does the same thing... Fewer people Facetiming with someone's kitten.;-)
I agree ATT is maximizing profits. I don't agree that facetime cuts into call revenue. Nor does messaging (if someone messages that much, they have to have both the 'infinite' plan and iMessage). I'll give you tethering, as that was a product.
And I agree on your last point. ATT and all the carriers are trying not to be a dumb pipe. They want the customer (fighting Apple in the same manner that Dell/HP/Toshiba are fighting Microsoft now for the 'Windows Tablet Customer')
Quote:
Originally Posted by Just_Me
thats a failed idea. Throttled is still unlimited.
Well, given that the only publicized case to go to small claims court was a loss for ATT, I'm not sure how you'd call it failed.
You must have already had it enabled when you upgraded from iOS 6 beta 2 to beta 3. I have yet to check to see myself if I get an error but I have not turned off FaceTime over 3G then turned it back on again. I bet if I did this I would then get an error.
Quote:
Originally Posted by johndoe98
FaceTime is not a service AT&T offers. Netflix wasn't there when I signed my contract, so I shouldn't be allowed to use it? Similarly, should AT&T be allowed to block any software released for iOS? No, you paid for your data, you should be allowed to use it. What's next, youtube, safari, mail, messages costs?
True, but tethering isn't a service provided by the carriers either. It's a function of the phone. Yet they had no problem monetizing that. I'm not saying it's right. Just that it's a possibility.
And carrier protectionism isn't unique to American carriers. A good friend who lives in Germany is interferred with in trying to use Skype on her Android phone. Even on wi-fi, the phone limits Skype calls to 15 minutes. We are disconnected at 15 minutes, on the dot, whenever she uses Skype on her phone (but not her computer or iPod touch, only the German cell phone disconnects us). And that's on wi-fi! I've never been able to test it on the cell data connection because it's too unreliable (in fact, it's completely useless on cell data).