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

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Comments

  • Reply 61 of 217
    You mean wireless internet access on the iPhone is more than a tempermental novelty!? :O THE IDEA!!
  • Reply 62 of 217
    dualiedualie Posts: 334member
    Screw AT&T. I'll just stick with my Sprint UNLIMITED data plan for my EVDO card long after the contract runs out in March. For Cell service I'll stick with Boost, at around $10 a month and 10 cents a message. For home phone service I'll stay with Skype In/Out ($30 per year for the phone number), 11 cents message, and free long distance anywhere in the US and Canada.



    Savings = ~$500/year over AT&T, and I can stream as much video, tv, music or whatever, as I want.
  • Reply 63 of 217
    rob55rob55 Posts: 1,291member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iGenius View Post


    T Mobile. They are cheaper. Am I correct that the iPhone works on T-Mobile?



    They're also the smallest of the providers. My brother-in-law switched from T-Mobile to AT&T because his coverage sucked with T-Moble and he wanted the iPhone. And that's in NJ where you'd expect good coverage.
  • Reply 64 of 217
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iGenius View Post


    T Mobile. They are cheaper. Am I correct that the iPhone works on T-Mobile?



    Yes, on GSM (GPRS/EDGE). They are cheaper for a reason, just like Sprint. If T-Mobile gets the iPhone next year I?d wager it would be the same price for unlimited data as AT&T and Verizon. The only added bonus would likely be included SMS.
  • Reply 65 of 217
    mazda 3smazda 3s Posts: 1,613member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noexpectations View Post




    Get used to caps....all the jailbreaked iPhones ruined it for the rest of us.



    Oh, so now it's jailbreakers' fault for all of this?
  • Reply 66 of 217
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    Verizon would be the one crying now if Apple had went with them instead of AT&T. Neither could predict the success of the iPhone and then later the App store. Verizon would have had to pull their "Most Reliable 3G Network" tag then.
  • Reply 67 of 217
    wigginwiggin Posts: 2,265member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Bretbenz View Post


    You shouldn't have to pay extra for using more of an UNLIMITED service. Period. This is wrong and abusive to consumers.



    And yet it's not wrong and abusive to charge someone who uses 10x less data than you the same rate you are paying? How about we charge everyone the same monthly price for electricity, too, regardless of how much they use? I love how people seem to think that internet access is some entitlement or inalienable right and that it's an inexhausable resource not subject to supply-and-demand.



    And it's only a matter of time before the home broadband providers start similar pricing. As more and more people get their TV over the internet and move to lower priced cable plans, or no cable at all, they will be looking for ways to make up for lost revenue.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iGenius View Post


    But that is not the deal. The deal is $30/unlimited data.



    If ATT cannot deliver on the deal they made, they should allow the non-breaching party (me) to terminate the contract.



    That is Contract Law 101. I'm not suggesting anything other than the way things have been since the earliest days of British Common Law.



    Nobody said anything of modifying the terms of existing contracts. In fact, they may not even try to modify your terms after your contact is up. They may, however, change the terms if you upgrade your equipment.
  • Reply 68 of 217
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ifone View Post


    I agree with above....any data cap on the iphone will result in me for one leaving the network...then again...they can't 'force' u to change ur current unlimited plan to one that caps data....they can only grandfather the plan...



    What a stupid argument. I bet you are one of those sucking all the data.



    In the first place there are already caps on the data. There isn't an "unlimited" plan in existence in any country that's truly unlimited.



    Secondly, why should someone who just gets email have to pay the same amount as someone who is watching live TV 24/7? This isn't a penalty on high data users more than it is a return to sanity in pricing.



    My contract allows for 6 Gigabytes of data a month for $30.00 plus hidden fees and taxes. This is a very generous plan by most standards, but I only use perhaps 20 or 30 Megabytes of data myself. Anyone streaming more than 6 Gigs of data a month certainly deserves to pay more, and people like myself who need a data contract, but only need a few hundred MBs should pay substantially less. This is just common sense and fairness.



    Behaviour won't be modified if there is no cost to said behaviour. Some assh*le abusing the bandwidth won't stop doing it if there is no cost to him.
  • Reply 69 of 217
    Comcast has been lying about the existence of data hogs.



    http://gizmodo.com/5419179/is-the-bandwidth-hog-a-myth



    How do we know that AT&T isn't lying too. And what about iPhone users that use almost no data like my wife? AT&T is welcome to write a fat check to us as soon as they tax the 'data hogs.'
  • Reply 70 of 217
    The problem lies with the 3%. Many of them are tethering to their computers! They are hurting the rest of us. We need tiered pricing. Why should someone who only uses 500MB pay the same as someone using 10GB? The lighter users would love to pay $15/mo for data...
  • Reply 71 of 217
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,015member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by yensid98 View Post


    Why should anyone pay more for heavy use? It doesn't cost AT&T any more money to service someone who downloads 20GB of data in a month than someone who only downloads 1GB. The highway still has to be there no matter the amount of usage by a few people. Charging more for usage is just gouging and make the majority fear using their device.





    I don't agree with any of that. It does cost AT&T more, because they have to invest in upgrading the network due to the massive amount of data some people use. Network problems from congestion result, which costs AT&T money...if not in the short run, then in the long run.



    Now don't me wrong, I think AT&T frankly sucks. They weren't up to the task of taking on the iPhone exclusively and grossly underestimated that impact it would have on their network. Then, after making millions on iPhone users, they complain about how much data they use. Ridiculous.



    As for tiered pricing, I don't like it. I'd be OK with maximum cap and then reasonable overage rate. As long as it doesn't impact the average or even more than average downloader/user, I don't see a problem. Comcast currently does the same thing. Yes, I think they suck too.
  • Reply 72 of 217
    ifailifail Posts: 463member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by r3mdh View Post


    AT&T doesn't pay extra for extravagant over-use of their network, other than in losing dissatisfied customers and bad PR that prevents them from bringing in as many new customers as they'd like. However, hardware is hardware. They paid for it at one point and no matter how heavy it is utilized, it doesn't cost them any more than their initial investment to run. You call everyone on here a "moron" or "childish" - why not reinforce your argument with FACTS instead of name-calling? Clearly, you do not understand how networks operate, nor the business model implemented by AT&T.



    Your right and wrong, it doesnt cost AT&T much at all, but it costs the end users who cant even get decent quality from their phone network due to people hoarding all the bandwith from other users. Higher prices for people with higher usages is just common sense. The iPhone uses data like a Viper uses gasoline, its pretty bad. Still this is reflective of the person using the phone.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by r3mdh View Post


    No, you get what you pay for ACCORDING TO THE TERMS OF YOUR CONTRACT. If the contract states "Unlimited", that means NO LIMIT. These users - the occasional user and the traffic hog alike -- are paying for unlimited bandwidth, something that AT&T could not possibly offer to them all. AT&T made the mistake here - they should not have offered unlimited. If they find a loophole which allows them to modify the contract without breaking it, then it will be a crime. Beware "unlimited" in any kind of deal ... except at the Chinese buffet down the street, perhaps.



    I agree, but if they change the terms of the contract you are free to leave. I know thats not what people want to hear but if your not a heavy data user you wont even be affected. Hell for all we know AT&T's incentive for users who stay under a certain amount of data a month will be a cheaper bill.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by r3mdh View Post


    Apparently, you are the one who clearly does not understand what is going on here. AT&T enforces their contracts with their customers. If you break the contract, they make you pay. If you break their rules, they make you pay. If you are late paying your bill, they make you pay the bill PLUS a late fee. But, if THEY don't honor the contract, which states UNLIMITED BANDWIDTH for $30/month, then does the customer get to penalize AT&T?



    You get to leave, free of penalties thats it.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by r3mdh View Post


    As for the planning, permitting, etc... clearly AT&T didn't properly plan for offering "Unlimited" bandwidth. The employee who originally suggested it, as well as all of the management that signed off on such a deal, should all be terminated. This is just another in a long list of black eyes for AT&T and is the very reason why I don't own an iPhone until it goes to a respectable cell carrier, like Verizon.



    AT&T is going to have to grin and bear it for their existing customers. Perhaps they can eliminate "Unlimited" for new customers, but those with a 2-year agreement that is still in effect should be grandfathered or allowed out of their contracts. Either way, AT&T loses - they'll be trudging along with a saturated network for up to another 2 years, or they'll lose a significant number of customers, or both.



    Exactly how many customers do you think will leave AT&T if they change their data structure for the iphone? I truly believe only the data hogs will be the ones crying and having a fit at the end of the day, just like they are right now. If AT&T starts doing data tiers for smartphones that will be a big plus in my book and a huge selling point PAY FOR WHAT YOU NEED, if you need to hoard a ton of data, guess what? You gotta pay for it.
  • Reply 73 of 217
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    I?m baffled by use of the term ?unlimited? for marketing can be so misunderstood.



    Has anyone seen "unlimited/unlimited? to denote time/amount?





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wiggin View Post


    Nobody said anything of modifying the terms of existing contracts. In fact, they may not even try to modify your terms after your contact is up. They may, however, change the terms if you upgrade your equipment.



    That is how they do it.
  • Reply 74 of 217
    Back in the day when everyone had land lines and AT&T was Long Lines, the phone company made sure you understood that in order for you to call from your house on the east coast to your cousin's house on the west coast, they had to wake up the closest pixie, feed them a hearty meal of gold dust and unicorn tears, strap them to the underbelly of an SR-71 and have them string a pair of wires of purest copper those 3,000 miles. And that was why it coast umpteen dollars per minute for you to say Happy Birthday.



    Once the network was built out and everyone remembered the definition of "investment" and the government dusted off their anti-trust manual, this changed. Of course, that didn't stop the cell companies, the cable companies and ISPs from trying the same excuse for per-message or per-byte charges. And they had their heads handed to them too, consumer-awareness-wise speaking.



    And now this. Somehow AT&T are once again trying to convince people that the data in the pipe costs money per electron, and preciously so.



    The only thing that will solve this is - once again - competition. Spread iPhone usage among the big three (or is it four?) tier-1 cellular carriers and the problem should solve itself. Don't, and you're handing an unacceptable (to Apple) chunk of the future iPhone business to RIM, MOTO and everyone else.



    Listening, Steve and Phil?
  • Reply 75 of 217
    Let me say in advance that I'm sorry to all data hogs

    But, as far as I am concerned it's high time ATT woke up and charged people more equitably based on their usage. I don't use unreasonable amounts of data and shouldn't have to pay for those who do. In addition, the reason we don't have options like tethering is that ATT is afraid that some will misuse it. And clearly some would.

    I'd like to have tethering in case of an urgent need, as an example, but, I'm not idiot enough to think that I should be able to use it with out a reasonable limit. Wifi in the US is readily available and the only reason some don't pay attention to their usage is that they see their mobile data plan as a free lunch. No one will support conservation if they don't have to pay. Give me the option of buying a set amount of data and then let me use it however I want. If I use more, charge me more. But for me to pay more in support of data hogs is ridiculous. And 5GB of data per month is more then enough.

    I know some will disagree but, ATT's idiotic "unlimited" data plan pricing is why service is so bad. If the data hogs leave, goodbye and good riddance. Let them go choke the life out of some other carrier. It is a prime law of business. When you have customers that you can't afford to serve, show them the door.
  • Reply 76 of 217
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ifone View Post


    I agree with above....any data cap on the iphone will result in me for one leaving the network...then again...they can't 'force' u to change ur current unlimited plan to one that caps data....they can only grandfather the plan...



    You might be surprised at what they can and can't do. I became a Cingular customer at the beginning of that generation, that's how old my cell phone plan is. However, when the company changed names to AT&T, they cut off my unlimited text messaging and claimed that it "wasn't part of my plan". I contacted people at the head of the company and they didn't seem to care. I still have the same grandfather plan, but now I pay extra for texting. If they really want to cut your plan, they can and will. The folks out there doing all the lawsuits on Apple for frivolous reasons need to start suing these big companies for ripping off their customers like they do.
  • Reply 77 of 217
    igeniusigenius Posts: 1,240member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


    What a stupid argument. I bet you are one of those sucking all the data. Anyone streaming more than 6 Gigs of data a month certainly deserves to pay more, and people like myself who need a data contract, but only need a few hundred MBs should pay substantially less. This is just common sense and fairness.




    It would seem to follow that you consider the existing ATT deal to be unfair. Is that correct?
  • Reply 78 of 217
    They must be joking. They can not handle the volume and now They want to change the rules midstream. Can you say 'class action suit?' They must be joking.
  • Reply 79 of 217
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by yensid98 View Post


    Why should anyone pay more for heavy use? It doesn't cost AT&T any more money to service someone who downloads 20GB of data in a month than someone who only downloads 1GB. The highway still has to be there no matter the amount of usage by a few people. Charging more for usage is just gouging and make the majority fear using their device.



    Simple... because bandwidth is not an unlimited commodity. If you don't believe it, try to use wireless from AT&T (ironically) Park during a ball game. Its why they offer free wifi within the park.

    Those who think that a similar load on Verizon would behave any differently under similar load are blowing smoke.

    AT&T does not have a vendetta against iPhone user, trying to give them a miserable experience. Take off the tin-foil hats. They're expanding precisely as fast as $$ and resources allow.



    I just checked the data usage on my phone (I encourage others to actually do this).

    I've considered myself a fairly high bandwidth user, although I don't do a ton of movie downloads or streaming. I do that over wifi or sync from my Mac.

    My usage for the most recent month was about half a gig. My wife' usage was 70 meg.



    Expecting to use the same bandwidth over a wireless device at this point in history as you do over wifi or wired is delusional and unrealistic.



    The iPhone is not a bandwidth hog, simply the first widely adopted device that makes the experience easy, and therefore heavily used.

    I'm with AT&T on this, as long as they actually drop prices for moderate users, not just hike the prices for heavy users.
  • Reply 80 of 217
    rot'napplerot'napple Posts: 1,839member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ifone View Post


    I agree with above....any data cap on the iphone will result in me for one leaving the network...then again...they can't 'force' u to change ur current unlimited plan to one that caps data....they can only grandfather the plan...



    Don't bet on it...



    A friend of mine had Altell Unlimited $49.00 way, way back when. Too many people took up on the offer and went wild on the minutes because she got a letter from Altell stating that they were changing the Plan. When she called to complain, she was told by Altell "Tough Cookies, Your Plan IS Changed!"



    She canceled (without penalty since Altell breached) and went with another carrier.



    Should this come to fruition, I hope you and everyone on the plan has better luck then my friend, but don't count on it. Sure you can have a class action suit followed by appeals from both sides, but I'm just passing on from what my friend experienced is all. Besides AT&T doesn't have to worry about rankings amongst the cell phone carriers since they are already last...
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